Tuesday, May 01, 2012

Frugal living - Is that possible?


The call to frugal living might bring relief in certain areas of our lives but I'm not so sure when it comes to the internet. We can try and choose generic items when it comes to buying household goods but what do we do when the behemoth of the personal computer industry, Microsoft upgrades the system that comes bundled in a lot of the hardware that we use.

The most frequent problem I encounter is the difficulty in reading a document that has been prepared in the latest version of excel or word whereas my own system still uses the old version. My personal computer is ancient in terms of system specifications and as has been advised by experts, ie, the dealers and salesmen at Low Yat et al, I should upgrade to the latest brand new model. That will definitely cost more and I just do not see myself spending a few thousand ringgit every year upgrading to a newer system.

The changes in the computer industry is at a break neck speed and I'm breathless just catching up with what has happened during the last month or so, what more the latest innovations and enhancements. I do understand that all these improvements will enhance my enjoyment of what the cyber world has to offer and supposedly increase my productivity. I'm unsure whether it is necessary or can I just live and let live with what I have at present.

That will mean slower access to so many wonderful videos on youtube and other websites that require a new version installed in my computer. Opensource is an option but when Microsoft is ever present, it is quite a task to be the odd man out. I guess I'll postpone the upgrading as late as possible so as to stick to my aim to live frugally as best as I can.

Image from diaryofasmartchick


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