Switching from a MacBook to a Dell…Yeah You Got that Right

Being one of Walmart’s ElevenMoms definitely has it’s perks.  One of the biggest perks to date is the Dell Inspiron laptop the Fed Ex delivery person dropped off yesterday.  Navy Blue and sleek, I felt a little distraught at first.

Why?

Because two years ago, I was converted to being a Mac lover and an avid fan of all things Apple.  But as I’ve used my computer more and more as my virtual career has grown, my lack of organization on my desktop and document folders has taken it’s toll.  I have to confess that while my MacBook is totally awesome, it’s contents are a hot mess.  So, when this shiny and new Dell came along, I thought it’d be fun to use it for a couple of weeks, do a review and then let my husband have it.  However, as I add software and add-ons, set-up my browser, and install Google gadgets, I’m beginning to think I might just hand my two year old MacBook off to my husband and keep the Dell to myself.

Something about a clean slate really appeals to me and in the last two years, there have been a lot of new, really cool applications that have come out for both PC and Mac since I switched to the MacBook two years ago.

One in particular is Evernote.  Yes, they make Evernote for the Mac, but only for the Leopard version.  My MacBook still has Tiger.  There’s web version for those that can’t use the download, but darn it, that’s like being offered a craft beer and then being given a watered down beer in a paper cup.

So needless to say, Evernote is one of my very first downloads to my Dell.  I’ve also downloaded Firefox as my browser (used Firefox on my Mac, too) with the following add-ons and plug-ins.

• Morning Coffee…when I open my Firefox browser, all the sites I use on a daily basis automatically load on their own tabs.  You can also set certain tabs to load on certain days.  Way cool!
• Stumbleupon Toolbar…makes it uber easy to stumble my favorite sites and blog posts.
• BlogRovr…I say “fetch” and it gets all my latest blog posts for me!
• GMail Notifier…Getting an alert of new email received will be a blessing and a curse.
• Wishpot Toolbar…Makes it easy to add products I find on the web and add them to my Wishpot wishlists.



• TwitterFox…although I’m always up for exploring new Twitter platforms.

I’ve also downloaded iTunes and thankfully my large library I’ve created on my iTunes account is portable.  Mad Men is currently my favorite pick to watch on iTunes.

I also downloaded Google Desktop, haven’t really used that one before but I do like having my photos, latest news, and my photos discreetly viewable in my sidebar.

Skype is also one the first downloads I added to my Dell, as well.  I use Skype to chat with friends, video conference about upcoming projects, and have weekly conference calls.  And Skype can be a source of entertainment too.  My friends and I prank call each other with it randomly.  Yeah, I know, we’re really mature.

Finally, just because I’m switching to a Dell Inspiron doesn’t mean I’m going to switch assistants.  Eppie will still be there, just as dependable as always.

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