A love-hate relationship
I was a Luddite back in the ’80s–totally attached to my IBM Selectric typewriter (which I had reluctantly adopted a few years earlier, when I let go of my Royal manual). Iresisted adopting a computer to do my word processing. But once it was installed and I tried it, I have to admit I loved it. It changed my work life–at least the writing part of it.
Now, my lap top, which I use when I’m away from the station, appears to be dying. I say “appears” because the tech gurus here–Bill “the computer geek” Haenel and Radio “the hardware geek” Bob–cannot make my computer behave badly. You know what I mean. You’ve made an appointment with the dentist or doctor or car repair guy and the symptoms (body or car) mysteriously disappear.
Tonight, I will take the lap top home–one more time–to try to make it freeze up. Meanwhile, Bill is having me check out new models. I think there’s a bit of the Luddite left in me:
Why won't my lap top show its symptoms?
Tell me your computer horror story. Maybe I’ll go back to the Selectric.
Ellen,
I think you would agree with me on this point. I am glad I learned to use a typewriter before I started using a computer. I guess the same could be said about learning to write with a pen (cursive) and learning math before calculators.
That said, computers are both wonderful and insane.
Late last year I bought a Windows 7 64 bit laptop because my XP was becoming very slow. Seemed like a good idea at the time. I use my computer for my job as a reporter and sometimes use it when I need to edit the paper.
No problem expect when editing the paper.
Problem is – to connect with the main office server which is in love with Mac’s, I need to connect using VPN Client to drop stories in for the paper to be printed. But….VPN Client doesn’t work with 64 bit.
So – thank god I didn’t trash or sell my XP – I still have to use the slow XP to drop stories in for the paper to print.
I really wish Macs and PCs would stop arguing and talk to each other.
Your last sentence definitely pushed a key button for me. I have been ranting for years about the inability of various “brands” of technology to talk to each other–whether it’s computer related or the tv (how many remote controls do you have to use to switch from tv to dvd) or cameras or you name it…The worst may be the cell phone: every brand has it’s own power cord. Give me a break. Simplify. Simplify. Simplify.