The Problem
My success as a freelance writer and editor depends on the technology at my finger tips.
A good, reliable laptop lets me write and edit smoothly. It allows me to communicate with clients with ease. Having that kind of technology is the perfect situation. Right now, though, my technology is failing me.
My work laptop, a 2011 Asus Eee PC T101 netbook, is six years old and falling apart. Here's how:
- The "e" key only works when it wants to;
- It struggles to load web pages that are more than simple HTML and text;
- It can run only three programs (or browser tabs) at the same time without freezing.
Honestly, just how unreliable my netbook is becoming leaves me despairing and disappointed. I've had to pass up a few jobs and barely get through those I can take on.
But my current income doesn't allow me to buy a new, reliable, long-term laptop. I'm feeling pretty powerless.
I need your help.
Why I'm Running This Campaign
I'm running this campaign to raise money to purchase a new laptop. To be exact: an Acer Aspire E 15.6" Laptop (http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/acer-acer-a...). This laptop costs $770 USD ($961.62 CAD) after taxes and shipping fees).
![]()
This new laptop would help me greatly. With it I could communicate with clients more efficiently. I could share documents with confidence. And I could efficiently research for projects and leads.
In short, this new laptop will allow me to be the best writer and editor I can be.
What's so Bad About My Current Laptop?
Despite the problems listed above, I'm still running my netbook. This is thanks to the Linux operating system Lubuntu.
However, what works in Lubuntu doesn't always work in Windows. Compatibility issues are keeping me from qualifying for and completing jobs.
For example, documents made with LibreOffice (Linux's Word) that are opened in Word have skewed formatting. This skewing ranges from weird line breaks to changing margins and making documents shorter than I see them. These problems often lead to a tense, last minute flurry of activity to find workarounds. These problems have forced me to go beyond deadline a few times.
My netbook's age shows when I'm working on clients' content management systems or websites. These systems and sites often lag for minutes before fully loading and becoming interactive.
As for research, my netbook slows me down to a crawl. It can only handle a couple of tabs at a time. It severely lags when loading sites with video or frame-heavy elements.
And, conference calls are impossible since Skype calls with more than two people. These calls last only seconds before I'm dropped. Even video calls with a single person are laggy and slow.
Who Would You Be Helping Out?
I've worked as a freelance writer and editor for the past six years. Hunting down work can be stressful at the best of times, but I wouldn't want to be doing anything else.
I've also written some novels, short stories, and poetry, and am currently working on a translation of Beowulf. One of my goals in life is to share these projects through self-publishing.
In my down time I love reading, keeping up with (and re-watching) Twin Peaks, and diving into J-RPGs old and new. I'm also an avid walker and cyclist.
