New laptop for the techno-hippie: HP 2510p

Not long ago my iBook G4 gave up its ghost. I considered this an opportunity for Lenten discipline and went without it for several weeks. After lots of research, I settled on a replacement, the HP 2510p. Appropriately, it arrived during Easter Week.

Here’s a few of the reasons why I decided to go with this particular machine:

1. It’s green in the sense of being certified EPEAT Gold. Absolutely all of the packaging it came in is recyclable.
2. HP is an excellent company in many respects, from both technical and social perspectives.
3. I’m not ultra-loyal to the Apple brand, especially after they ditched PowerPC.
4. It’s ultra-mobile: it’s under 3.5 lbs and slightly larger than a sheet of letter paper.
5. I can easily run Ubuntu on it. I’ve long admired free Unix but have never completely moved.
6. Other techno-hippies are making the Apple to Ubuntu switch and their reasons are sound to me.

All in all: ultra-mobile, free software and green hardware. There’s certainly other machines that fit this description, but I couldn’t ask for anything more!

Hackers for Charity: Conference Swag

Johnny Long has just returned from Uganda with stories and pictures! Check it out here. One aspect of the Hackers for Charity initiative is “Swag for Charity.” All over the US and Europe, conferences give out tote bags, pens, paper emblazoned with sponsorship logos and corporate identifiers.

For many of us, conference swag becomes junk. Grace Epsicopal Church in Manchester still can’t get rid of its collection of Warren Rudman pencils or Vioxx pens. Of course, one person’s junk quickly becomes a child’s school supplies. As a good example, click the image below: a CSC and General Dynamics tote is now a bright boy’s book bag for school!

Not only is it a shrewd recycling of corporate swag, it makes for great charity coming from US and European computer hackers!

Moving to a new lab!

After a long, long weekend, I’m finally moved to Concord, NH. I’ve been working here for almost six months, so the time was right to come on up. Now I save about 45 minutes of round-trip commuting daily, which is a great bonus. The new apartment is close to the church, easier on the expenses and going to be all around better. Plus, it’s just up the street from my girlfriend’s apartment, so that’s a great bonus.

The move took the entire weekend and that made life just exhausting for her and for me. Not that I’m getting settled (and have a new laptop) I’m hoping to be back at the writing desk more often!