Last Tuesday my computer seized up
and died. The young man at our local computer
shop, Streetwise, was confident he’d be able to fix it, just a soft wear problem
he said, but as the days passed the story developed first from a soft wear problem
to one of irretrievable decay.
and died. The young man at our local computer
shop, Streetwise, was confident he’d be able to fix it, just a soft wear problem
he said, but as the days passed the story developed first from a soft wear problem
to one of irretrievable decay.
We bought a new computer and the
Streetwise fellow offered – for a price – to install my old data, which we had
saved onto a backup disk, as all sensible people do. The Streetwise chap had hoped to be able to save
it from the original damaged hard drive but no such luck.
Streetwise fellow offered – for a price – to install my old data, which we had
saved onto a backup disk, as all sensible people do. The Streetwise chap had hoped to be able to save
it from the original damaged hard drive but no such luck.
Then the back up drive only coughed
up data to 2011, the rest is not there.
A problem with the way the back up disk was connected to our computer
via Time Zone or some such guff. And so
we needed to take the damaged hard drive to a fellow in St Kilda Road who
retrieves lost data, again for a price.
up data to 2011, the rest is not there.
A problem with the way the back up disk was connected to our computer
via Time Zone or some such guff. And so
we needed to take the damaged hard drive to a fellow in St Kilda Road who
retrieves lost data, again for a price.
He’s confident, this second fellow
tells me, that he can retrieve my data.
For $440.00 economy, it will take approximately ten days; for $900 priority, he’ll need four to five days, or for emergency, he can retrieve it all in
one to two days for $1200.00. Despite my
desire to have my data back now, right now, I opted for economy. I can wait.
tells me, that he can retrieve my data.
For $440.00 economy, it will take approximately ten days; for $900 priority, he’ll need four to five days, or for emergency, he can retrieve it all in
one to two days for $1200.00. Despite my
desire to have my data back now, right now, I opted for economy. I can wait.
But to wait, when it feels as though
half of my life is on ice. I exaggerate,
but this business of losing my data has unhinged me.
half of my life is on ice. I exaggerate,
but this business of losing my data has unhinged me.
Strange dreams in which I move
house with two of my children as youngsters and the place, filled with many
rooms – a mansion of a place – is chaotic.
No matter how hard I try to tidy, the kids drag toys out from everywhere
and I cannot get my house into order.
house with two of my children as youngsters and the place, filled with many
rooms – a mansion of a place – is chaotic.
No matter how hard I try to tidy, the kids drag toys out from everywhere
and I cannot get my house into order.
A new computer is one thing, a fun
thing you might say, but for me it’s cruel the time it has taken to get my new
computer running and all of this dependency on the genius of my children, who
are au fait with the lingo and all things computers, is debilitating.
thing you might say, but for me it’s cruel the time it has taken to get my new
computer running and all of this dependency on the genius of my children, who
are au fait with the lingo and all things computers, is debilitating.
I bought an IMAC but did not
realise I needed Microsoft office until I made another visit to Streetwise. Until then almost nothing would run, and then another visit later, this time to
Office Works because Streetwise had closed by then, to get a new separate disc drive
because the newest computers are slim and lighter to carry than their
predecessors and in line with the view that one day soon DVDs will disappear altogether
as Videos did before them, the new computers no longer have the capacity to
insert discs.
realise I needed Microsoft office until I made another visit to Streetwise. Until then almost nothing would run, and then another visit later, this time to
Office Works because Streetwise had closed by then, to get a new separate disc drive
because the newest computers are slim and lighter to carry than their
predecessors and in line with the view that one day soon DVDs will disappear altogether
as Videos did before them, the new computers no longer have the capacity to
insert discs.
I sound like a luddite or an ancient
person who cannot bear change.
person who cannot bear change.
I had resisted up grading my computer
for this reason. My computer was eight years old,
they tell me, a good long life for a hard drive.
for this reason. My computer was eight years old,
they tell me, a good long life for a hard drive.
It seems computers do not live as
long as pets. Hard drives are destined to fail sooner or later, they tell me. Human error and the limitations of all things mechanical.
long as pets. Hard drives are destined to fail sooner or later, they tell me. Human error and the limitations of all things mechanical.
Inbuilt redundancy, I reckon. It enrages me and adds
to the stockpile of junk, unless we can recycle. And all this new stuff to
learn again.
to the stockpile of junk, unless we can recycle. And all this new stuff to
learn again.
But then I tell myself, it’s
character building, the re-learning that is, not the accumulation of junk.
character building, the re-learning that is, not the accumulation of junk.
