Dell's Amazing Low-Cost Computer

When is the last time that you, dear reader, have seen a computer priced so low? No, I'm not talking about an advertisement about a "refurbished" one that is being sold by its owner so that he/she can buy a new one. Rather, it is all about a new computer which is being offered by Dell to customers that I shall talk about, which has the Windows 10 upgrades and has some terrific capabilities at a cost to you that won't empty your wallet!  

The Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series computer starts out at a price of $279.99 as of the date of this article. Of course, if one wants more options, the price does increase. My model that I am using is the Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 laptop computer whose start price is $349.99. It is the more-expensive Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 unit computer that has the 4 set-ups as shown in the picture above as part of the  package.  I really think that the Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 laptop computer is one that ought to be considered given its advantageous features.  Of course, my thought also is that the lower priced computer would be of good use for younger kids. 

Just so you know, dear reader, this is a portable computer with an 11 inch screen. Sure, the screen is smaller than a "normal-sized" unit which is generally in the 15 inch or a bit higher range but after you use it for a while you won't notice any big differences. The unit's low weight, as I shall describe later, makes it so easy to carry around as well or to hold while sitting outside and using it to relax. That is a terrific advantage for such a unit. 

The Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 laptop computer offers many features for people who would like one for their purposes when on a trip for business or for leisure purposes at home. Frankly, I expect a lot of people will consider buying the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series laptop computer because of its versatility to do every day tasks like surfing the web, writing emails, but it can also undertake many work duties as well. One of my favourite things to do is watch movies on this computer because of its excellent quality.  

If you have a larger family, why not consider getting one for each child to use rather than buying an expensive one that the children have to share. As far as I'm concerned, it is a terrific computer to provide to a young child, as the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series computer is a great choice for someone who is either a beginner at using the computer, at the advanced level, or even somewhere

in-between. 

Obviously, as your kids get older, it makes a very good computer to be used for educational purposes especially when note-taking at lectures in College or University. It can be easily transported since it is so low in weight (starting at 2.6 pounds for the lowest priced laptop to just over 3 pounds for the 2-in-1 laptop computer) with a thickness of under 1 inch and has a great battery life (up to 7 hours!) so you don't have to worry about always finding an outlet to plug into.  

Naturally, at the end of a long day or while sitting in the garden and relaxing during the weekend, its small size and the ability to fold it into so many different positions makes the appropriate Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series computer a great computer to be used as a portable option in different locations.  

If one wants to talk a little bit more about the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series 2-in-1 computer, here is a terrific description of what this computer is capable of doing: 

"Tablet mode: A remarkable 360-degree hinge design lets you flip the keyboard around and lay it flat on your lap to surf social media, swipe through photos or pull up your playlists.

Tablet stand mode: Transition the tablet to an upright position so you can play games, scroll through songs, watch movies or follow your favorite recipes while you cook.

Tent mode: Watch the news, the game or catch up on your shows with your Inspiron 11 in a hands-free easel position that supports full touch interaction.

Laptop mode: With a full-sized keyboard, you can chat with friends, reply to emails faster, update family budget spreadsheets or knock out school projects." 

Yes, that is right. This computer is built to last, just like some of the more expensive models! Truly, it is amazing. 

The computer comes in different colours: Bali Blue, Tango Red, or Alpine White. The Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 laptop computer that I had came in Bali Blue, which personally for me was a visually-appealing shade. 

Budget-friendly, durable, versatile and innovative describe the Dell Inspiron 11 3000 Series computers. It is truly a great match for you!

Is Winter Coming Early

I must say that the changes in temperature these days are rather confusing to me. How can it be so warm one day and the next day drop so far down? Seriously, it has been so chilly outside recently, at least in the mornings, that I have had to wear my windbreaker for morning walks the last few days. By afternoon many times though, it gets warm and the last thing I possibly need is to wear a coat.

In reality, who knows what the winter will actually be like. I saw these comments on the Farmers' Almanac weather site that may well be true:

"While last winter was a reprieve from shoveling and high fuel bills, the party is over. According to the 2017 Farmers’ Almanac, “winter is back!

...The 2017 Farmers’ Almanac, which hits store shelves everywhere on August 15, 2016, forewarns that exceptionally cold, if not downright frigid weather will predominate over parts of the Northern Plains, Great Lakes, Midwest, Ohio Valley, the Middle Atlantic, Northeast, and New England this winter. The Farmers’ Almanac’s long-range weather predictions also suggest shots of very cold weather will periodically reach as far south as Florida and the Gulf Coast.”

I have read other predictions that suggest that we will have a lot more snow this year than we have had in the past. For me, in my new residence, that really doesn't bother me at all that much because our outside snow cleaning service, at least last year, came very early in the morning to clear our roads and sidewalks so that we can get out of our residences fairly easily. I hope they do the same this year and do the kind of good job that they did before.

I only went swimming a few times this summer believe it or not. It was just too hot outside to go from our house to the swimming pool for all of the condominiums in the area. I really enjoyed swimming last year and expected to do a lot more this year but unfortunately with the many days with temperatures above 30°C, it was just too hot to go out for a swim. It just seemed too far to have to go from our house to the pool area.

Thank goodness that our new air-conditioning system in our new residence worked so well even though we had several major problems when we first purchased it.  Last year, I think we turned the air conditioner on only several times throughout the entire summer months. Not this year. It was turned on quite often even during the nighttime hours as well.  It should be interesting to see how much we paid out this year for electricity costs because of the warmer weather compared with last year.

I don't know if it is the same thing at your house but the grass growing in front of my condo unit was a bit strange. Because of the very hot weather and lack of rain, for quite a bit of the summer months, my grass did not grow very well. In addition, the grass turned brown as well because of the lack of moisture. Nevertheless, with the recent rain that has fallen now, I noticed that the grass has turned back to green and has grown higher very quickly.  It seems that the grass growing is more springlike now for this year than before.

What was also odd though for me was the growth rate of the bushes. I cannot believe how big a number of them have grown and how quickly even with the amount of rain that has fallen before. I must admit that I just don't understand that at all.  I expect that the landscape company will have a lot more work to do towards the end of the growth year to cut down the size of the bushes because of the substantial growth that some of the plants have undertaken so far.

One good thing that I noticed in the grocery world this summer is how much fruit and vegetable prices have dropped compared with the prices during last winter. I assume that prices have dropped because we are selling "locally" grown products rather than selling outside growing products as happened during the wintertime. Some of the prices were pretty horrible. In fact, at one of the grocery stores where I shop, one of the vegetable people there expressed his disgust at how high the prices were but there was nothing that he could do about it. It should be interesting to see what happens next winter as well. For me though, it may well be that I'm going to have to buy a lot of products that I can freeze so that we can use the local products in the winter rather than be forced to buy the expensive ones.

I had better go and finally do some summer work at my condo house before autumn comes here in a few days and I will have to think instead about what I must do later on this year. 

The Border File----Here We Go Again

Oh my goodness gracious.  It might be happening again contrary to everything that I have wanted to happen and expected to be taking place. After all, my circumstances have changed so drastically over the last year and a half after my illness that I thought that everything now was going to be different. I still think it will happen except for some ridiculous matters that I still see taking place in this area!

Oh sure, you know exactly what I mean don't you, dear reader. Yes, we still do not seem publicly to have any rational action being taken to get a new border crossing built already. I hope it is not true but who knows. 

Recent news stories are so ridiculous that I just do not understand it. I have been involved in this nonsense for so many years. I don't see why it is still happening but it is. I guess no one in power seems to care whether our regional economy is still collapsing and people are not working the way they should be. Sure, leave everything in a mess so that many companies will have to move over to the US if they are to stay in business. Now that is brilliant Canadian action. Not! 

Of course, it all has to do with the Ambassador Bridge Company and the people who own it, the Moroun Family. The expectation of their big opponents always was that the Family would sell out their interest in the Bridge to the Governments, at a low price too, once pressure was applied to them. They were expected to do so. After all, it seems to be obvious that the Ambassador Bridge Company has the exclusive right to own a bridge between Canada and United States in our area and to build another one if it was required. If they did not have these powers, wouldn't the Governments' bridge have been built already! 

It is so ridiculous what has happened for so long that has been so negative to the economy in Windsor. We are suffering so badly because of this. Is it ever going to change? 

I thought that the Ambassador Bridge Company has done everything that is needed on its side to get its new bridge built. It seems, if that is correct, that all that is missing now is Governments' approval to move forward to start construction.  Is there anything that the Governments are saying that is not good at what is being proposed? Have they gone forward and told the Ambassador Bridge Company to make some changes and if so, what are they? Have they gone public with this? Or, is the reality that there is nothing to prevent the Ambassador Bridge Company starting their project in building another bridge other than the formal agreement that needs to be granted by the Governments! 

It is all so laughable. The incompetence of Governments on both sides of the river is just so obvious. Heck, the Governments have difficulties financially in running the border crossings that they own already across the continent. Do any of them make money at all or do they suffer huge losses in the running of their operations? While we do not know exactly how much money the Ambassador Bridge Company really makes every year in the operations here, haven't we seen publicity of huge profitable revenues that they make of many millions of dollars per year!   

Seriously, it is enough already. Unless Windsor is supposed to sink economically, let's get that new Ambassador Bridge started to be built already.  This City and the area around it have suffered for much too long. That is a horrible position to put citizens in because of political games that are being played and which the Governments have lost continuously. Nevermind the trial court decisions. We all know that the Appeal courts will ultimately have to support the Ambassador Bridge Company legal position. 

Let me tell you why I am writing about this again today when frankly I should not have to do so. In my opinion, the Ambassador Bridge opponents now suspect strongly that the Ambassador Bridge Company will be getting approval from the Government of Canada soon to go forward shortly in building their bridge because there is no other alternative. They also suspect that the American Government, under President Obama, will also approve the project because that Government has established a new strong relationship with the Canadian Government again because of our new Prime Minister. If PM Trudeau will support the building of the new bridge because of a new deal that is going to be made with the Ambassador Bridge Company, then the US Government will do so as well. They will get their share also. 

What a huge victory that would be for the Liberal Party. Of course, how could it be possible for the Government Opposition to be successful in the future? As the best example, how would NDP MP Brian Masse  expect to be re-elected if the Liberals get such great publicity. If one looks at the articles that have been published recently in the media, then obviously he knows that something is going to happen shortly and he wants to put himself in the best position possible so he can have a chance to go back to Ottawa.  Take a look at a few of these media articles to understand what I mean: 

---"MDOT-Moroun showdown looming over land need for bridge

John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press August 20, 2016 

A potential showdown could flare soon between Ambassador Bridge owner Manuel (Matty) Moroun and the State of Michigan over land in southwest Detroit needed for the Gordie Howe International Bridge... 

“Our land acquisition team at MDOT is committed, sophisticated, it’s robust, and it’s spending a lot of time serving the interests of the project because this is a benefit to the entire region in a major way,” Doctoroff said. “There are a lot of people doing a lot of great work on land acquisition.” 

No doubt fans of the project will continue to fret and worry until they see construction rising against the skyline. That will take at least another couple of years, though, so until then, or until Canada issues the RFP and MDOT moves publicly to take all the land it needs in Delray, conspiracy theorists will continue to suggest that all is not well." 

---"Morouns aren't done trying to block Gordie Howe bridge

John Gallagher, Detroit Free Press August 23, 2016  

The Moroun family that owns the Ambassador Bridge could soon launch a few legal Hail Marys to try to block or delay the rival Gordie Howe International Bridge — including possibly arguing that the Michigan Constitution prohibits using eminent domain to seize private property for a Canada-led project. 

The Moroun family business,  which owns land in the path of the new bridge in the Delray neighborhood, has multiple legal strategies it could present. It could argue broadly about problems with eminent domain or try to delay MDOT's seizure of the family's Delray land, where they run a trucking operation." 

---"Gordie Howe bridge plaza work making significant progress

Dave Battagello, Windsor Star September 1, 2016 

But questions remain as to why the bridge authority’s board has not yet launched the final step of the bidding process — known as a request for proposals — to select the private sector contractor. 

The bid documents were scheduled to be released by the bridge authority in January, but nine months later they remain on hold. 

Board chairman Dwight Duncan, who did not attend Thursday’s tour, has attributed delays to property acquisition issues in Detroit — land needed for the Howe bridge. 

He fears expropriation of the lands, which include several properties owned by Ambassador Bridge owner Matty Moroun, may lead to prolonged court battles that may impact the project... 

The Howe bridge was scheduled to be completed by 2020, but that target date is no longer firm following delays to complete the bidding process." 

Oh my goodness, all kinds of opposition can be started still by the Ambassador Bridge Company to cause complications for so many years. But of course, we need to know about something horrific now that might be the excuse for the Government of Canada and the Ambassador Bridge Company to come up with some kind of an arrangement to resolve these disputes and to come out with a resolution of their border differences. And guess what happened, we have an excuse for one: 

"CTV Windsor, September 4, 2016 

Transport Canada has issued orders against the Ambassador Bridge for railings the authority is considering unsafe, according to documents released by the authority. 

The order, which was issued on Sept. 2nd, is an emergency direction from Transport Canada for the Canadian Transit Company to install protective barriers along the side railings, says Windsor mayor Drew Dilkens. 

Dilkens says the order was imposed because the railing would not deflect traffic back onto the bridge, should a collision occur. 

The order says the current condition of the concrete edge and railing of the Ambassador Bridge is unsafe. The order also states the person issuing the report is of the opinion that the problem is an immediate threat to the safety of the Ambassador Bridge." 

Naturally, Brian Masse has to say and do things now if he wants to be re-elected and he does: 

"To be fair, I give the  minister credit for taking the lead on this,” Windsor-West MP Brian Masse said. “Never to my knowledge has a minister issued a directive like this in public..." 

The poor state of the bridge is another reason Masse said the federal government shouldn’t consider buying the bridge and should get on with building the Gordie Howe crossing. 

“Why should the taxpayers pay to fix it up?” Masse said. “Why pay a premium price? 

“We need two bridges, get the new one built, before even thinking about that (buying the old one).” (Dave Waddell, Windsor Star September 4, 2016)

Of course, I suspect that Masse is well aware that it makes more sense to build a second Ambassador Bridge at a cost of around $500 million rather than another bridge that may well cost up to $4 billion as was recently projected. He doesn't care because he will change his position whenever it makes him look better. Naturally, he will take credit for whatever happens in all of the new news stories that will be coming out over the next little while or else how can he get re-elected! 

Do you see what I mean, dear reader? All of this is so absurd and ridiculous. It really needs to stop. Like it or not, a new Ambassador Bridge is going to be built and it had better be started now before our area becomes even worse economically. We just cannot allow that to happen any longer. 

I have to admit that I do like to be involved in talking about the border file. I talked about it for so long and the subject does interest me a lot. However, the reality is that I'm tired of it. It is not how I should be living my life after my illness. I ought to be doing a lot of other more interesting things so that I can enjoy my time left. 

Everything to do for the future of the border crossing is all resolved in reality. The game being tried for so many years by the opponents of the Ambassador Bridge Company just did not work out. The Moroun Family has stayed involved contrary to expectations. Another Ambassador Bridge has to be built and it will be because there is no other rational resolution. All that has to be worked on, and I hope that it is, is the deal that will be negotiated between the Governments and the Moroun Family. 

It is something after all that President Obama should have as one of his closing files with the new Prime Minister of Canada that will make both of these gentlemen appear as if they are fantastic politicians in the future.

Micro-UN-Soft

I trust from you reading the title of this story that you may have the idea that for some reason I'm not all that pleased with Microsoft Corporation dealing with the upgrading of my computer system to Windows 10.  If that is what you are thinking then, surprise, surprise, you are absolutely accurate, dear reader.

I have to tell you that I am completely unhappy and not satisfied at all from changing my older computer operating system by going up to Windows 10 a relatively short time ago. I really had no choice unless I wanted to spend some dollars down the road moving from my lower Windows system to Windows 10. The "freebie" operating system that was made available by Microsoft was just changed a short time ago by me. One needs to spend money if one wants to upgrade at this time. It was given away at no cost for quite a period of time by Microsoft to its end users.

I made the decision to go forward quite late as you may recall i.e. just before the new upgraded Windows software had to be paid for. I had lots of trouble updating as well. At that time, to be blunt about it, I almost decided not to move forward with the Windows new system with all the problems I had in the updating. Surprisingly, even with all the problems that I had at that time in upgrading, somehow the software system seemed to change and started working when it could not do so before.

How marvelous for me, right? As I wrote before, I did not get much help from either Microsoft technical people or the representatives from the computer company for the computer that I had purchased a number of years ago. Shockingly, the software system finally went through the downloading right to the end unlike all of my other downloads when the unloading seem to stop just before the end of the downloading process and died.

What a complete mess the upgrading system seems to be. Who knows, maybe it's just my computer system and not anybody else's. All that I can tell you is that going online and downloading the new Windows 10 programs is so objectionable I just can't stand it anymore. It was such a mess in doing so that I found out that supposedly no one in positions of power believed that the specific, old Windows PC that I was using and supposedly upgrading could be upgraded at all.  Gee, it meant that I would have to go out and buy a completely new computer.  What a great position for the manufacturer to have!

Of course, the result of the downloading the software had its own problems. How many hours did it take you, dear reader, to download the system in the first place onto your computer? One hour, two hours, four hours or even more? Seriously, the amount of software that needs downloading is a lot but not so bad. However, the time to do so seems to take forever before it goes on to one's system for reasons that are unknown to me.  And then the time to upgrade afterwards... that takes a very long time too.

What have I had so far? Naturally I have had one of our family's first download of the software that downloaded the first system on to our computers, at no cost of course. Wasn't that nice of Microsoft to make us feel so good financially? Then, we seemed to have had a number of loads as well for improvements to the original system. Naturally, I expect to have some more that we will have to accept whether we want to or not. As I said up above, that downloading messed up my operating system for a good period of time.

I probably spent the good part of several days trying to figure out a way to download the system in the first place to get it operating. Notwithstanding all of my conversations with the service people from the suppliers, I got nowhere with them.  Well that's not quite true. I was told that an easy solution was just to purchase a new computer. Now wasn't that helpful to the manufacturer of a product that seems to be reducing in number the size of people purchasing the product.

I'm not going to go through all the misery that I experienced other than to say it was a horrible one. I must admit that I have had to upgrade products before but I have never had such a horrific experience that I had this time.

In all honesty, I almost came to the point of transferring my system back to my old computing system that would run my daily work. I did not feel the need, with all the problems, for this "upgraded" new operation and for which I had nothing but misery.  However, I did not do so because I figured that my older Windows system was getting very obsolete very quickly.

I could talk a lot more about how horrible this operation was in the past and how horrible it is when it has to be upgraded these days. However, why bother. I'm sure that you all, dear readers, have similar situations.

There are a lot more matters that I could criticize about this new Windows 10 product that came out. However, I don't think it makes any real sense for me to do so because I don't have a practical, alternative software product.

All that I will be when I am online with this new Micro-UN-Soft product is disappointed!