Computers are so frustrating even for those who once knew a little about them (i. e., me). A month and a half ago I posted an article titled “Apples verses Oranges”. In it I sought the wisdom of the masses on the virtues of the Apple computers (Macs) verses Microsoft computers (oranges). I requested any and all readers to shower me with their experiences regarding computing. Only a small (read very, very, itsy bitsy, teeny weeny tiny) portion of the masses actually read my blogs – or even know about them. But one of them did respond (thank you, Sari). Actually, that could have been as much as half my readership (I know my wife reads my blogs – if I beg her to enough times). So I guess that may have been a pretty good response – percentage wise.
My original interest in writing the article was for the future. Someday I might decide to move to an Apple from the MS-DOS system I’ve been using. Always concerned about the higher cost of an Apple I really didn’t expect to make any changes soon. Still, my computer was getting slower and slower. Then it quit!
On Monday, the 22nd of February (in the wee hours of the morning when Margaret was too tired to realize what was going on) I got her to approve a blog titled “Who’s the Boss?” I then posted it before she could change her mind. When I awoke in the morning, as usual, I checked my email. As I was finishing checking it I received an on screen notice that Windows was about to reboot as it had been processing some automatic upgrades. I pressed the “reboot now” button and waited. I could still be waiting. It left town and never came back. Was this punishment for the blog article?
The error message was something about a device not allowing Windows to boot. So I disconnected every external device from the computer except the monitor and keyboard. Kinda needed those, I figured. And, besides, they seemed to be working. No help. Then I even swapped keyboards and used a different USB port. Still zilch.
A very useful program I have is called Checkit PE. It will check out the hardware: memory, hard drives, video cards, main board circuitry, etc. I gave that a try and discovered a bad spot on my hard drive. Then I ran Spinrite, a program that will, sometimes, clean up bad spots. Spinrite found the same bad spot and told me it was SO bad that it was unrecoverable.
One of my most consistent characteristics is that I am a procrastinator. One of the first articles I planned to write was about procrastination. And someday I’ll get around to it. That characteristic is what keeps me from making backups on a regular (or even irregular) basis. So, of course, I had none. Not only that, but I have no idea where the recovery disc that I made when I first set up this computer has disappeared to.
What to do? I went back to my “Apples verses Oranges” article and reread the comment sent by my loyal reader, Sari. OK, it could be that that is the only article of mine she’s read. At least she commented.
My options appeared to be 1) buy a new hard drive and a new copy of Windows. It would have to be Windows 7 as Vista is no longer in the stores. Or 2) buy a new Apple (Mac) computer. The new drive and Windows would obviously be the cheaper way to go. But perhaps a new Apple would spare me future pain.
It seemed to me that with the lack of numerous responses to my quest for help, perhaps I should directly ask those in the know. Computer experts. So I did. From those who own Macs, the answer came that ‘Macs are the greatest thing since sliced bread’. From those who do not, the answer was ’stay away from Macs’. Well THAT was a lot of help!
While making a desperate search for the missing OS recovery disc, I ran across a disc labeled: “Ubuntu 7.10 Desktop ver. i386 October 2007 Gutsy Gibbon.” It sounded like a story of an Aborigine from deep in Australia and a wild adventurer from the silent movie era. But it wasn’t. It was (and is) a disc with a version of Linux – a third choice in the mysterious world of computers. A banana. It was given to me some time ago – probably around or after October of 2007 (just a guess).
Mathue and Scott (two men related to me by marriage) both talk about Linux from time to time. But I guess I just tuned them out most of the time just like Margaret (a woman related to me by marriage) tunes me out when I talk technobable. Mat and Scott’s technobable is a higher level of TB than mine. In other words, I don’t understand them (or Linux).
Linux, of which Ubuntu is a version of (don’t ask about Gutsy Gibbons – please), is supposedly the best of two worlds. It has the security of Apple and the cost of Orange, uh, that would be Mac and Microsoft, respectively. Actually, it is MUCH cheaper than Microsoft because it is free. That’s right. I said “free”. So how, I wondered, could anyone (including yours truly) pass up this option – the banana.
So now I have the banana. That is to say I have a new hard drive with the Ubunto v9.10 installed. This version is known as Karmic Koala. (Still in Australia, I see.) And I like it. Usually. There are only four or five hundred things it does not do (or I don’t yet understand how to make them happen).
Enough of this, it is driving me nuts. I’ll write more on this adventure in the future but for now I’ll take a break. I know, I’ll go to the Outback and find Gusty Gibbons and save him from that Ubuntu tribe. I hope Gusty’s been nice to the Karmic Koalas.
I’ll grab a banana on my way out.