Dell - It's all over....

Yesterday, it was a Ferret. Today, it was a Dell - my Dell. The love affair is finally over.

In fairness to the Dell, I had pretty well flogged it to death over the past four years. However in its final days, it was no match for the combined resource requirements of both Microsoft Vista and Microsoft Office 2007. The parting was sudden.

Taking its place at the table is a Sony CS Series Vaio laptop with more memory than Einstein and a hard disc the size of The Bodleian Library. The sales line was impressive. "NZD 1,000 to you mate and cheap at the price". Leather Lane Market has nothing like this.

Like Vista a few days ago, a couple of immediate observations. When I visit the home page of Stuff, the first headline is always crunched up. I do not know if that is the Vaio, the new version of IE or the revenge of the Dell. Whatever it is, I don't like it. It happens every time.

What I do like is the built in 'Motion Eye', the built in microphone and the built in wifi card. I can now Skype on the road without the need for multiple cables and plug ins. I can now present to clients and not have to apologise for the 'brick' I have been carrying around these past few years.

And the brick? It will find its resting place in the office cupboard together with the seven year old ThinkPad and the even older Nokia phone. Who knows? In a few years time, they might even become iconic items.

Margaret Thatcher did.