Friday 24 August 2007

Computer crash....AArrgghh

OK folks, my computer is down down down, it has crashed well it simply wont turn on...so until I sort I am unable to post anything as well computer sufing is not as much fun as you might think.

It is a such a pain in the arse when you go and trust your life to Microsoft and then blip....all gone sorry.

The Laptop is out of warranty so I have let someone take it apart and try to fix it at the capacitor level....sounds fun if not a new one will be bought and the information from the hard drive will have to be sucked out of it as i have some sweet tunes on there...

Well I have bought a new one - A Sony vaio N38Z model in white, i like it but lets face it a my old brick had more power then this new vista powersucking baby has. It is nice and i like it, but i kinda still want me old one back. It is at present waiting for a new motherboard to become available, i will be keeping it, in the mean time i have had my hard drive returned to me in a caddy case, but i cant open files due to administrator rights.....what a pain. Anyway it great on the road as its so quiet, beter than the Amilo D brick that fanned people and made the lights flicker as it went. anyway here is the new laptop....



Saturday 4 August 2007

The new Toy 'Tom Tom'

I took a long time before I laid my cash out for this new toy, I went on to as many review sites as I could to be sure that it was worth the dosh, next came the game of researching in stores as well as online and checking the prices in those areas.



My experience was that the shops were rubbish the staff simply did not know what the devices did, they just knew that they could be in for a good sale and tried the pathetic sales patter on me, they would not open one up, they could not locate the details or the specifics from the box of the display model, and then in one shop where I nearly bought one they didnt have any in stock after all and there would be a waiting list.

DO NOT BUY FROM A BLOODY SHOP !!!!! DYOR online.

In the end I bought on online from Currys and got it for £20 cheaper with a discount code, the same model was in the store for £95 more, yep no shit. What did I buy, well I bought the -

Tom Tom One XL with the full UK & European Maps. £209.98 free delivery.
External Antenna - £9.99 Amazon
1GB memory card - £6.90 Amazon
Carry Case £14.20 - Amazon (It will be filthy in a week if you dont)

''you dont need a mains charger, plug it into your computer or car....!! really you dont.''.

Why did I buy one? Well I get lost alot, not where I live of course but anywhere else always... not only that I am without doubt one of those people who drive passed the turning they think they need all the time only to get lost on the way back looking for it again, and I get really pissed off & stressed with this whilst driving if I am honest....so yep hand on heart I have wasted hundreds of pounds worth of fuel going nowhere special. Also though it can be used on me push bike as well when walking through towns or in the countryside as it works with Long and Lat readings as well...



Does it work? thats the Q, when I did my reasearch some people said it loses a signal fair play I thought hence I bought the external antenna which sits on me roof, I have a full signal everywhere I go now, but yes it does work to coin a phrase 'It does exactly what it says on the tin' it is though not an autopilot and it does put you off your driving a bit at first but it is an invaluable resource for finding your way in a new City. I have tested it for three days so far and it has always got me to the destination I have asked of it. It also slows you down a bit in town centres as you are trying to follow its intructions good for me, as I have a heavy right foot sometimes.

It doesnt always take the route you would take in your own area, but thats not what its for, when you turn up in a town you have never been to before it is a God send.

I wont bore with you what it can do (DYOR), but it can do alot more than you think.

Would I recommend one - Yes I would.......Cant wait to test this baby on my Trip to the Alps and my Trip to Tenerife.