New Chromebook is finally here

Drama, eh?

The long story of how my pre-covid Chromebook having given up the ghost a few weeks back would of been simple for losing permanently its Wifi facilities and of being replaced in a few days other than for the seller of a new machine taking the money and NOT sending and NOT even responding to messages about when it coming.

In the end I called in CatBay tm and had them make me a full refund but that took near enough two weeks.

I had an idea around how my refund attempt was going so ordered up another while that was going through due process so within two working days of getting a refund I actually get one.

The vendor double box wrapped it and removing the outer box you get this, the Asus C214M which is plain jane flip top Chromebook designed for children at school really so totally appropriate for me!

Compared with my original Asus C202, this is a fair bit slimmer which suggests a from the ground up reworking of case and motherboard rather than a rebranding of the previous model.

Like that it is an 11.6inch screen which I find handy for being small enough to easily use anywhere while the text isn't too small to read without eyestrain.

One the ways that was achieved is obvious from this side which is the Expandable external memory in the form of a SD card you insert has been changed from the full sized version to a Micro SD card popular in smartphones and portable digital music players.

That means if you had anything on a full sized card you need to transfer that over to the new one.

Another difference is on the top right above the keys. The power switch has been removed from the top to the side although it still the case it opens up and comes into life.

Getting going is child's play really.

If you don't have a google account, and if you have an andriod smartphone with various things on it most likely do after adding your Wifi network by selecting it and adding the password, you enter the details and you are into that account.

It even puts up the account holders username and any avatar!

Your passwords for sites are securely stored unless you've opted otherwise in that accord so getting to GMail and all your favourite sites is actually quite easy

In the box is the get you going instructions and charger which is a USB-C type that goes into the top right slot on the side where the C202 had a conventional mini jack and while it has a blue tooth option, 3.5mm headphone jacks are supported

While I could easily of done without the issues in getting a replacement, this Chromebook is working well, being responsive on Tumblr feeds and a breeze for quickly doing everyday tasks that don't require locally stored programs to be installed and many apps help take this beyond Tablet territory for functionality with full decent keyboard plus touch capabilities should you need it.

Colour me impressed. 

Remaking routines

The major business is now over, a great service very well attended and even praise for its structure and a meal locally for just immediate family in the classic interwar ribbon development of the Northern suburbs.

Finding routines when both routines that had been around for a long while were of necessity interrupted and now have little reason such as going upstairs which was pretty much a response to evenings that tended to be soap operas on tv such as East Enders, Coronation Street with their often heated emotions and medical dramas such as Holby City are now just not watched.

On the other hand so far in The Grump, is tending in the main to be upstairs until it's time for a drink a half hour before bed meaning in effect I have the full run of the living room to read, listen to something on the Hifi downstairs or play a dvd most nights.

Indeed as the Hifi goes it's been used more in the last four weeks more than much of last year cos most of time Mum watched tv so given she was spread across the couch by it you couldn't sit by it operating the controls and listen with headphones even.

That means I've spent less time in my room although I did get this which might help with seeing to read comics or colouring.

The goose neck is flexible so you angle just where you need the most light and the bulb is is one them continental imposters, the Edison Screw rather than a bayonet that needs less turn to lock in.

There is a bit more space in the dining room which by stealth I'm working on removing odd bits of stuff that built up which should make having a surface I can use for  a few ours  playing with lego easier than it used to be or for putting colouring books on as you need space for bricks or your many pencils while using them.

Meals are being simplified a little, in truth sometimes running three separate ones was a challenge with timings, taking stuff out and all that while dad and my tastes while not all the same are fairly close when it comes to rice dishes and meat from the local independent butcher.

It's taking a bit of time but new routines are being made.

Weekly round up

 

Spring was indeed about to spring until the snow a few days ago here deluging the daffodils and delaying the cherry blossoms from coming out which is a spring ritual I just adore so we got the shopping all in on Thursday and we'll do some more come today, fingers crossed.

 

 It was announced late Monday who the 42nd Blue Peter presenter was going to be following Richie Driss's departure last Friday watched as ever by me, long term super fan of the show.

Falkirk, Scotland resident and Paralympian sports star Abby Cook, aged 20, was appointed with a challenge from the get go of abseiling down a viaduct which should prove interesting as she's a racer by sport.

I'm looking forward to seeing her present on the show which is shown on CBBC on Friday's at 5pm.

I had wondered why I hadn't seen one of my monthly prep school age magazines this year but with other ultimately more important stuff to attend to had left that very much on the back burner only to find the magazine distributor had decided to discontinue supplying it although it's still being produced.

I've set a new subscription up with another UK magazine magazine distributor to pick up where I was with it so within a few weeks normal service will be resumed.

Return trip around the Sun

 

Things are obviously a little different this year with everything around Mom's death and upcoming funeral very much overshadowing all else most visibly in lack of space in window for cards with cards for her taking the whole window and some up.

It's one thing to not let yourself be defined by disability, but being a disabled person very much is part of my identity so  thought this card was so apt, not least for doing disability sports at school.

To an extent then really little has been planned with time taken up with everything around that other event but I did get this, the recent Gorillaz album on compact disc, one of those card cover ones so I may need to put the disc in a inner sleeve to prevent it getting marked.

I did get some new soft underwear, don't do really fancy colourful designs this year and some money from my brothers, other relatives and The Grump that I can buy some books or music with at some future point.