Monday Musings...
Well, like I'm always fond of saying: "If it's not ONE damn thing...it's ANOTHER!"
More technology woes...
Yesterday, our older "dog" computer system (the 10 year old PC clone running on a wing and a prayer all this time) decides it was going to reboot ITSELF...and while rebooting, it was going to also inform me that the HIMEM.SYS file was "missing"!
Now even after being OUT of a corporate computer room for the past 2 decades, I can tell you that THIS...is NOT a good thing.
Curiously, I don't recall ANYONE screwing with the system to the point that would cause the HIMEM.SYS to go "bye-bye" (although, technically, it IS "Spring Break", so maybe I should look around "Cabo"...LOL).
Perhaps the system got tired with my "particular" method of rebooting (using my FOOT against the cabinet). Yeah, that might have "something" to do with this. Still, it worked damn well in the past.
So now, I'm using the *new* system, which is almost AS SLOW (or is that as fast?) as the older system, but DOES have a SEMPRON 2 processing chip...(ooooooo.....wow, a faster chip) that operates a bit quicker than the older system on our hardline (that's right...no DSL or FIOs or HSI for us, no sir...the speed of light STILL remains CONSTANT...I channeled Einstein's ghost yesterday afternoon to confirm this).
Now my significant other (Mrs Bob) is taking the system to STONE COMPUTER for (much needed) REPAIR.
Notice I said REPAIR and NOT "replacement". See, I have this "thing" about ditching something that needs fixing, as opposed to blowing another huge wad of cash for ANOTHER system that will f$ck itself into oblivion in 5 years or less. If my car needs a water pump, the mechanic SURE AS HELL will NOT tell me "you just need a NEW CAR, Bob". Even HE knows that dog won't hunt with ME.
It's statements like that which cause be to give away knuckle sandwiches or some well-placed verbal abuse (with ALL the trimmings). I told my wife I would NOT go to the computer store with her, as I did NOT want to cause "a scene" (and I just KNOW I will at this point). I have provided DETAILED instructions as to "how to proceed", and I want one thing clear:
SAVE THE-DAMN-DISK-DRIVE!!!!!
Sure it's only a 3 Gb drive, but I want ALL the data INTACT and the old Win98 O/S operational. And I don't think I'm asking for much. Just reinstall the HIMEM.SYS (the dog needs a new CD/ROM drive as well), scrub the drive for "bugs", and reboot the system...problem SOLVED, right?
OR...If the drive cannot be "fixed", just TRANSFER all the data onto a NEW DRIVE with the same O/S (win 98), and that should be JUST as easy, right?
I don't want another totally NEW "XP clusterf$ck" taking up space in my house.I already have one H/P Pavilion with Win2000 (barely 6 years old) that keeps wanting to reboot, and I was told it would cost MORE to fix it than to replace it. SO we replaced it. I think it CAN be fixed, and for less than $400, but...
"OK, fool me once, shame on YOU...fool me TWICE (with THIS system)...shame on ME!"
This should be as simple as getting one's hair cut...we shall see. And it would proceed much more expeditiously if I am NOT in their face calling them out on this. My wife will have to stand firm to get the old unit REPAIRED...replace what needs replacing, and get the software straightened out, slap it together and call it DONE. It's not going to be fast...or pretty, but I DO want it functional.
Sure seems easy in concept.
We'll see how the "rubber meets the road" on this one.
In the meantime, rest assured that I will not be halted one moment in my quest to bring all of you that which you need to know (and maybe some head nodding in agreement, and perhaps a smile or two) along the way.
Speaking of technology (and the manner in which it totally SUCKS), the "new" system isn't capable of using WORD PERFECT 6.0 (from the older system).
Wow, didn't know that.
I did D/L a reader that I can play "cut n paste" with over to an RTF format (as opposed to the much more user friendly DOC format). Another "brick in the wall?"
Yeah, things have a tendency around here to get much better (exponentially) by the MINUTE. And that's not the "good" kind of better...it's the SARCASTIC kind.
Yet after all is said and done...I'll probably STILL be as pissed off as I have been the past 24 hours.
And I believe I have good reason to be that way. It's called BUILD THINGS TO LAST, for God's sake. And don't make us think that computers we see on TV are anything like what many of us have in our homes. 'casue they sure ain't. Not ALL of us can afford whatever the marketing jerkoffs "tell" us we NEED to have before they "modify" (read screw up) the current technology, precipitating a change that will cost us even MORE money. We used to call that "planned obsolescence", but I'm sure they have a much more "happier" and "PC" term these days.


Ironic...a PC term for PCs.
Am I hopeful that things will work out as I intend?
Not a snowball's chance in Hades.
We'll be "stuck" having to get another system (with the mega-crappy XP operating system), and all the data will be somehow unrecoverable, which will have me pissed off for the better part of the rest of the decade.
Or I could be wrong for once...because if there's ONE thing I've learned in THIS city, it's that ANYTHING IS truly POSSIBLE. "Murphy" MUST have grown up here and practiced LAW.
At least the house didn't burn the hell down (this week).
Makes me wonder what the hell I must have done in a PAST LIFE, that crap like this would keep bugging me in THIS life. That is, if I believed in reincarnation. The way I feel NOW, it'll take a few more lifetimes to straighten all this stuff back out.
God...and it's ONLY Monday....!