Learning and Growing


-- My dysfunctional relationship with my new computer

I swear, if I hadn't built this computer with my own two hands I would tell you it was adopted. It isn't a bad computer at all, I can see its potential. It has cool temperature gauges, and it dutifully goes through every install I throw at it. I mean, it doesn't always succeed, sometimes we only get as far as the login screen before I dash its little hopes and wipe it clean.

Seriously though, this has got to be the quirkiest computer I have ever owned by far. My cousin john had a machine that would run for days as long as three of the case screws were removed, but barring that, this computer takes the cake. For one thing, you can't just "turn it on." You have to enter in a three digit code before the thing starts up, for security reasons I guess. Also, there was this tiny little thing near the bottom of the case with a label that said "remove label" and like an idiot I thought that meant that I should remove the label. Maybe they fixed the typo in later versions of the case so that label says "remove label if you never want to open your case again, ever" because the label was holding down an innocent looking magnet that exerts a tiny amount of pressure on exactly the right place to keep someone from taking off the business side of the case. well, anyone not willing to get out a screwdriver and a piece of wood and do whatever it takes to open up the fucking case that he just bought that day and teach it a little lesson in cooperation.

Things are progressing though, and someday this computer might very well be a productive member of the internet, but for now it is still in need of nurturing. Screwdriver-and-piece-of-wood nurturing if it comes to that. Again.

Posted: Sun - February 22, 2004 at 10:08 AM          

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