SQ wrote:Okay, this is probably me being a jackass, but I'm not willing to pay for a mac OS upgrade.
Given that it's a mere $29? Yeah. You're being a jackass. That being said, it can be acquired elsewhere, obviously. But that is such a tiny price for an OS, that I'm just like lolwut that anyone would think it was unmanageable.
I have no roommate right now and live in basically a hotel room. My room here is about the same (maybe a little smaller) than an ensign's over at the pilot school. I live in a special barracks since I've been here so long and am proven well-behaved or something. But anyway, we get like.. Random room inspections and a sort of 'demerit' entry in our SDR here if we leave high valuables out. While I know that shit probably won't happen on an actual base (the rules here are ridiculous), I'd still lock it away anyway, due to theft as said previously.
OH! You're not in traditional barracks (barracks are what you had in Boot Camp, and involve lots of bunks with same-sexed individuals in the same room). You're in BEQ, Bachelor Enlisted Quarters. That's quite a bit different. And if the Ensigns are in API then they would have smaller quarters than if they were in the BOQ, which is quite nice (and usually where I stay when I have to work on my package on base), and more like a one bedroom apartment or a hotel suite. Now I don't feel so bad for you.
I have a hard time believing a laptop wouldn't fit under the bunk. I'll put it under my clothes or something. I'm not sure if you guys go to the same boot camp as enlisted (probably not if you went in as officer?) but our rack lockers there were only slightly larger than the bunks on a ship. Besides, even if it were like a 20" laptop, it's still thin. Less thick than some folded clothes, anyway.
No. Midshipman and OCs go to the Academy or NROTC. Further, OCs can also go to OCS. I was in NROTC. I would have to go to OCS to finish out my commission, which is the plan.
Slightly unrelated: Have you ever been deployed?
Not exactly. Midshipmen go on Cruise, which is pretty much a training deployment. You can even earn quals if you're dilligent enough. I have also spent time on ships here in Japan, although I was just visiting buddies. I know what officer staterooms look like aboard Cruisers, Destroyers, and Aircraft Carriers, and I also know what berthing looks like.
I am not a DIVO, I am not commissioned. I need to finish my package, go to OCS to finish (more like restart

) my commission, and then I would deploy as a brand new ensign. I had the opportunity to commission in 2006 and I basically turned it down. Water under the bridge at this point, and unlikely to seriously hurt me now. I have the probable next CNO endorsing me. And I wasn't kicked out or asked to leave.
I spend an awful lot of time with my NROTC buddies in Japan, and I spend a lot of time on the Surface Warfare Officer forums where I am known and accepted as a "will-be JO." I also scored very highly on my aviation test, and could go Pilot if I wanted to (but I don't). I simply have to wait until October until I get orders...
tl;dr
Not like you will be deployed, but we might be deployed at the same time.
So if I installed boot camp (or whatever) and then Windows 7 or XP or something, would the laptop still run quickly? Or would I need to upgrade OS X first and then install the other shit?
Dunno, I'll find out. If you can get up to date bootcamp drivers without going up to Leo or Snow Leo, the answer would be a definite yes. Without knowing about that, though... I will have to get back to you.