COMEX 2006—Worth risking my arms and limbs for?

Although I have not given my dead laptop a proper burial, I desperately need a new portable computer. I was contemplating the HP Pavilion dv1740TU deal offered but I was distracted by VAIO FJ series (VGN-FJ78GP model) advertised in Digital Life today. It’s expensive and I regret ever looking its way. Like a temptress, it seduces me from the bits and bytes realm, calling coyly…Resistance is futile, but the possibility of bankruptcy may well stem the wanting.


Beautiful in Blue


VAIO in Sky Blue (my choice-cos Raspberry Red, although nice is not calming--and you know, when working with techological gadgets, we need to remain calm in the event they 'cock' up)


What? Customised colors option in the US of A???!!! Crap...

Is the upcoming COMEX Fair a place to obtain my new laptop? The thought of me being trampled upon, or more realistically, suffering a hyperventilation seizure at the EXPO is the only thing that puts me off. After all, I live with agoraphobia (fear of crowds) all my life although I have yet to suffer a real panic attack, partly due to avoidance of such areas.

Getting a good deal at the fair doesn’t mean obtaining slashed prices on products there. I guess people visit the fair for the variety and the bundled freebies instead…

Still, I guess I will settle for the cheaper HP deal. If only I did not have a choice, I would not be wasting precious time pondering. I should read this book:

The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less (Barry Schwartz)

The Paradox of Choice (the cure to my laptop dilemma)

Like Thoreau and the band Devo, psychology professor Schwartz provides ample evidence that we are faced with far too many choices on a daily basis, providing an illusion of a multitude of options when few honestly different ones actually exist. The conclusions Schwartz draws will be familiar to anyone who has flipped through 900 eerily similar channels of cable television only to find that nothing good is on. Whether choosing a health-care plan, choosing a college class or even buying a pair of jeans, Schwartz, drawing extensively on his own work in the social sciences, shows that a bewildering array of choices floods our exhausted brains, ultimately restricting instead of freeing us. We normally assume in America that more options ("easy fit" or "relaxed fit"?) will make us happier, but Schwartz shows the opposite is true, arguing that having all these choices actually goes so far as to erode our psychological well-being. Part research summary, part introductory social sciences tutorial, part self-help guide, this book offers concrete steps on how to reduce stress in decision making. Some will find Schwartz's conclusions too obvious, and others may disagree with his points or find them too repetitive, but to the average lay reader, Schwartz's accessible style and helpful tone is likely to aid the quietly desperate.
(Editoral Review taken from Amazon.com)