March 14, 2007

Ask Me About My Computer

I finally purchased a new notebook computer, after my last post detailed my original's death. After debating between Best Buy and CompUSA for a purchasing decision, the latter won out my business, with a $2oo rebate on a notebook that makes my previous one look to be a relic from the Stone Age. Six years (six months, even) means a lot as far as computer technology goes. Let's put this into perspective...
In 2001, I bought a notebook for $1999 that contained a 40 GB hard drive and 512 MB of RAM.
In 2007, I pay $899 (before rebate) for a notebook with a 120 GB hard drive and 1024 MB of RAM.
In six years, I only managed to fill about half of the hard drive. What am I going to cram into 120 gigs? Keep in mind that my primary use for my computer is writing, and text documents don't take up that much space. I don't game on my computer or store music or movies.

My pal Jason was able to successfully transfer the contents of my "My Documents" folder, as well as my desktop, to a disk. Less successful was some of my files making the jump intact. As I said before, there's no grave consequence, even if I got nothing back... but I am making him dive back into my old hard drive for one file whose importance is a little bit more so than others. A file I use to jot down any useful thought that comes into my head that I want to make sure I don't forget. Aside from this particular file becoming scrambled in the transfer, it seems that the ones I use most often ended up this way as well. To quote Dale Gribble of King of the Hill fame, "Computers don't make errors. What they do, they do on purpose."

I'm currently spending my time transferring my old computer's contents from CD to my new computer's hard drive. Then I'll reinstall all my other components such as camera, my printer/scanner hybrid, then I'll try out my web cam. I purchased it with the intention of using it with my last computer, but for whatever reason, it kept freezing up. One problem I have with this notebook is its placement of the touchpad. Even while typing this, the edge of my palm on my right hand keeps grazing it, sending my mouse pointer all over the screen and making me accidentally click random places. I hope I can overcome this.

Windows Vista is pretty cool, but if you're as used to Windows XP as I was, then it's "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore, Toto." Maybe I shouldn't complain, some people are still using Windows 98.

Bi-annual Dental Hygiene Report: No cavities. Wisdom teeth doing fine.

And that's just the way it is.

March 1, 2007

It's Dead, Jim

After six years of service, the first computer (laptop) I ever owned for myself has suffered hard drive failure. I wrote my first few stories, including my first novel, on it and made blue-prints on a few hundred potential ones. I also accidentally spewed coffee on it. Twice. Plus its been opened and closed so many times a screw securing the screen in its plastic casing popped out. I'm using the family computer to work from for now, but anything involving the scanning of pictures will have to wait. Which means my Web Comic is on hiatus.

Fortunately, I've seen this coming about a mile away, so I copied all my important files to disk about a month ago. Everything else I'm losing can be redownloaded or reinstalled. Thankfully I'm acquainted with a computer expert. He diagnosed my laptop to the fullest of his abilities, and has come to the conclusion that it has indeed "kicked the bucket". But the good doctor can also salvage the few files I've created and altered since I put them to disk, but if he can't, it won't be a tragic loss.

I'm going to purchase a new laptop very soon after I read a few newspaper flyers to discover what's out there as well as possible deals. I guess its good because, as far as technology goes, I can be brought up to speed. I mean that literally, the laptop was performing its functions slowly. Computers become obsolete after six months, forget about six years.

And that's just the way it is.