Kae's new work laptop
Donation protected
I'm a disabled author, an editor, an advocate for other autistic people, and I speak candidly about being both mentally ill and a trauma survivor. I'm a mom, a graphic designer, a gamer... I have EDS, MCAS, POTS and fibromyalgia, and my work is all made possible by my laptop.
My two-year-old, extremely expensive, HP laptop which is rapidly dying. The screen has been having issues for a while now, several months, and now it's not showing about half of each word when I type on it.
I absolutely cannot work without a laptop (because I'm badly disabled I work from bed a lot, or the couch, places a desktop computer don't work for).
I also cannot afford a new laptop because I spent quite a bit on this one. The one that's dying, and I didn't expect it to go so fast. I legitimately can't believe it's on death's door already. I thought I'd get a good three years out of it, plus maybe two more with it not working quite right. Enough time for me to save for a new one.
Sadly, I haven't been saving a lot for a new one yet, because, silly me, I thought this one would last longer than two years and 27 days. It takes me several years to save up enough money at my current rate of income to be able to afford a new laptop. I've got some, and if I can even get to the 2800 dollar mark I can maybe cover the rest if I penny pinch and scrimp. Of course, I wouldn't have to eat ramen for a month is I can get to the 4k mark.
I'm in a bind, my books are pirated more than they're paid for and all my work and recreation is made possible by a good laptop.
To replace what I have will cost around 4000.00 CAD, 3700.00 USD. By the time I'm done paying the 2799.00 for the laptop, plus a repair plan and tax, the final bill on a new work laptop will be well over 4k. (I'm never not having a repair program again, because if I'd bought one before, HP would fix this computer.)
This is a link to a computer similar to what I'd need to have to continue doing the graphics work I do. I've been getting a lot of hassle online about asking for so much money for a laptop, but it's not just because I want one, and though I do game in off hours, it's not even close to why I need the capabilities of a machine like that.
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/alienware-17-3-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i7-8750h-1tb-hdd-128gb-ssd-16gb-ram-nvidia-gtx-1070-en/12608128.aspx?
Dedicated graphics card with a minimum of 2 gig dedicated ram
16g ram
1 TB minimum hard drive
I 7 or better processor
17+ inch screen with a minimum 1900X1080 resolution
Full size keyboard.
I don't want to buy another HP, not after the crappy performance this one has given me from day one. ACER and ASUS are cursed brands for me, everything I've ever owned by them has ended up returned because of crappy performance.
That doesn't leave a lot of brands to choose from, and it reduces the amount of money I can save by taking advantage of sales.
They're called 'gaming' laptops because that's what they're also used for, but these types of machines are what people like me use to do 3d graphics design manipulation.
That the type of computer I've got now, and it's what I need for my work. I can't believe the amount of hassle I'm getting for asking for something that I need.
I'm stuck, in a nasty bind. I certainly wouldn't be asking for help if I didn't desperately need it. I'm just hoping like heck this computer keeps limping along until and unless a miracle in the way of the kindness of strangers happens.
I *hate* asking for money, but I legit can't work without a laptop, mine is dying, fast, and I can't buy a new one.
To answer a couple of questions that have been asked:
1) I use the computer for graphic design work. Cover art, book trailers, advertisements and the like as well as laying out books and other marketing activities as part of my paid work. So any new laptop has to have the above specs. Pictures take a lot of memory, so I also need a minimum of a 1Tb hard drive. My vision is bad, so I need a 17inch screen and the laptop can't be too heavy because of my health conditions. These are things I already have on this one, but it does restrict my options on what machines I can get. It also drives the price up a lot, like most accessibility options. These are the reasons why I can't just buy a cheap laptop, and why I have to ask for so much. A cheap laptop would be as useless to me and my work as no laptop.
2) I'm not a computer geek. I can't put a laptop together from parts to save money. I'm only able to go by the prices I'll be charged at a major outlet like best buy. I'll go through something like that so that I have some sort of repair/replacement policy.
3) I have work, it doesn't pay a lot, but my work is completely reliant on having a laptop. Something that in my situation, a disabled mom/author/editor/advocate without credit, I just can't step out and buy or finance.
Hence the go fund me. I'm praying that the kindness of friends and strangers can save my ability to work, and I promise that I will absolutely pay it forward when I can.
My two-year-old, extremely expensive, HP laptop which is rapidly dying. The screen has been having issues for a while now, several months, and now it's not showing about half of each word when I type on it.
I absolutely cannot work without a laptop (because I'm badly disabled I work from bed a lot, or the couch, places a desktop computer don't work for).
I also cannot afford a new laptop because I spent quite a bit on this one. The one that's dying, and I didn't expect it to go so fast. I legitimately can't believe it's on death's door already. I thought I'd get a good three years out of it, plus maybe two more with it not working quite right. Enough time for me to save for a new one.
Sadly, I haven't been saving a lot for a new one yet, because, silly me, I thought this one would last longer than two years and 27 days. It takes me several years to save up enough money at my current rate of income to be able to afford a new laptop. I've got some, and if I can even get to the 2800 dollar mark I can maybe cover the rest if I penny pinch and scrimp. Of course, I wouldn't have to eat ramen for a month is I can get to the 4k mark.
I'm in a bind, my books are pirated more than they're paid for and all my work and recreation is made possible by a good laptop.
To replace what I have will cost around 4000.00 CAD, 3700.00 USD. By the time I'm done paying the 2799.00 for the laptop, plus a repair plan and tax, the final bill on a new work laptop will be well over 4k. (I'm never not having a repair program again, because if I'd bought one before, HP would fix this computer.)
This is a link to a computer similar to what I'd need to have to continue doing the graphics work I do. I've been getting a lot of hassle online about asking for so much money for a laptop, but it's not just because I want one, and though I do game in off hours, it's not even close to why I need the capabilities of a machine like that.
https://www.bestbuy.ca/en-ca/product/alienware-17-3-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i7-8750h-1tb-hdd-128gb-ssd-16gb-ram-nvidia-gtx-1070-en/12608128.aspx?
Dedicated graphics card with a minimum of 2 gig dedicated ram
16g ram
1 TB minimum hard drive
I 7 or better processor
17+ inch screen with a minimum 1900X1080 resolution
Full size keyboard.
I don't want to buy another HP, not after the crappy performance this one has given me from day one. ACER and ASUS are cursed brands for me, everything I've ever owned by them has ended up returned because of crappy performance.
That doesn't leave a lot of brands to choose from, and it reduces the amount of money I can save by taking advantage of sales.
They're called 'gaming' laptops because that's what they're also used for, but these types of machines are what people like me use to do 3d graphics design manipulation.
That the type of computer I've got now, and it's what I need for my work. I can't believe the amount of hassle I'm getting for asking for something that I need.
I'm stuck, in a nasty bind. I certainly wouldn't be asking for help if I didn't desperately need it. I'm just hoping like heck this computer keeps limping along until and unless a miracle in the way of the kindness of strangers happens.
I *hate* asking for money, but I legit can't work without a laptop, mine is dying, fast, and I can't buy a new one.
To answer a couple of questions that have been asked:
1) I use the computer for graphic design work. Cover art, book trailers, advertisements and the like as well as laying out books and other marketing activities as part of my paid work. So any new laptop has to have the above specs. Pictures take a lot of memory, so I also need a minimum of a 1Tb hard drive. My vision is bad, so I need a 17inch screen and the laptop can't be too heavy because of my health conditions. These are things I already have on this one, but it does restrict my options on what machines I can get. It also drives the price up a lot, like most accessibility options. These are the reasons why I can't just buy a cheap laptop, and why I have to ask for so much. A cheap laptop would be as useless to me and my work as no laptop.
2) I'm not a computer geek. I can't put a laptop together from parts to save money. I'm only able to go by the prices I'll be charged at a major outlet like best buy. I'll go through something like that so that I have some sort of repair/replacement policy.
3) I have work, it doesn't pay a lot, but my work is completely reliant on having a laptop. Something that in my situation, a disabled mom/author/editor/advocate without credit, I just can't step out and buy or finance.
Hence the go fund me. I'm praying that the kindness of friends and strangers can save my ability to work, and I promise that I will absolutely pay it forward when I can.
Organizer
Kaija Rayne
Organizer
London, ON
