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.  

Computer Crashes

My computer crashed this afternoon. It crashed while my Computer Guy was working on installing my Palm Pilot software on my Dell computer with a Vista operating system.

I purchased a Dell Inspiron 518 computer in December of 2008. I quickly discovered that I could not transfer some of my software programs from my Gateway computer with Windows XP to the Vista operating system of my new Dell computer.



Several times throughout the past year and a half I have had my Computer Guy working on the problem. He thought the problem was finally solved and all I needed was a Bluetooth adaptor. That I got and that is why he stopped over today. But, as it turned out my Palm Pilot is apparently not equipped with Bluetooth. He said he thought it had an infra red system (whatever that is.)



He was trying different approaches to making the Palm software working on my Dell computer when we noticed the computer got hung up. We rebooted the computer. We got the Black Screen of Death and this message in white text:



“Notice – Hard Drive Self Monitoring System has reported that a parameter has exceeded it normal operating range. Dell recommends that you back up your data regularly (which I do with a Maxtor hard drive.) A parameter out of range may or may not indicate a potential hard drive problem."


Press F1 to continue, F2 to enter SETUP.


He didn’t know what this message meant and I certainly didn’t either. This was the first time I’ve seen this message.



After several more exercises in turning off the computer to get it to boot up again, we received the message every computer user dreads:



HARD-DISK DRIVE FAILURE



My Computer Guy tried to get the computer into a safe mode but even that wouldn’t work.



He suggested that I call Dell. Here we go. I knew I was in for a torturous afternoon of frustration and I wasn’t disappointed.



After going through all the menu options on the phone I finally get a life person. Her name is “Monica”. Uh huh. Sure. “Monica” had an Indian accent and sounded like she was talking from the bottom of a well. As I said before, here we go.





“Monica” directed me through a series of tests. I kept coming back to the same error message. After an hour and a half of tests “Monica” asked if she could put me on hold.



“Monica” comes back on the phone and tells me that since my warranty is still effective (thank God I got that warranty) that they will replace my hard drive. First she tells me that they will send me a whole new tower with all the software installed just the way it was when I purchased the computer a year and a half ago. Then she calls me back and tells me that they will only be sending me a hard drive replacement but they will send a technician to install it for me. That is a blessing because I’m not the technical type.



So here I am now on my 9 year old Gateway computer. Now here is what is interesting. I purchased this Gateway computer in February of 2001 after my brand new Dell computer failed. That’s right. I had just purchased a $2,500 Dell computer and I couldn’t turn it off. Every time I turned it off it came back on itself. I called Dell and I was told I had “too much on the start up function.”  Say what? It’s a brand new computer. I didn’t put anything on the startup.



I wrestled with Dell and their Help line for about a week with that computer. While I was trying to resolve that problem I purchased a “cheap” Gateway computer for $1,000. I began using that Gateway computer. That is the computer I’m on now. In fact I became so comfortable with that Gateway computer that I gave my Dell computer to a good friend and he had the drive reformatted and purchased operating system software from Staples.

In December of 2008 I thought I should get a new computer because I didn’t know how long my Gateway computer would last. It was already seven years old. Most computers only last about three years. My previous computer was also a Dell. I purchased that one back in 1994 for $4,000. That one only lasted three year before it crashed.



So the obvious question is “Why did I buy another Dell when I already had two that crashed?” The answer is: I’M STUPID. Or, I’m a GLUTTON FOR PUNISHMENT. I AM A CLOWN.

What is even more frustrating was the Dell computer that I purchased in 2001 had the Windows Me operating system. That’s right, I was fortunate enough to buy new Dell computers both with the worst Microsoft operating systems in the history of Microsoft. Yes, I purchased Dell computer with Windows Me and Vista. Man oh man, if I only knew.



So now I wait “three to five business days” for my replacement hard drive to be delivered to my front door. Now why is it that I have this queasy feeling in the pit of my stomach? Could it be that I have lost all faith in Dell? Long ago I lost faith in Microsoft.

I should have done what my friend of lo these many years did and bought an iMac. That’s what he did when his computer crashed with a virus that the Microsoft system was unable to stop. Yes, I should’ve listened to him.



Guess what my next computer is going to be? That’s right Virginia, an iMac.

Back up and Running

My computer is back. No, it wasn't a hard drive failure. However, something happened that corrupted my registry. According to Tom (my Computer Guy), the registry is the brains or central core of the computer. If that doesn't work, the computer can't even get started. What corrupted my registry? I suspect it had something to do with me uninstalling and reinstalling my Canon photo software. I couldn't upload my images. After uninstalling and reinstalling the Canon software, I still could not upload my images. Then, perhaps my fatal mistake, I restored my computer to an earlier time. That's when I really had a problem. I got the Blue Screen of Death. Shortly after that I got an error message (which I can't remember the exact text now) that said I had a defective something or other. That effectively stopped my computer from working. It was now time to call in the Heavy Gun, Tom the Computer Guy. He came in the next day, couldn't find immediately what the problem was and asked to take my computer home with him to study it further. The next day he called with "good news and bad news." Don't you just hate those "good news, bad news" messages? I do! Well, the "good news" was that I didn't lose my data files. The bad news was that I would have to reload a lot of software. So, that is where I stand now. Most of the software has been reloaded and everything seems to be working fine except one very important factor. I still can't upload pictures from my Canon digital camera. If you know me, you know how important my pictures are to me and to my daily blog. So, you, the readers of this blog will have to view older pictures until I get this problem straightened out. Tom won't be able to get back to me today, he and his partner are going to a Black and White Ball in Rehoboth Beach tonight. I left a message for him. I hope he can stop over tomorrow and help me with my photo software so I can upload my current pictures. I have some good ones. In the meantime, I'll post older photos that may or may not be appropriate to the current blog that I am posting. This near disaster was a Wake Up Call for me though. I'm going to back up my important files right now. God always has a plan. By the way, the picture on this blog has nothing to do with anything other than it was taken BC. That's not "Before Christ" but "Before Computers." Notice the lack of gray hair. This photo was an old ID picture taken when I worked at Girard Bank in Philadelphia around 1972 - before the advent of the COMPUTER!

Day Two of the Crash

This is the second day of my computer's hard drive crash. Tom, my Computer Guy, took my computer's tower yesterday. I haven't heard from him since. I put a call in to him today and left him a voice mail. I think it's time for a new computer. The computer that crashed was a Gateway that I purchses in 2001. It's been a good computer. I have absolutely no complaints about it. It's lasted a good long time. In fact, I have known I've been living on borrowed time with this computer. My previous computers only lasted three years before they crashed. I'm now shopping for a new computer. My head is swimming with all the choices. Basically, all I want is a fast computer that for my photo collection, genealogy records, e-mail and using the Internet to pay bills and searches. I don't do games so I wouldn't need one of those space shuttle computers. I've used Dell before but have been disappointed with the quality of their computers and their customer service. I keep hearing that I don't want a computer with Vista. Decisions, decisions. Maybe Tom will call and all will be alright with my old computer so I won't have to make this decision. Maybe not.