The Devil Box and The Laptop
My officemates have all of a sudden gotten religion, and decided that it was time that we went broadband. For those of you not computer savvy, that means fast internet service, not the Sweet Sue’s Society Syncopators All Girl Band from Some Like It Hot. Words like wireless cards, servers, security codes, and routers (pronounced like the word Ouch) have entered the lexicon. Of course, I have been sitting with a dial up modem for a number of years just waiting for these guys and gals to come to their senses and realize how much time we spend downloading online stuff, but I digress. The long and the short of it is I had to buy a new computer for my office.
As I write this, my wife has left town and my son has left the house, both seeking shelter from the stormy blast of my computer buying. $2,000.00 and 15 hours later of attempting to set the dang thing up , I am right back where I started. I'm not sure, but I think I was intimate with the service guys from Circuit City and Armstrong Cable. I mean, who knew that you could call the Armstrong Cable internet guy at 10:00 at night and keep him on the phone until midnight…AND…simultaneously buy Ethernet cards from Wal Mart’s. I think it is illegal. Notwithstanding, the computer baby was returned to Circuit City this morning. I think Zsa Zsa Gabor’s husband was the father. I want a DNA test.
The problem started when I let the Circuit City guys talk me out of a laptop, which I really wanted, and into buying a more powerful desktop, which my wife really, really didn’t want because she really, really hates wires. But it looked good, and no interest for 12 months, and I had a credit card. What the hey!!! I had them install a wireless card, and I was out the door. I would use this sparkling new one at home and take my old home laptop to the office. One small problem, the new one didn’t work.
The electric plug kept falling out of the monitor. The Ethernet connection refused to connect from my broadband modem to the computer. Some red warning signal kept flashing when the computer booted up. No sound would come out of the integrated monitor’s speakers. The Armstrong guy kept installing and uninstalling drivers. The instruction booklet was no help at all. And Vista, the new Windows Operating System, was just plain….well, you know. It wasn’t a pretty picture.
I started to put this thing together at 3:00 in the afternoon, and at 2:00 AM, I quit. At 10:00 this morning, I opened the doors at Circuit City, and told Bryan, Chuck, Matt and Sean (none of whom are old enough to vote) what they could do with this computer. But…there is good news tonight. The laptop that I originally wanted went on sale today, and Circuit City, to its great credit, took the devil box back, and exchanged it for the laptop in what turned out to be an even exchange.
Truth be told, after I got home, on my desk I found a wrapped additional cord and bracket that was supposed to be attached to the monitor. It took me about 10 seconds to realize it was a sound cord that needed to go from the computer to the monitor’s speakers. And the problem with the Ethernet cable connection most likely rests, although I can’t be sure, with the hillbilly contractors Armstrong sent to install my broadband modem 2 years ago. These guys crashed my laptop and walked out of the house saying it was Armstrong’s problem. Last night it quickly became clear while talking to Jake, the cable guy, that the hillbillies used the wrong kind of cord to hook up my cable modem. Armstong is coming to my house between noon and four on Monday to undo the damage.
I want to give serious kudos to Circuit City for its cooperation in exchanging computers. But next time, I think I will buy an Olivetti Underwood typewriter.
As I write this, my wife has left town and my son has left the house, both seeking shelter from the stormy blast of my computer buying. $2,000.00 and 15 hours later of attempting to set the dang thing up , I am right back where I started. I'm not sure, but I think I was intimate with the service guys from Circuit City and Armstrong Cable. I mean, who knew that you could call the Armstrong Cable internet guy at 10:00 at night and keep him on the phone until midnight…AND…simultaneously buy Ethernet cards from Wal Mart’s. I think it is illegal. Notwithstanding, the computer baby was returned to Circuit City this morning. I think Zsa Zsa Gabor’s husband was the father. I want a DNA test.
The problem started when I let the Circuit City guys talk me out of a laptop, which I really wanted, and into buying a more powerful desktop, which my wife really, really didn’t want because she really, really hates wires. But it looked good, and no interest for 12 months, and I had a credit card. What the hey!!! I had them install a wireless card, and I was out the door. I would use this sparkling new one at home and take my old home laptop to the office. One small problem, the new one didn’t work.
The electric plug kept falling out of the monitor. The Ethernet connection refused to connect from my broadband modem to the computer. Some red warning signal kept flashing when the computer booted up. No sound would come out of the integrated monitor’s speakers. The Armstrong guy kept installing and uninstalling drivers. The instruction booklet was no help at all. And Vista, the new Windows Operating System, was just plain….well, you know. It wasn’t a pretty picture.
I started to put this thing together at 3:00 in the afternoon, and at 2:00 AM, I quit. At 10:00 this morning, I opened the doors at Circuit City, and told Bryan, Chuck, Matt and Sean (none of whom are old enough to vote) what they could do with this computer. But…there is good news tonight. The laptop that I originally wanted went on sale today, and Circuit City, to its great credit, took the devil box back, and exchanged it for the laptop in what turned out to be an even exchange.
Truth be told, after I got home, on my desk I found a wrapped additional cord and bracket that was supposed to be attached to the monitor. It took me about 10 seconds to realize it was a sound cord that needed to go from the computer to the monitor’s speakers. And the problem with the Ethernet cable connection most likely rests, although I can’t be sure, with the hillbilly contractors Armstrong sent to install my broadband modem 2 years ago. These guys crashed my laptop and walked out of the house saying it was Armstrong’s problem. Last night it quickly became clear while talking to Jake, the cable guy, that the hillbillies used the wrong kind of cord to hook up my cable modem. Armstong is coming to my house between noon and four on Monday to undo the damage.
I want to give serious kudos to Circuit City for its cooperation in exchanging computers. But next time, I think I will buy an Olivetti Underwood typewriter.
Comments
I could really feel your pain when I was reading this blog! I am driven crazy at times because of my computer. I have owned three laptops so far, and have spent thousands on them, and gurus to help set them up, fix them, etc. I often wonder if I was a happier woman before I discovered "e-mail."
SK