COMFORTABLE SHOES

So how long has it been since I got my Zareason machine?  I'm not even 
sure; judging by my old posts, it's been a couple months, but what's 
that mean in terms of how I FEEL, hmmm?  I've already had my ups and 
downs with it, some of which have been herein chronicled, but I think 
it's time for an over all assessment.  Not quite my final opinion, but a 
more mature view than before.  Based on my needs and wants, I can safely 
categorize this into three parts:

1.)  Media.  The ever-present trial of Linux.  From the start, media 
recording and playback was a challenge on this machine, due to the 
Nvidia graphics and sound cards installed.  They proved an impossible 
combination to satisfy until I switched to Ubuntu 10.04.  Either 
graphics or sound or DVD playback crapped out on some level with all the 
distros, and even with Ubuntu, which seems to have gotten everything 
else right, DVDs are still problematic.  And I'm still fighting with 
that external sound card.  Games, on the other hand, have been a 
pleasure.  The 3D graphic support (proprietary drivers) is excellent for 
what I've messed around with.

2.)  Speed.  It's not blazing, but it's a damn sight better than what I 
had before.  Even Open Office starts up within a second or three.  I'm 
not used to modern computing, and though it's not high-end stuff, it's 
good stuff.

3.)  Reliability.  Summed up: it's a decent piece of new hardware.  Most 
of the other machines I've used in the last couple of years have been 
hand-me-downs or thrift store specials.  Nothing wrong with those 
things, of course -- they were certainly the right price, and it helps 
the environment to keep computers out of the landfill, and whatever 
other touchy-feely blather you want to add.  But because they were not 
top shelf hardware to start with, because they were old, and because 
hardware fails when it gets old, I could never really trust them.  It's 
nice to have something that feels like it will be around for a while.

And so...?  I guess I like this machine.  It was more expensive than, 
maybe, it ought to have been, but I paid extra for that sweet knowledge 
that it is a Linux machine, NOT a re-purposed Windows box.  This 
sentiment could change tomorrow, and it does tend to waiver a bit 
whenever there are problems, but for now, as I write this, that's the 
final word.  For now.  Until it's not.