Advocating particular brands, or recommending specific products, are n't that regular an occurrence in my life. You like what you like and let everyone else do the same, that's the core of it for me. After all, one man's meat is another man's poison and it's futile, if not actually impossible to dictate preference. We'd all be sad-faced clones if this was all that happened.

That's the rule, now here's the exception, and in a strange way I feel guilty about this, (why, I don't know properly, that's for another article), I am not able to recommend with any real confidence www.doesntalwaysworkfirsttimepc.com. They're an online, purely online, electrical retailer, strong on value - their term for "we're hard to beat on price", and carry a pretty sexy line in laptops. My trusty, battered Toshiba Satellite, a dear friend whom I've brought back from the dead time after time, is now finished. I can barely scrape enough power to keep it going for this article. It's no longer a laptop, it's become Lazarus, but it cannot keep up the thin pretence of being able to function. I gotta change it, decommission it gracefully and thank it for three years hard work. Better than a sheepdog.

I bought a new one from this company; loyal to the same family, it's another Toshiba. Stick with the tried and tested. Quite a pantomime simply getting it delivered, but it eventually arrived yesterday, a week or so late. Entirely forgiveable though when you see the beauty of it, it's the sleekest, slinkiest laptop I've ever seen, let alone run my fingers over. It's as close as it can be in my eyes to design perfection, graceful enough for the catwalks of Milan or Paris with such clearly expressed lines, and a finish as smooth as a washed pebble. Fabulous. Light and elegant, so slender it could pass off as an After Eight mint, albeit with circuitry and a hard drive. I am burning from the inside out to use it.

Everything's there, except...power. It will not start. I was a good boy when I set it up, followed the instructions meticulously - I've a track record in ripping the wrapper off, ignoring any instruction manual, thinking anything is easy to set up - not so here, been calm. Worked through the trouble shooting guide, spent thirty minutes or so on the 'phone to Toshiba's own helpline. Nothing. Not a flicker, just my face reflecting back at me from a blank, lifeless screen.

A confused delivery, then when it turns up, it's still born. I have to be candid here: I find it difficult to contain my disappointment with doesntalwaysworkfirsttimepc. I'll see how the returns and replacement process works - I'm stubborn enough to hang on a little while longer before I start shopping elsewhere. Hello PC World.....possibly