I have a laptop! Microsoft sucks!

I got a laptop computer this week! Very very exciting, now I can work on my novel on my laptop in a coffee shop or other location of my choice. I have a ver cool secret place in the basement of a store on the East side that I may use as a writing place sometimes. I won't say what store, though. Don't need it to become crowded!

Now, this new computer, from Dell, has Windows XP on it. Learning to put up with XP has been like learning to tango with a rhinoceros. What are these sadistic bastards thinking when they come up with these operating systems? I mean, well, it hasn't crashed yet, and that's good, but it is constantly beeping at me to add some new update, tell it my blood type, call my mom, eat my vegetables, and always always use Microsoft programs. Didn't someone decide at some point that it was illegal for MS to do that? And yet, I've installed Opera twice, and it won't work. Bah.

Also, more tech problems -- my cell phone voicemail is messed up. No one can leave me messages. Bah.