I have taken CMK7-M out into the world for the first time. I am in the UNC-Charlotte library, on the south side, near the windows and directly underneath an access point. I am enjoying having access to my own system while here. I could have never brought CMK5-M out like this, it was way too heavy to carry and in general not that useful (4 hours of battery is disappointing). The machine is overall lightweight and easy to carry. My only real problem with the machine at this point is its highly reflective screen, which doesn’t do well with natural light or with high powered florescent bulbs buzzing overhead.

I do have a problem with bag selection though. I bought a bag right before I bought the system just because I was running out of time and needed a way to carry it. I bought a fairly inexpensive Targus bag and am overall happy with it. Its thin, and quite nice for carrying just the laptop, but the whole configuration is a bit much to handle when I try to carry the laptop in the backpack and the D90 in the shoulder bag. It so does not work for me. I feel too much like I’m being strangled and I feel like I look like a packmule, not the level of hotness I’m going for in general when it comes to my appearance. I have located a bag that I kind of like, now that it has become a necessity type of situation. It’s a Lowepro FastPack 250. It’s not a jumbo bag, but at the same time it will carry everything I need it to carry for an outing, and also will hold things on the side with Lowepro’s sliplock technology. I do not love that the bag costs $80, but its one of those things where if I am backed into a corner and have to, I will. I love having the laptop with me, but I also want to have access to my camera. I can’t choose between them, but $80 is a lot to consider paying for a bag… or is it? I dunno. Someone help me here, I’m rambling because I’m confused. I sort of like that the whole thing is side accessible, while at the same time, not being a weird annoying Lowepro Slingpack.

Other than the bag issue, everything else is great. The battery I think will hold out for as long as I need it to, but that doesn’t mean that I feel comfortable at the moment with the thing telling me I only have 5 hours of battery power left. I guess in general I am just the nervous type, which is something I need to get over before I manage to hurt myself with it. With a 6 cell battery this thing seems like it will hold out for my normal use for around 6-7 hours, which is good. Maybe wanting the 12 cell battery is just me being nervous, or maybe once the battery gets used a bit it won’t be good enough anymore and I will need the 12 cell. I guess only time will tell on that one. For now, no additional battery, but its still on the list of potential upgrades over the life of this little system.