You Are A Piece of Shit

I'm incredibly angry at my new work laptop, or rather, its system restrictions.

While I thoroughly understand the security concerns, control, expenses, yadda yadda yadda, it doesn't negate the fact that it's the most unproductive machine EVER. I want to type Chinese characters and do photo-editing. But I can't. I'd have to submit an application form to IT to request for permission for downloading the software/s and justify why it's necessary in my work. How wonderful. Imagine all the lines of "Sorry, I can't help you edit photos/type Chinese documents. I don't have a justification for this programme in my laptop."

That isn't an issue in Singapore. Go block whatever sites or wherever, I don't care. Whatever. I'll just bring my Macbook (and mobile broadband) to the office.

However, the other sore point is about travelling with this retarded machine. It's not fair for the office to ask me to travel with a work laptop that doesn't support instant chats or Skype, video or any application that allows me to effectively communicate with humans. It's not fair to expect me to depend on a personal 3G phone (that the office doesn't pay for) for communication in this day and age.

If the office expects sterling performance from me and yet can't support me in terms of infrastructure, don't expect me to fork out personal expenses and effort to maintain the same standards. That will be such a joke because my home is more well equipped than what I have here. If the office makes a choice to lapse and not enable technology to aid its staff in their work, don't expect brilliant commitment from me either.

The previous model of the work laptop is nice. On work trips AND VACATIONS, I'm in touch with friends and the office via Skype, MSN and every damn thing while being able to access emails, clear work and pull double shifts. I only need 1 laptop to ensure that productivity remains at the same level, or even at an increased volume. I'm happy and willing to do that. But with this new platform, it makes me reluctant to take the work laptop anywhere. My Macbook is the preferred accessory now.

On the next work trip, I'll put this stupid laptop to test and see what it can do. If I can slide around it and twibble at its firewalls, I will. I'll push its limits and persuade it to accept certain functions. If I can't, then it simply means that work comes to a standstill on each trip. Don't expect me to answer work emails when the machine refuses to let me connect and communicate with humans I love. Of course I'll only bring the other machine that makes me happy. When it comes to things like that, I'm very petulant.

Bye bye productivity. Bye bye work-life integration. I'll have more of a life now, thanks to a stunted work laptop.