A Cry for Help

Several people have written regarding my previous post, and in reading these emails, it's apparent to me that many of you have completely missed the point. That's okay, though. The reasoning behind your inability to properly comprehend the meaning behind the post is quite simple, really: I was intentionally being cryptic.

The post was titled "Open letter," but it was actually a thank you note to my older brother, who -- in a stunningly out-of-character burst of altruism -- has generously agreed to provide me with the laptop of my choice for Christmas. He wasn't aware of the existence of the blog, nor the book deal, until last week, but instead of being angry upon hearing about these developments for the first time, he sat and listened, intently, while I pissed and moaned about not having the ability to work on the book anywhere but at home.

I haven't pulled the trigger on buying anything just yet, because I'm still not entirely sure what I want. I think it prudent, since I haven't made a computer purchase in nearly two years, to place this decision -- or at least solicit opinion in order to become significantly better informed -- in the hands of you, the readership. With the following criteria in mind, I'd appreciate some feedback:

• I'd prefer to spend less than $1500.
• I'll be using it mainly for the purposes of writing the book, although I'd like for it to have some multimedia capability and a decent amount of memory and processor speed.
  
• It has to be lightweight, and travel easily, because I plan on making some trips in the next few months.
• That said, I'd prefer at least a 14" monitor, and I'm more comfortable with a larger keyboard.
• I understand why publishing/writing types lean toward Macs for their work, but I'd much rather use a PC at this stage of the game. I'm too used to them.

Please feel free to offer whatever recommendations you'd like. Tell me why you love/abhor your current laptop, and why I should purchase/destroy one just like it. Tell me what I need, what I don't need, and where I should go to get it.


Thanks.