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Computer Crash
Jan. 5th, 2011 11:59 pmWednesday night at work, I didn't update to LJ or watch the DVD of Milk that I received from Netflix, both for the same reason; my Acer laptop crashed.
Computer crashes are kind of like the death of a pet or a head cold, in that they are horrific, soul-destroying moments of suffering for the victim alone and nobody else. The rest of the world, no matter how sympathetic, doesn't appreciate the torment until they are suffering it themselves. "It's just an old cat," people think when somebody calls in sick because they're beloved companion of 15 years has just died in their arms. Or, "it's just a cold," as the victim lays awake every night for a week, suffocating in mucus and phlegm, praying for just one deep, clear, life-giving breath.
And a computer crash? To others the event is no more than an electronic box that has stopped working, but when you're the sufferer, it's the amputation of your digital sense organ, and the silencing of your digital voice. The world becomes a terrifying unknown as you stumble into it as blind deaf-mutes. When does the bus come? Is Yogi Bear a good movie? Do I really know how to spell "phlegm?" What are my friends doing? What's the current weather? What's the perfect method for hard-boiling an egg?
What if I'm doing it wrong?
My pain was somewhat relieved by the back-up of all my documents I did only last week. I haven't lost any data at all. Even still, my computer's crash is a rough blow. I don't have a DVD or Blu-ray player attached to my TV, so my DVD from Netflix is going to languish, unwatched, wasting money, until...who knows when.
And then there is the repair/purchase gamble. Do I take it to a computer guy? Is that a waste of money I'll have to spend on buying a new computer anyway?
And I don't want a new computer. I don't want to do the research, cross-referencing the best possible configuration with the best possible reviews and the best possible price, so I can make sure I'm making the best possible purchase at the best possible moment. I don't want to boot up a new computer, only to spend several hours removing bloatware, loading updates, and reacquiring my favorite programs and settings. I don't want to, goddamn it! My Acer computer was only two and a half years old! It was too young to die!
"Hey Christina," one or two of you might be saying by now, "I can't help but notice that you wrote this post, which must mean you have a computer somewhere. It can't be too bad."
Well, you're right. I do have a Samsung netbook that I bought somewhat impulsively as a backup six months ago, when the Acer had a bought of strange behavior. I dusted the Samsung off and spent - no shit - three hours downloading and installing updates, before I could get securely up and running on the internet.
But my Samsung netbook, for all its pluck, just isn't the same as my fully mature Acer. I want my Acer...
Computer crashes are kind of like the death of a pet or a head cold, in that they are horrific, soul-destroying moments of suffering for the victim alone and nobody else. The rest of the world, no matter how sympathetic, doesn't appreciate the torment until they are suffering it themselves. "It's just an old cat," people think when somebody calls in sick because they're beloved companion of 15 years has just died in their arms. Or, "it's just a cold," as the victim lays awake every night for a week, suffocating in mucus and phlegm, praying for just one deep, clear, life-giving breath.
And a computer crash? To others the event is no more than an electronic box that has stopped working, but when you're the sufferer, it's the amputation of your digital sense organ, and the silencing of your digital voice. The world becomes a terrifying unknown as you stumble into it as blind deaf-mutes. When does the bus come? Is Yogi Bear a good movie? Do I really know how to spell "phlegm?" What are my friends doing? What's the current weather? What's the perfect method for hard-boiling an egg?
What if I'm doing it wrong?
My pain was somewhat relieved by the back-up of all my documents I did only last week. I haven't lost any data at all. Even still, my computer's crash is a rough blow. I don't have a DVD or Blu-ray player attached to my TV, so my DVD from Netflix is going to languish, unwatched, wasting money, until...who knows when.
And then there is the repair/purchase gamble. Do I take it to a computer guy? Is that a waste of money I'll have to spend on buying a new computer anyway?
And I don't want a new computer. I don't want to do the research, cross-referencing the best possible configuration with the best possible reviews and the best possible price, so I can make sure I'm making the best possible purchase at the best possible moment. I don't want to boot up a new computer, only to spend several hours removing bloatware, loading updates, and reacquiring my favorite programs and settings. I don't want to, goddamn it! My Acer computer was only two and a half years old! It was too young to die!
"Hey Christina," one or two of you might be saying by now, "I can't help but notice that you wrote this post, which must mean you have a computer somewhere. It can't be too bad."
Well, you're right. I do have a Samsung netbook that I bought somewhat impulsively as a backup six months ago, when the Acer had a bought of strange behavior. I dusted the Samsung off and spent - no shit - three hours downloading and installing updates, before I could get securely up and running on the internet.
But my Samsung netbook, for all its pluck, just isn't the same as my fully mature Acer. I want my Acer...
