Sigh.

[mariness]

So, the main computer is, in the cheery words of Best Buy, "undergoing several significant structural problems," which is a kindly term for "completely fried." (The key here was the fact that the computer spontaneously went into System Restore without my permission, which I thought was odd at the time, and turns out to be very odd indeed.) Adding

Comments

[oldcharliebrown]

And do you want something with XP or 7? This is important as very few computers still come with XP . . . but I point this only out because if your main computer was XP, then some of the software won't work on 7 (Home version).

[mariness]

The main computer was Windows 7 - I just got it in April, and XP wasn't available on anything, so Windows 7 it was. I checked with Microsoft and it will be very easy to exchange my license for Office 2010, which was the only additional software, other than, well, iTunes and Avast, that I had in there.

And actually this will be a laptop - I can't sit up for long periods, so a desktop is impractical (although, if we do end up moving, I might be able to set something up in a new room. Maybe.) The refund amount is around $800, so that's the price range.

[oldcharliebrown]

A netbook or a full-sized laptop?

[mariness]

Full sized laptop. I'm using a netbook (Samsung) now and I am seriously overusing its capacity; also, well, we don't have cable and won't be getting it any time soon, so the laptop is also going to be my television set/telephone.

[oldcharliebrown]

I love my Samsung netbook! :)

[oldcharliebrown]

Honestly, Samsung or Sony Vaio are your best bets.

[mariness]

I'm slightly iffy on Samsung given the occasional whitescreen issues I've had on this one - although, to give it full credit, it's working, which is a real plus.

Sony, though, is a definite possibility, especially since those should be in stock at the store.