I'm currently using a laptop with a crappy dual-core Intel cpu and an integrated Intel GMA 4500 graphics chip, which is pretty awful. The laptop is missing several keys, having been run across by a frightened cat, and the spacebar sticks badly (barely popping back up) after my daughter spilled a cup of juice on the keyboard several weeks back.
The letter c key does not work. I actually just click on a bookmark, copy out the c from .com via right-click, and type the c by pressing ctrl-v. It's almost second nature, which is quite sad.
The thing is, I'm not a poor person. I make a reasonable living as an Enterprise WAN Data technician and I'm looking favorable for a promotion soon. I don't have any debt, I have good credit and low rent.
However, I have a 3-year-old child, my fiancee is a stay-at-home Mom and so is supported by my income, and I just spent 6 figures on a house in the second-most affluent neighborhood in my state so that my child can attend one of the best schools in the country. My family comes before everything else in my life; I will give them the very best that I can afford.
It also doesn't help that my cobbled-together budget desktop (Triple-core Phenom running an NVIDIA 8800GTS that I
revived from the dead by baking it in the oven and building a fan housing out of cardboard and duct-tape) had its motherboard die just a few weeks back. Now I'm digging through my spare parts to see what I can put together.
Maybe after the renovations on the new house are done I'll be able to think about getting a new desktop; but chances are with the new mortgage it won't be an amazing one (unless that promotion pays a lot better than I think it will!).
I really love PS2, but sacrifices need to be made for the good of the family.
* sigh... *