Don’t Wait Until Your Computer Crashes.

Those of you who subscribe to my monthly ezine will recognize this tip from last month’s issue:

Out with the old, in with the new:

Is your out-dated office equipment slowing you down? Maybe it’s time to upgrade or replace it. Or, have you replaced your equipment but kept the old laptop or printer ‘just in case’? Take back your space and give your office a fresh start by letting go of the old. Do this and I predict your productivity will increase in the year ahead!

Well, I was either having a psychic moment or it was a premonition.  My computer crashed last week and I was forced to take my own advice. Don’t you just love it when that happens?!! Thankfully, I have off-site back-up so my techie was able to restore all my important data and send it to the new system (thanks Adam).  I also let go of my old ink-jet printer and bought a laser one. I was fed up with the ink drying and the heads getting clogged, so I was happy to say ‘buh-bye’. I’ll be taking all the old electronics to a big box store that recycles them (as soon as it stops snowing and the roads are less treacherous).

I thought about switching from a PC (which I’ve used for over a decade) to a Mac. I did all kinds of informal polling, and though all the converts rallied for a Mac, in the end I decided I was too attached to the programs I use all the time (MS Money, Quick Books, Paper Tiger) and didn’t want to start all over again. I’m really glad because just getting used to updated versions of the software is proving time-consuming! But I have noticed how much faster and quieter the new computer runs, so the increase in productivity balances out the time it takes to figure out what all those new icons mean. And I stopped yelling at the printer, so that’s a good thing too!