Rain and More...

Greetings from dark and rainy Florida where I sit hunched over an old HP laptop. Purchased in late 2015, it too is considered vintage now and contains virtually no software, including Word which I bought with it but which the vendor apparently never installed.It will go with me to a well known big box store tomorrow to see what can be done to sustain its utility while I ponder whether to spend a hefty sum on another Apple product..

Apple stopped making parts for my original desktop about three years ago and will shortly cease servicing it altogether. According to their representatives, Apple does this with every product in its inventory. The goal here is to keep people spending, though they would not admit that.

I've had computers since 1989 when I was gifted an SE. That lasted until 1998 when I appropriated a custom-built PC originally purchased by my mother. This was subsequently replaced by a Dell which lasted seven years until getting my iIMac in 2011. Four computers in thirty years means they've lasted much longer than their respective manufacturers likely intended.

Unlike many, I am generally not an early adopter when it comes to new technology unless it serves a purpose. In my working life, I was surrounded by it and expected to be up to date so that I could best help students or their faculty.and since I wasn't footing the bill, that was fine. Prior to my adventures in library science, I utilized libraries as a busy freelance writer or editor, generally researching for a client.

At home, however, practicality reigns. My dollars expended must stretch since I am retired. Though bells and whistles figuratively appeal, they must match my usage and needs. I do not have a television,  a sound system, a Smartphone, a car, a tablet or other techie items people seem to think everyone needs. My computer, a gifted Kindle and an old boom box are it. This is pretty pared down and likely to remain so. I read, stream movies and watch DVDs, listen to music, write and blog from a computer.

For the few days it took to get this dinosaur of a PC up and running, I was not bored, scared, lonely or freaked out. I did not die a sudden death without Facebook or Gmail  The relative quiet was a wonderful antidote to our sped up existence and something current research says our brains need.

How much time do you spend off screen?

Cheers!

Solitude, Anyone?

There is nothing like a little enforced solitude to heighten one's appreciation of quiet. I've begun this practice just as my aging computer has begun to fade. The screen goes out for no apparent reason rendering online tasks impossible.

The upshot of course is that I cannot then scroll through endless e-mails, submit blog posts or save anything pertaining to my life online. After some time on the phone with a support technician, I apparently have a hard drive problem which may or may not have been resolved. Further diagnostics are necessary and Apple now considers this a vintage computer and will probably refer me elsewhere for needed repair.

What I've noticed, however, since returning to this post is that my screen is staying lit and I am able to type and read without any problem. As this is a holiday weekend and I must arrange transport for myself and a large desktop. This means a willing friend and sometime next week when both of us have a window of time to go across town.

The support person was not familiar with the error code generated, so, with everything at least temporarily working as it should, I'm not sure I should do anything other than contact the nearest store and ask what the code means if anyone there is familiar with it.

Ever had a fading screen that goes to black?

Happy fourth, everyone...