Bill's New Computer

Bill trying to figure out how to get his e-mail on his "new" Dell computer

Bill's new computer is actually my old Dell computer.  Remember that lemon? I only had it for a year and it crashed.  Just like my other Dell computer crashed.  Also just like my original Dell computer, the one I paid $4,000 for with 30 MB memory, crashed.  I know, I know.  I'm a glutton for punishment.  Sometimes I have to learn the hard way.

Well anyway, I still had this Dell computer under warranty so Dell sent out a repairman to replace the hard drive, which obviously was a reconditioned hard drive.  I haven't used that Dell computer since with the only exception being playing my porn DVD's that won't play on my iMac.

Of course you all know I wised up (finally) and got a Mac computer.  NO PROBLEMATCO SINCE!  Yes folks, it took be a long time and mucho bucks but I finally learned my lesson.

So my Dell computer sat down in the basement, new hard drive and all, collecting dust.  Finally, Bill threw in the towel on his Toshiba laptop that he inherited from my late mother.  It was taking about a half an hour to boot up in the morning.  Time to get a new computer!

Both of us being Old Men and Afraid of Anything NEW, we were reluctant to MOVE the old Dell computer and set it up in Bill's basement office which is also where our HVAC units are located (Bill doesn't go for the posh home offices).

So how long did it take me to move and set up the Dell computer and download and install all the updates? Try FOUR HOURS!  Oh don't you just love it?  Just another reason why I will NEVER go back to any Windows based products and especially Dell computers.  All theses wires, cords, connections, et al.

Man oh man.  Anyone who buys a Windows based product HAS TO BE CRAZY!

Now my head is splitting, my right jaw aches (probably from clenching my teeth this morning) and I'm nauseous.  Nice way to go to work today huh?

Well, I'll have a little lunch, watch some TV to see that the Republican clowns who are left who are running for president are lying about today.  Oh aren't they in a quandary since the economy is taking a turn for the better?  Maybe they can drag up that old Social Issue of gay marriage and beat that horse one more time.  There are still some yahoos out there who think marriage is only for a MAN AND A WOMAN.  Now don't take offense some of my friends and think I'm calling you an yahoo but how about making the marriage laws EQUAL for everyone?  Say, I know...LET'S PUT IT UP FOR A VOTE!  See what the MAJORITY THINKS OF EQUAL RIGHTS. 

But I digress from the original subject of this blog.  You know the RULE...if you want to be a Good BLOGGER, keep it short and on subject.

FaceTime

Last year my new Dell computer crashed.  I purchased this new Dell computer because my old Gateway computer was ten years old and would eventually crash.  I wanted to get ahead of the game for once in computer crash horror stories.  To paraphrase Ben Franklin, there are three certainties in life:

• Death
• Taxes
• Computer crashes

My first computer to crash was a Dell.  I paid $4,000 in 1994 for that sucker that had a grand total of 30 MB memory.  I lost all my photos and genealogy program which I had to rebuild.  

In bought a new Dell computer in 2001 with all the bells and whistles for which I paid $2,500.  Right out of the box that computer didn't work.  I couldn't turn it off.  Every time I turned it off, it came right back on.  I called my premium line (still had to wait a long time) for tech help.  The girl I got on the line, after much fussing around, told me I had "too much on my desktop" and had to reformat then computer hard drive!  What the hey?  I had a brand new computer and I had put nothing on the hard drive.  It was all their ads!  

I called again to get another tech person.  They couldn't help me either.  In the meantime, while I was going through the hell of tech help (which is an oxymoron with Dell by the way), I purchased a cheap ($1,100) Gateway computer.  I liked that computer so much (and it worked right out of the box) that I gave away my super, duper Dell to my friend Bob McC. who didn't' have a computer.  All he had to do was pay $100 to have the hard drive reformatted and reinstall the software that came with it.  

Fast forward to last year and I decide to buy a new computer.  My friend Lar had a computer crash around the same time I was looking for a new computer.  He told me he "had it" with the instability of Windows based computers and was going back to a Mac computer which he used to have.  He advised me to also get a Mac.  I checked and decided that I didn't want to pay that much ($1.600) for a 21 inch iMac so I got a Dell Dimension for $1,100.  Yes, I was foolish enough to go back to Dell.  I figured they straightened out their problems by now.  What I didn't take into account was the instability of the Windows Vista operating system.  Mr. Softeee was out to get me again!  

So I buy the Dell over the phone.  By the time the salesman was done with me my bill was $1,600.  Another thing I didn't account for was that Dell has a lot of "extras" that run the bill up.  Mac doesn't. I found out later that Mac's price includes everything.  They don't blindside you with a lot of extras that really should come with the computer.  So I got suckered in again.  I blame myself.

One year later my Dell crashes while my Computer Guy was trying to load my old Palm Pilot software into my new Vista operating system computer.  CRASH!  

That was it. I had enough with Dell.  I had a warranty on the hard drive.  I called and they sent a technician out to replace my hard drive.  My Dell now sits in the basement, unused. I don't trust it or its Windows based operating system anymore.  After you've been screwed several times, you stop bending over and grabbing your ankles.  I had it with Dell, Windows, Vista and Mr. Softee and their endless, annoying upgrades and anti-virus and maleware software that does nothing but slow the computer down to a crawl.  I had it!

Last September I took myself up to Best Buy in Dover and purchased a 27 inch iMac.  My friend Lar said his only regret with his iMac was that he didn't get the big screen.  I took his advice and didn't make that mistake.

Now my only problem with a Mac computer was the new learning curve.  I have to admit, it hasn't been too bad.  I've picked up a lot because Mac computers are much more intuitive that Windows based computer.  Has anyone ever tried an Address Merge function on Vista?  Need I say more?

So, since the time I went the Mac Way, I have learned just enough to send e-mails, store my photos and post my blogs.  I knew there was a lot more to learn.  

A couple of weeks ago my friend Bob C. advised me of his friend Don V. who was willing to teach this old head some new tricks on his iMac.  Don V. has been a happy Mac user for over 20 years.  

Monday he stopped over and he spent an intense four hours in the morning some really cool functions.  One I really like is FaceTime.  This is a function that makes phone calls to another iMac or iPhone user and you can talk face to face by video.  I had the Skype function on my old Gateway but this was much better.  REALLY COOL!

Don called me this morning to see how I was progressing.  He gave me some more tips.  We called our mutual friend Bob C., who is now in Florida, to see if he got the adaption for his Mac laptop computer so the three of us could hook up.  Unfortunately Bob C. spent four frustrating hours in the Tampa Verizon office yesterday with his new 4G setup that didn't work.  The woman in the office told him he had to have Windows on his computer because the 4G wasn't compatible with his Mac laptop.  What the hey?  But that's another blog posting, frustration with Verizon.  I have my own horror stories that would take up several blog postings.  

As you can see from the photos I've posted that Ron is having a grand old time with his New Toy.

Now for the next Toy, an iPhone.  I place my order February 3rd.  

I'll bet I'm the only member of my high school class that is "wired up" this way to the new technology.  I graduated from Downingtown High School in 1959.  I'm putting a call out there now to my former classmates: 

ANY ONE OUT THERE?  

  

I'm Back..............with an iMac!

Monday my Dell computer crashed. 

Tuesday I spiraled into semi-deep depression.

Wednesday I began to climb out of my well of frustration, despair and anger.

Thursday I bought a new iMac computer. 

Friday I moved my Dell computer out of my office and setup my new iMac.

Today I am writing about this Week That Was.

I decided on Wednesday that I would leave the world of Mr. Softee (Bill Gates) and Windows operating systems.  I also decided that I would never buy another Dell computers.  Of the five computers I have owned in my lifetime, three of them were Dells.  Every one of them crashed.  My other two computers were a Tandy (the old Radio brand) and a Gateway computer.  I sold the Tandy and the Gateway computer I am still using. Doesn’t say much for the quality of Dell computers does it?

Thursday morning a Dell technician came by the house and installed a new hard drive on my crashed Dell.

Thursday afternoon Bill and I got in his Jeep for the 39 mile (one way) trip to Dover and Best Buy.  Not for nothing to they call Sussex County Lower Slower Delaware.  Nothing is close down here except for those poor miserable chickens in their wooden cages going to slaughter at the local processing plant.

At Best Buy (after a side trip to Sam’s Club) we were greeted by a slovenly,not too knowledgeable  salesman who was missing his bottom two front teeth (which I had a difficult time not to keep looking at that gap between his other yellow teeth – why is it that the sales clerks in reality never look like the ones in commercials?) 

I eyed up the iMacs and quickly decided that I wanted the 27-inch version.  A good friend of mine purchased an iMac a couple of years ago.  He told me he loves it but if he had to do it over again he would get a bigger screen.  I decided not to make the same mistake and I’m glad I didn’t.  I’m sitting in front of that big screen now and I like it. 

I made the purchase, got the three-year warranty (which I will always do after my experience with my Dell), and also purchased a standard keyboard.  The iMac comes with a wireless keyboard but it is too small for me.  It is the size of a laptop keyboard.  That doesn’t work for me because I type with all ten of my fingers.  Fortunately my Mother insisted I take typing in high school (back in the Fifties when boys didn’t take such “girlish” courses) and I’ve been typing ever since.  With the small laptop keyboard I can’t keep my normal fast typing speed. 

Yesterday afternoon and into the night I was glued to my iMac learning the new system.  I still don’t know how to set the mail up.  I’m not pleased with the built in speakers.  I need a sub-woofer for that deep bass boom-boom for my music.  I plan to buy the Bose speakers that area available for the iMac.  Then I should be set for life.

Now my next job is to try and recover the files that I had backed up daily on my Maxtor external hard drive.  I’ll have to load the Maxtor software into my refurbished Dell and go through the process of restoring those files.  I don’t think I can restore those files directly to my new iMac because it is a different operating system.  I’ll restore them to the Dell and then copy the files (mostly my digital pictures) and move them to my iMac.

I have my work cut out for me the next few weeks.  I hope my old brain can handle it.