The Present's Tale: In Brentwood Library ...

7th March, 2020.

OK ...this is possibly getting to be a habit.   Possibly.

I've started a post, without an introductory video.

Debatably, a good thing: if you're not used to my ugly mug.

At any rate?

I've recently been given a cheap, refurbished, laptop.   A Lenovo Thinkpad T-400, so you know.

One I've installed a version of Ubuntu Mate on: as a replacement for the version of Windows Seven the sellers had installed by default.

The installation, I should add?   Was done on Thursday.

I had intended to do that from a version of the installer I'd managed -- after a lot of coaxing -- onto a US?B stick.

One that this laptop wouldn't recognise.

So I eventually installed from a DVD.

The process was fairly easy, and took a lot less time than I remember earlier installations doing.

Bar the odd quirk -- there's one important password that needs resetting -- it's running well.

~≈¥≈~

My big concern, though?

Was the reason I'd asked for a cheap laptop.

I'm out of work, at the moment.

And usually do my job-searching indoors.

But felt heading out to the local library, with a laptop of my own, would be lovely.

I'd love a MacBook of some description.

But was perfectly aware:

• My family's on a budget.
• Catalina's having an issue or two!

So was quite happy with whatever I could get.

My big concern?

Was -- once Ubuntu was installed? -- whether I could log into the library's public network.

I needn't have.

Once I got here, the laptop picked up the signal from the library's router.

Next to the battery symbol, on the left hand end of the Menubar.

Then asked me to log in, with my usual password and ID.

All that ... ?

And I'm laughing.

~≈¥≈~

About my only complaints, so far?

My other main operating system is macOS: I'm running Catalina, and have had the odd problem with it.

One thing stands out.

Safari, the default browser, is -- for the most part -- ok.

But, using it to access Nik Nak's Old Peculiar, I note Safari asks me to sign in: it will have 'Create log' and 'Sign In' in the top right hand corner.

It's some the macOS versions of Firefox, Chrome and Tor reproduce.

I'm sitting here, in Brentwood Library and Firefox has my googlemail address, 'New Post,' 'Design' and 'Sign Out' in the same corner.

It's my preferred option: and also means I can edit posts, individually.

Granted, Windows and Linux browsers make enough of a formatting hash of things to make editing this post when I get home a good move.

But, even so ... ?

I prefer the latter to the former.