Windows Hate

Those of you that know me know that I have terrible luck with laptops. I think I've gone through... 5? maybe 6? ... in the last seven years. I don't know what it is when it comes to me and technology, but we just don't mesh. It's not like I treat my laptop like dirt. I mean, I don't knock it about or anything... and though I admit to A LOT of use (a good six hours on a 'good' day), I don't really download anything, or ask my laptop to do more than allow me to use Word and a couple of social media sites.

Nevertheless, I seem to average one laptop a year when it comes to killing them. I'm a murderer of laptops. Maybe I shouldn't be called the Princess of Procrastination, but The Laptop Murderer instead.

After the Tipped Coke Incident

Anywho, I am currently on my latest new laptop. It should be noted that I had this laptop over two months ago, but it is only now that I'm actually using it. Laptop number 5 (or 6, or whatever it was) lost the will to live back in the summer last year. Probably because I accidentally tipped a glass of diet coke all over it. *shifty* (This is the only laptop that I will take full responsibility over for killing -  tipped drink = My Own Fault -  all the other laptop deaths I refuse to accept responsibility for without the presence of my lawyer). I think I've actually been scared to use it just in case I send another laptop to Technological Heaven.

Anyway anyway... now I have a decent laptop. Again. Now I also have a full working keyboard (which honestly, is a bit of a novelty to me seeing as between all the laptop deaths and malfunctions over the last few years, most of the time I've had to make do with a keyboard that has half the letters either missing, or just plain not working).

So far, so good. The problem is now I also have Windows 8. And I hate it, which explains the title of today's post. Incidentally, I wanted to make up my own word combining 'hate' with 'eight', but all that I got was 'height', which didn't sound like 'hate' at all. *digressing*

Anyway...

Windows 8. Why do people mess with things that are working absolutely fine just the way they are? Okay, I realise that technology is always being updated to make things better, but Windows 7 was just fine and dandy as far as I'm concerned. I'm sure that other people think that Windows 8 is the best thing since sliced bread, but personally I don't. I think it sucks. Granted, I don't have a technical brain, so I'm probably not grasping all of the wonderful new things that Windows 8 allows you to do. But still, for my needs, Windows 8 sucks.

I dread to think how long it will be before I can use this laptop with as much ease as I did the older one, but it won't be any time soon. I've never had this much trouble when using a new laptop in the past. Nothing - NOTHING - works the same. I need to keep asking the hubby how to do the most basic of things. And I do mean basic. Like, you know, switching the laptop on, and shutting it down. *shifty once more*

Where's the start menu?? *cries*

And when I hover my mouse too near the right hand side of the screen, strange icons appear from nowhere. I clicked on one by mistake last night and I have NO idea where it took me. And, as hubby wasn't around, it took me ten minutes to figure out how to close the damn thing.

Where's the trusty 'close' icon in the top right hand corner? *cries again*

And the desktop keeps hiding from me. *glares at laptop*

As for downloading... I downloaded the free Kindle app this morning, and before I could download it, I was forced into creating a Microsoft account. WHY?? I never had to have one before.

Ugh.

So yeah, I hate Windows 8. On the bright side, I LOVE being able to type properly again! *silver lining*

Paperback Princess

Hello!!

A quick one this week! I mentioned last week that IF THE SHOE FITS was trickling into retailers in paperback form, and now I can safely say that it's available at most online retailers.*squee* How do I know? Well, first I checked a few places, but more importantly, I also ordered myself a copy. I was pretty impressed, too. I was a bit leery as the paperback is issued via print on demand (POD), but I needn't have worried. I ordered the book on Tuesday last week via Amazon UK, and it arrived a mere two days later. And the quality is fab, too, which is obviously important. Here is my daughter reading it... and it just tickles me no end every time I see this! It's like release day all over again!

The drawback with print on demand is that I have to buy my own copies for giveaways and signings, but my plan is to buy a couple of copies every month, which I will use for online giveaways, and maybe set up a small signing event in my home town.

In other book news, my publisher, Crimson Romance, has teamed up with Amazon.com to offer their entire 2012/2013 backlist titles at $1.99 each for the month of February! So now would be a great time to fill your Kindle with goodies! And an unexpected bonus is that it seems the sale has also extended to other Amazon domains, too. I spotted IF THE SHOE FITS at the bargain price of £1.24 on Amazon UK, and my fellow Crimson authors have reported slashed prices in other countries, too.

In more personal news, I've managed to lose 4lbs in my first week of dieting. Yay! Hopefully I can keep up the momentum. *fingers crossed* I've a long way to go, but this first week's results are definitely encouraging!

That's it for this week, so short and sweet it is. I want to mix things up a bit for my blog posts, so next week will see less of the book stuff, and more of my personal brand of craziness. You have been warned! *snort*

Ta-ta for now!