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My six-year-old computer died last week. It happened suddenly without warning. I immediately unplugged my backup drive so it wouldn’t be corrupted and ran to the computer store to see if it could be revived. For a hefty fee I was assured I’d be up and running in no time. But . . . did I want to spend a lot of money on a six-year-old computer? I came home to think about it. I was given a tour of all the shiny new computers for sale and liked quite a few of them. Yet, I just didn’t like the idea of going through the whole “new computer” thing. I drove home then walked around the house all afternoon and took a long walk with the dogs and decided I had to bite the bullet and just get a new computer. I called family and friends for opinions and recommendations, and called the computer tech I had worked with for more information. Because I didn’t have a computer I was unable to do my customary ten hours of computer research. By this time my skin was beginning to crawl so I made the decision. A new computer.
I’m writing this on the new computer and I’m making so many mistakes that at first I thought I would keep them all in to prove my point but I decided that wasn’t very professional. Though the software I’m using is the same brand I’ve used for decades (yes, decades) it is six years newer than what was on the old computer. Huge learning curve.
I had a blog prepared for posting but it’s still on the old computer waiting for the transfer appointment. I have always transferred my own data over the years when getting new computers but in this instance I have two different operating systems and the old one no longer displays anything. It is beyond my limited capabilities. My backup drive is not compatible with my new computer so I can’t just plug it in and select files. Basically, my new computer has nothing on it except all the fun little bundled gadgets and programs it came with. And it’s pretty and a lot faster.My other computer has three finished novels, two published and one about to be published, a fourth novel in draft stage, 20,000 photographs spanning 100 years of my family and friends, 32 slideshows set to music of the era in which the photos were taken of special family events and retirements and birthdays and holidays, home movies, my checking account going back six years, lots of programs that will not be compatible with this computer, tax records, 553 CD albums I have collected for years that took me several months placing in my computer music library (every day) so that I could sync it with my portable digital player for endless hours of music with playlists I made, my contacts/addresses spanning my entire life, my cell phone syncing software that I can’t find, my scrapbook software, and six years of hard work. I don’t just use a computer, I live it.
Since I don’t have any of my files from the old computer I have spent the last few days playing with this one and I’m enjoying it but I’m also frustrated. Once my files are transferred I will have organizational issues galore and I’m quite sure some things will not transfer the way I want them to. So this week’s blog is short and I’m done. I had hoped to post “Vampires and Werewolves” yesterday but that isn’t nearly as scary as what I’m facing. It bites.[No part of this content may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author. Blog series began in March 2009.]
