lsomeone.ShehadriddenherbiketoameetingatMiltonSecurityandparkeditbehindapillarinthegarage.Asshesetherrucksackonthegroundtoputonthebikelock,adarkredSaabbeganreversingout.Shehadherbackturnedbutheardthecrackingsoundfromherrucksack.Thedriverdidn’tnoticeathingand,unwitting,droveoffuptheexitramp.
TherucksackcontainedherwhiteApplei600with5-gigharddriveand420megsofRAM,manufacturedinJanuary2002andequippedwith4-inchscreen.Atthetimesheboughtit,itwasApple’sstate-of-the-artlaptop.Salander’sputerswereupgradedwiththeverylatestandsometimesmostexpensiveconfigurations—puterequipmentwastheonlyextravagantentryonherlistofexpenses.
Whensheopenedtherucksack,shecouldseethatthelidofherputerwascracked.Shepluggedinthepoweradapterandtriedtobootuptheputer;notevenadeathrattle.ShetookitovertoTimmy’sMacJesusShoponBr?nnkyrkagatan,hopingthatatleastsomethingontheharddrivecouldbesaved.Afterfiddlingwithitforashorttime,Timmyshookhishead.
“Sorry.Nohope,”hesaid.“You’llhavetoarrangeanicefuneral.”
Thelossofherputerwasdepressingbutnotdisastrous.Salanderhadhadanexcellentrelationshipwithitduringtheyearshehadownedit.Shehadbackedupallherdocuments,andshehadanolderdesktopMacG3athome,aswellasafive-year-oldToshibaPClaptopthatshecoulduse.Butsheneededafast,modernmachine.
Unsurprisinglyshesethersightsonthebestavailablealternative:thenewApplePowerG4/1.0GHzinanaluminiumcasewithaPowerPC7451processorwithanAltiVecVelocityEngine,960MBRAManda60GBharddrive.IthadBlueToothandbuilt-inCDandDVDburners.
Bestofall,ithadthefirst17-inchscreeninthelaptopworldwithNVIDIAgraphicsandaresolutionof1440x900pixels,whichshookthePCadvocatesandoutrankedeverythingelseonthemarket.
Intermsofhardware,itwastheRolls-Royceofportableputers,butwhatreallytriggeredSalander’sneedtohaveitwasthesimplefeaturethatthekeyboardwasequippedwithbacklighting,sothatshecouldseethelettersevenifitwaspitchdark.Sosimple.Whyhadno-ohoughtofthatbefore?
Itwasloveatfirstsight.
Itcost38,000kronor,plustax.
Thatwas