Greenlee Gazette Gets New Computer

After all day driving around, buying a computer, bringing it home, realizing I needed parts, going out again, coming back, realizing my old router needed replacing, going out, coming back. . . I'm finally done! Well, done, until I realize I'm missing a program or something.

The new computer is a Dell Inspiron with an Intel Core i5 processor and a 24" monitor. All very cool. As always--even though I'm a veteran PC guru--there were ample headches along the way. Primary among them was just the sorting out of the spaghetti wires, and cleaning the desk area, above and below. Then putting it back. The wires are slightly fewer with a wireless mouse and keyboard, but it's still a nest.

So far--after replacing my ancient router--I've had a pretty smooth time of it. The monitor is massive. The computer is quick in everything it does, so far. The new computer accepted my old hard drive and a Light Scribe DVD burner without complaint (though I did have to run out for longer internal cables). I moved all of my music--12,000 files or more--in a matter of minutes from the old drive to the new.

The only thing I have to complain about is the long, tiring day, and the $800 bill! Also, it will be a long time before I buy another Hewlett-Packard computer.

Blogging again hopefully sometime Sunday. Good night!

Computer Woes: A PC Bites the Dust

My first computer. Wherever it is, it
probably still works.

I've had nine personal computers, from a Commodore 64 in 1982, to a 386DX off-brand, a Packard Bell Pentium I, a Sony Vaio Pentium III, a Hewlett-Packard Pentium 4, a Dell Pentium 4HT, an HP Core 2 Duo, and two laptops, a Dell Celeron and an Apple PowerMac G4 15 (which I'm using now).

And I'm probably going to have to get my 10th tomorrow. My Core 2 Duo machine promptly died today, while I was away from my desk. No snap, crackle or pop. No poof, or puff of smoke. It just wasn't showing a picture anymore, and the keyboard didn't work.

My doorstop dead computer.

Nothing I've tried helps, and The Geek Squad, via telephone, thinks it's the Motherboard. So, I'm rightly pissed that my HP didn't quite make it to three years of service, and will probably be more efficient to replace than to repair.

The long and short of it is, along with social obligations, I'm going to be very busy for the rest of the weekend, and likely won't be posting much.

Incidentally, not counting the dead one, we have four computers in the house (The Other Half's desktop, my Mac notebook, the unused Celeron, and the "spare" HP Pentium 4 in the closet). All are older--some by a lot--but all are functional. The one in the worst state of repair? The other Hewlett-Packard.

Computer Woes: New Hewlett Packard Croaks

Well, my shiny new (as of 6 months ago) Hewlett-Packard computer blew a gasket this weekend. Or, more precisely, it blew its power supply. It's been randomly restarting of late, but I thought that had something to do with downloading the pre-release of Windows 7. So, Bill Gates can relax, as I won't be sending him an angry letter. Yet.

But HP might not be so lucky. Seriously, WTF? It is true that I rarely shut my computer off, preferring to have it ready when I'm ready to use it. But six months? We used to leave the computers at the bank I worked at on 24/7, and those were 1987 IBM PS/2s! This is the second PC I've owned from HP, and this is the second power supply burn-out as well. Now, I probably could have it fixed for free, since I'm still under warranty. But what a pain in the ass. I know how to change a power supply, and they're inexpensive, so I'll fix it myself.

Trouble is, I broke the power supply connector to the hard drive when unplugging it. I say I broke it, but it must have already been cracked, given I did nothing that should have broken it. So, we drove over to Fry's Electronics, only to find that they close at 7 pm on Sundays, something they don't put on their web site. Poop. So, until after work--assuming all goes well--I'll be using our inferior but serviceable Dell notebook computer, which has never had a power supply issue.

Windows XP: Not Dead Yet!

Microsoft's popular Windows XP operating system has been out for years and years, and would ordinarily be considered obsolete. Remember how stale Windows 95, Windows 98 and especially Windows Me looked after the new versions came out? That is what should have happened to Windows XP when Microsoft introduced Windows Vista.

Vista is a glossy, slick, attractive operating system, though I suppose it isn't as awe- (and cult-) inspiring as the Mac's. But Vista has been plagued with problems. I haven't experienced them, so I can't write from personal knowledge. We still have XP on our home computers, on all of our work computers. . .excepting two laptops, one at work and one at home. Those systems are secondary. . .only used on occasion. So no problems yet.

Microsoft is putting Windows XP out to pasture in June, probably in the hope that more people (like me) will make the switch. But it looks like some of the computer manufacturers have found a loophole that will let them keep selling XP machines to their customers who want them.

[Excerpt]

PC makers find ways to extend XP's life

Facing a June 30 deadline to stop selling PCs with Windows XP, the world's largest computer makers are getting creative.

Taking advantage of the "downgrade rights" offered as part of the Windows Vista license agreement, Hewlett-Packard and Dell both plan to offer machines loaded with XP well beyond June. . .

Read more at: CNet