I’m pretty ticked of this morning.

I’m in the process of switching computers. I’m giving my desktop behemoth to Douglas Grant, the new managing editor, and I’m going back to a notebook. I had used a notebook for three years exclusively before switching to the desktop about a year ago.

I needed the larger monitor to do page layout work, but I never liked the computer.

Anyway, I’m trying to transfer my email (Microsoft Outlook) to the new computer. It’s an arduous task.

The new notebook did not have Microsoft Office on it and frankly, I did not want it. I hate it. A month or two ago I quit using every program except Excel. I switched to Mozilla Thunderbird for email and Mozilla Firefox for my browser. They are much faster than Outlook and Explorer, respectively, and don’t lock up or shut down like those programs do. You can even make Thunderbird look almost exactly like Outlook if you want.

I ended up having to buy a complete copy of Office in order transfer my old email files to the new computer.

Four Hundred and Fifty bucks at Office Max this morning. What a rip off. I’m not mad at Office Max, just Microsoft. Once I get the old files transferred, that’s it. I’m going to use Excel only until I find a spreadsheet program I like that is compatible and then I’m done with them forever.

Their programs are inferior and what’s more, Mozilla’s are free. I vow to make it my mission in life to extract my $450 from Microsoft by touting Mozilla to anyone I meet.

Go to www.mozzilla.org and download Thunderbird and Firefox. It takes about 10 minutes to be up and running. Get the browser first, Firefox. It’s awesome. You’ll trash Explorer like I did.

Mozilla also makes a calendar program called Sunbird which I just downloaded and have not tried, but I’m sure it’s better than Outlook’s calendar, too.

Fight the real enemy.