Tech Review

Based on the philosophy that everything's better when you're paying for it, I've made Asymmetric available for Kindle, the device I really, really want, but won't buy for fear that it becomes the electronic device that breaks the camel's back. You can see it here.

Sometimes the amount of stuff people have dilutes the joy each individual item brings to them. I'm attracted to shiny, beeping things like Eliot Spitzer is to hookers, and bask in the glow of LCD light like George Hamilton does UV radiation, but I had so much tech that those square things with all of the buttons seemed like a bother rather than a help. It was especially annoying tripping over something you didn't use when a minute earlier you were writing checks to the credit card company (I have the Amazon card so that every once in a while I can buy something else I don't need).

As much as cluttered life is suffocating, cleaning and consolidating is refreshing and invigorating.

Mrs. Asymmetric and I have been selling much of our technology. I started by getting rid of the Onkyo stereo amplifier and Polk speakers that dominated our living room. If you have small kids, you know that listening to finely-reproduced music in the setting it's due is nearly impossible. The TV speakers perform well enough for family viewing. I don't know how impressive hearing the bass thud with each dinosaur step in Jurassic Park is anymore anyways. My wife likes to draw, but she never used the Wacom pad I got her. I can scan my signature. I don't need to back up my Michael Bolton cds in lossless so I sold one of my backup hard drives. I only listened to my iPod classic when I ran and a small, flash-based mp3 player is better suited for that purpose, unless I ever plan on running straight to Argentina in which case I'll buy another high-capacity player.

I love GPS, but we both didn't navigate unknown parts of Los Angeles at the same time- one will do. I also cut back on cell phone services like Verizon's Navigator and my wife's mobile internet access.

I don't watch TV news and the best shows are streamed for free or available on Netflix (the last thing ever to go), so no cable. We sold the larger monitor in the bedroom to which we'd connect our laptops. We can do with our smaller screens, the desk is cleaner, and we don't have to bother hooking it up each time. Ahhh, simplicity.

The time we saved in shopping and tech support when things inevitably don't work correctly has also saved us a bunch of time- enough to use the stuff we kept.

Sometimes, I got rid of something only to miss it. In that case, the item had justified its cost and earned a return trip to the Asymmetric household. I longed for the Rhapsody music service that allowed me to listen to any album I wanted to, legally. Cable internet's a must. I tried ditching my advanced cell phone, the Curve, and going to a cheap phone, but I missed the ability to connect my laptop to the internet in the wild (tethering) and browse blog feeds with Viigo during faculty meetings. I got the Storm. I used my bluetooth headphones pretty often: they functioned as an iPod as long as my computer was nearby and I could watch Stargate without bugging my wife.

There were specialty tech items like my media drive and Sirius radio that I never considered banishing.

Purchases now have to be as revenue neutral as possible. When my wife wanted a smaller laptop, I sold her Inspiron 1420 and got her a Vostro 1320 for less than a hundred more.

There's also a moratorium on new tech. It's painful. I really, really want an Amazon Kindle, but I've gotten 47 times smarter than Keith Olbermann without one- why spend $299.00?

Anyways, I hope it covers the higher taxes coming our way in California.

Dell E6400 in black

When my Lenovo T61's screen and motherboard went out two months after the warranty expired, I faced a number of laptop decisions. The first one was how much to spend. I could have gotten a cheap laptop that would have done 99% of the tasks I performed.

Or, a high-quality, mid-priced computer. I consider the T61 I had such a computer. I could have had another T61 or the thicker R61 at the Lenovo outlet for under $600.00.

Or, a very nice computer like the Dell Precision M6400 or Dell XPS. Concerning things tangible, I place my laptop right under my family and above my car and pets in importance so I wasn't going to get the cheapest computer. My financial situation prevented a luxury purchase. Mid-level it was.

I entered with some non-negotiables:

1. 14" Matte (non-glare) screen. This is the right size for me. I don't understand the Rube Goldberg fascination with shininess. It's distracting in all but the perfect conditions, like watching a DVD in the dark. This requirement precluded a retail, store-bought computer from Best Buy or Fry's.

2. Media card reader. I would always carry a PC Card media reader with my T61. The only problem is that it would only be in my bag until I needed it, when it would magically teleport itself back to my house.

3. No netbooks. Just too limiting. Forget video editing with one of those cute things. Even flash is a problem.

I narrowed it down to the T400, another T61, and the Dell business notebooks which are the only mainstream notebooks available with matte screens.

How I decided on the E6400:

1. For the same processor, the Dell was cheaper. I had a Dell Outlet coupon which made the E6400 super-cheap, about $700.00

2. The E6400 has some nice extras. I'm in the military and I use the built-in CAC card reader- one less thing to carry. The T400 can have a CAC card reader, but at the expense of the media card reader. The Dell also has a lighted keyboard, which is a very useful feature. It's really spoiled me.

3. The selection of T400 computers at the Lenovo site was very poor. I didn't see any with an LED screen (brighter, more energy efficient, and thinner than the older CCFL screens), which I would have felt necessary with the Lenovo since my T61 seemed to lack a little brightness compared to some other laptops.

So, how is it:

1. Very good. I've had some quality issues. The paint on the speaker peeled off. The processor would clock down after the video temperature went up, making the computer useless and requiring a reboot. I sent it in for this problem and they fixed it (the fan, although it gets hotter now. Ahhh, I don't care- it works now). Service has been excellent, actually. They came over to change the top after some conscious-less worker scratched it. I've replaced the keyboard as well.

2. The computer is of medium-quality build. It's made of metal which I like, but it's nowhere near as sturdy as the Lenovo T-series; the keyboard is bouncy and quiet, but I feel that a key would pop off if I got a finger underneath.

3. The screen is bright. Mine is the WXGA+ (1440X900). I recommend it to everybody with decent eyesight.

4. I can play Call of Duty fine with the Nvidia Quadro NVS 160M graphics.

5. Battery life is great- over five hours with the 9-cell. The lower-resolution screen with the integrated Intel 4500MDH graphics should last even longer.

6. I don't like the touchpad. It's not nearly as responsive as the one on my T61. I often have to wait for the cursor to catch up. I don't think ALPS touchpads are as good as those from Synaptics. I don't use the trackbutton.

You can get the E6400 in black, red, or blue (this would sway my wife, as she prefers red or pink technology) and two toughbook-style versions called the Latitude E6400 XFR and E6400 ATG.

The super-rugged, military-style Dell E6400 XFR

Dell in Red. Nice.

Overall, I'm very happy. If they were the same price, I'd probably choose the Lenovo T400 for it's ruggedness and superior keyboard, even if I had to schlep a media card reader.

Go to the outlet here to purchase an outlet Latitude. The coupon code is P34M4N4G7KS$M7. The coupon expires September 23.