27 July 2014

As with most with E. European heritage, I like to complain about things all the time. And if life seems to be going right, don't say anything: you might be tempting fate. Years ago I used to argue with a Professor. He said never trust people, only machines. But I just don't get on with machines. Never have. Cars work every time for trivial journeys, but just when you need it for that urgent trip to the airport/hospital, that's when it decides to break down.  I worry that this laptop will do the same just at a critical moment, so I've thought of getting another one. Being an old touch-typist, I need a qwerty keyboard + English system. Dell used to do both, but will no longer change the system in France. Amazon uk won't send laptops to France, so I thought I'd buy one when in the UK on a forthcoming trip. But for security reasons flights to/from the UK now require electronics to be powered-up at check-in.  Can I do that with a brand-new, boxed-up laptop, or does it need a complicated set-up first? Him indoors says he'll just ask for a screwdriver. What? They don't sell alcohol at check-in. No, not to drink, just to open the box.