Wasted day
I obsessed all day over my failing monitor and its replacement. A new one is out of the question. It has to be at least a 21" diagonal (known in metric Canada as a 21" diagonal) monitor, because downgrades hurt worse than paper cuts.
The used monitors on eBay were disheartening. The shipping always gets you, and it looked like there was no acceptable screen for less than $150 (including shipping) to be had.
"Acceptable" is a key word. I am not an impulse shopper. I have to hunt down reviews and read testimonials and Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports wasn't all that helpful - I could not access older reviews of CRT monitors, shoveled off to Limbo when the recent reviews of LCD monitors went live.
I'm a gamer, I need a CRT. LCDs still ghost too much with quickly changing images.
Then it occurred to me. I'm going to be in the US, so I could have a monitor shipped to my sister-in-laws and take it home with me. I spent the bulk of the day hunting down bargains. The best of the lot came from these guys. They have Cornerstone P1500 monitors for $99, with free shipping. Although not flat, it's a decent monitor, but I was wary of the limited warranty. With monitors especially, you ideally should see what you're getting. I kept hunting.
During a search for a review of some other monitor, the natural solution finally hit me.
I'm going to the Bay Area, the freakin' most monitor-dense concentration of primates on the planet. And how do those primates discard used equipment? On freakin' Craigslist. I've only read about a dozen stories on Craigslist over the last two weeks. The .ba folk throw used computer equipment at each other like monkeys throw feces. Check the link, the finely furred geeks hand out dozens of 21" Trinitrons every week for a measly $40 apiece. And you can see a monitor in action before you hand over the cash.
I'm less concerned now. I just wish I'd thought of this before midnight. Allow me to share my belated wisdom.
Bonus apology to feed people:
I'm an editor, but a cocky one. That's why you get multiple alerts.
The used monitors on eBay were disheartening. The shipping always gets you, and it looked like there was no acceptable screen for less than $150 (including shipping) to be had.
"Acceptable" is a key word. I am not an impulse shopper. I have to hunt down reviews and read testimonials and Consumer Reports. Consumer Reports wasn't all that helpful - I could not access older reviews of CRT monitors, shoveled off to Limbo when the recent reviews of LCD monitors went live.
I'm a gamer, I need a CRT. LCDs still ghost too much with quickly changing images.
Then it occurred to me. I'm going to be in the US, so I could have a monitor shipped to my sister-in-laws and take it home with me. I spent the bulk of the day hunting down bargains. The best of the lot came from these guys. They have Cornerstone P1500 monitors for $99, with free shipping. Although not flat, it's a decent monitor, but I was wary of the limited warranty. With monitors especially, you ideally should see what you're getting. I kept hunting.
During a search for a review of some other monitor, the natural solution finally hit me.
I'm going to the Bay Area, the freakin' most monitor-dense concentration of primates on the planet. And how do those primates discard used equipment? On freakin' Craigslist. I've only read about a dozen stories on Craigslist over the last two weeks. The .ba folk throw used computer equipment at each other like monkeys throw feces. Check the link, the finely furred geeks hand out dozens of 21" Trinitrons every week for a measly $40 apiece. And you can see a monitor in action before you hand over the cash.
I'm less concerned now. I just wish I'd thought of this before midnight. Allow me to share my belated wisdom.
Bonus apology to feed people:
I'm an editor, but a cocky one. That's why you get multiple alerts.
posted by Webs at
1:10 AM
2 Comments:
I live in SF and craigslist is one of my lifelines. I found my current apartment on it. I need to sell a guitar - I'll certainly do it on craigslist. I've bought lots of concert tix from it. I keep thinking I might find my husband on it, but I think that's probably where my luck will end.
:-)
My grandfather penned "Wasted Days and Wasted Nights" with Freddy Fender. They were in a bar and he wrote it on a napkin. Your wasted day post has the tune stuck in my head now. Gee... thanks.
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