Birthday gift for me [System 76 Darter Pro]

[MurphCID]

I am going to get a System 76 Darter Pro for my 60th birthday as a gift to myself. I am going to re-purpose my current Linux laptop, the little HP as an emergency laptop for the kids. I will get the stock Darter Pro, and then add 32gb of corsair ram, and a 1 tb Samsung NvME drive in place of the 250 gb drive it comes with. Of course I will install Mint 19.3 and later perhaps LMDE 4 since it looks like it will use the same easy installer that 19.3 uses, which makes installation so simple.

[Portreve]

Happy Birthday! You're still in the prime of your game, and that sounds like a great self-birthday-gift.

[MurphCID]

Well, that lasted no time at all. The wife's car went Tango Uniform on the way home yesterday, so my laptop money is most likely going to replace a transmission.

[Portreve]

Oh crap! Sorry to hear that, MurphCID!

[MurphCID]

Yep, needs a transmission, and some other work. Price=too darn high!

[Portreve]

Sounds like it's time to get rid of it. Good riddance, I say.

[Pjotr]

Replacing a transmission is bad indeed. It might help to change the transmission fluid every 60.000 miles (100.000 kilometres). Even though the manufacturers usually claim it needs no replacing. This probably increases the life expectancy of a transmission by a lot.

If you have a dipstick for checking the transmission fluid level, you can change it yourself by means of a simple vacuum pump through the dipstick tube: http://www.pelapumps.co.uk/default.aspx?A10PAGE=PL650

Typically you'll be able to extract some 40 % of the fluid with such a vacuum pump, so you'll have to repeat the procedure two or three times to achieve an effective replacement percentage (in between, drive a couple of miles to properly mix the old and the new fluid).

It's what I've been doing for a couple of years with the automatic transmission fluid of my cars. And with the engine oil as well. Saves a lot of money over time....

[MurphCID]

We get a full service every 50,000 miles, with 5,000 mile oil changes, but her car has 200,000 miles and she will not allow any thought of replacement because she tells me “it’s just gotten broken in”. It’s a 2006 Toyota Camry.

[MurphCID]

I just said to heck with it and placed the order. It should be here Monday.

[farkas]

+1 Happy birthday present to you from you!
-1 Unhappy spouse unit with no means of personal transportation!

+1 If spouse unit agrees with birthday present.
+10 If repairs work on personal transportation.
(DANGER) MurphCID
+100 ++++ if spouse unit gets a NEW or practically brand new means of personal transportation!!

+-? Available funds. Unknown!

Happy Birthday!!!
Happy Valentines Day!!
+1 +++ Roses and a box of chocolates! (Some nice jewelry?) for spouse unit!

[Pjotr]

her car has 200,000 miles and she will not allow any thought of replacement because she tells me “it’s just gotten broken in”. It’s a 2006 Toyota Camry.

She's right. Those Japan-built Toyota's are nearly indestructible.

Both my wife and I have a Toyota Yaris: mine's from 2000 and hers is from 2002. Both with about 150.000 miles (250.000 kilometers), and both run as good as new. Only the central door locking has broken on both cars, but repairing that is too expensive so we let that be.

[MurphCID]

+1 Happy birthday present to you from you!
-1 Unhappy spouse unit with no means of personal transportation!

+1 If spouse unit agrees with birthday present.
+10 If repairs work on personal transportation.
(DANGER) MurphCID
+100 ++++ if spouse unit gets a NEW or practically brand new means of personal transportation!!

+-? Available funds. Unknown!

Happy Birthday!!!
Happy Valentines Day!!
+1 +++ Roses and a box of chocolates! (Some nice jewelry?) for spouse unit!

She gave me permission to get it, after I played the: "You know I am turning 60, this could be my last birthday" card.

Plus I agreed to pay off the credit card 100%. Which should take me six months or so.

Also for some unknown reason her car refuses to die, so we will get a new(ish) transmission and I suspect she will keep it going for another 200,000 miles. She throws a fit when we suggest she get a newer one.

[Portreve]

Get a TARDIS. They are much faster than the car she's all clingy over. Also, there will no longer be any searching/fighting for a parking space, needing to haul home improvement goods back from the local hardware store and having to worry if it will fit inside. Miss a monthly bill or a payment? No worries; go to the Post office a few days ago instead, and problem solved.

And 200,000 miles as a breaking-in period? Ha!

No more airline bills. Ever. Go to Paris for breakfast, Aldebaran II for lunch and shopping, and still make it home in time for dinner.

Gallifreyan Motors Plc. has deals all the time. The one at the intersection of Rassilon Avenue and MLK Jr. Blvd. I think even takes trade-ins.

[MurphCID]

I would love one. Car repairs tend to be somewhat overpriced imho.

[lsemmens]

Gallifreyan Motors Plc. has deals all the time. The one at the intersection of Rassilon Avenue and MLK Jr. Blvd. I think even takes trade-ins.

Are you sure you're not the Master?

[Portreve]

Gallifreyan Motors Plc. has deals all the time. The one at the intersection of Rassilon Avenue and MLK Jr. Blvd. I think even takes trade-ins.

Are you sure you're not the Master?

SHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

[farkas]

I am going to get a System 76 Darter Pro for my 60th birthday as a gift to myself.

Checked out System 76 website. They look very nice.
What are the specs of your machine?

[MurphCID]

I am going to get a System 76 Darter Pro for my 60th birthday as a gift to myself.

Checked out System 76 website. They look very nice.
What are the specs of your machine?

Basic, i5 model, the plain vanilla model. But I have purchased 32gb of 2666mhz ram, and a 1tb nvme drive.

[deck_luck]

You go bad boy. Have fun with that new machine.

[MurphCID]

Ok, the stinks, you have to remove the keyboard to get the bottom cover off! Clevo made some really odd design choices.