9/18/2005

capitalist distraction or beneficial freedom?

So I'm thinking about getting a laptop. I already know which kind I would get, so that's not my question. My question really has to do with whether it's a justifiable purchase. After all, I have a perfectly functional desktop at home, and a desktop machine supplied by the U. at my office. So this laptop would be an extra, a luxury, a supplement. It seems crass even to be considering such a thing, given the state of the world. But I am anyway.

some lines of thought:
  • I'm on the verge of an exciting new project which will eventually require some archival work, for which I would need a laptop. However, I don't need to do archival work this month, or even this year, really. I'll be at a good library soon while at a conference, but what I need to use it for won't necessarily be archival transcriptions.
  • Having a laptop would enable me to write more, by being more flexible about where and how I write. Maybe, even, the fun of a new tool would make work seem more enjoyable. However, I've gotten along this far with organizing my writing time into home / office blocks -- do I really need to be able to write at the cafe, or on the couch?
  • I have the money set aside for it -- money from selling off my old books and from some royalties. But this money (which I've been preserving as somehow more "mine" to do what I like with than my salary) could also be applied to my debt. I could get an extra computer in a few years, when I've totally eliminated my debt. Perhaps I would enjoy it more then.
  • I have three trips planned this fall, which is a lot for me (I'm no profgrrrl). Having a laptop for those trips would enable easier internet access and writing during those trips. However, this is a stupidly expensive solution to my travel/work anxiety.
  • It's been years since I had a laptop and my inner geek is excited by what's available. But there will always be something better in a year or two or five.
  • It would be a really awesome reward for finishing off a commitment that has been a source of blockage and shame for a really long time. Once I finish.