Linuxville is a virtual place where everybody is fine with Linux. It's the rest of the world that's nuts. Take hardware, my wonderful 15 inch HP LCD monitor just slowly croaked. The blue power button still lites but fade to black is not a desktop effect I wanted to see. Guess what I replaced it with, a big CRT!?! Now the hum of eddy currents and the cathode ray tube radiation penetrating my face is added to the hum of the PC box on the floor. A symphony of hums in a tone I can't harmonize with. The LCD was at least 5 years old, the CRT is 9 years old. There is no instant technology in there. It clanks and clicks at refresh and when I hit the degauss button the lint stands up and I can feel a wave of neutralizing energy as the screen jostles then settles down. Makes me feel like, "Hey iGor, hand me that beaker but don't push that but.....awk!!"
If my LCD was 5, so is my PC and even though it runs flawlessly well perhaps I should begin dreaming of new stuff. I want a laptop with some graphic power and a couple of LCD displays so I can recycle the CRTs. But they work so well. But they are energy pigs and space hogs.
For graphic folks the rule of the pinkey is to buy a game machine or similar. Games are mostly about graphics power but I think depending on the kind of graphics you do, the video card needs to be considered. CAD graphics is more about precision in virtual space and games is about speedily moving but mostly interaction while moving. There are cards for CAD and cards for games and cards that sort of, kind of, do both. Laptop users need an above average laptop for graphics work but not necessarily a gaming laptop. Video graphics folks should buy a game machine (perhaps like Alienware!).
I know if I buy a big screen, it better sit in the livingroom and get channel 5. So for my studio I want a digital video projector so that when I got the urge to blow it up I can. The other things for me is the Wacom Bamboo graphics tablet and a couple of bookshelf hard drives. Why? A friend just called me, an upgrade download just hosed his Vista laptop. I am telling you, the operating system should sit on the main drive by it self with the applications, you should keep a fresh install copy on a jump drive. Your precious data should be backed up on a portable drive. The operating system and personal data on the same drive is asking for trouble. Gee Arno, aren't you glad you use Linux!?, don't you wish everybody did? Yeah, but no! You do have a choice.
This is where I can boast the virtues of Linux. In my 10 years of adding security updates, Linux got hosed once or twice. With win95/98/98b/XP, several times with each version. Friends who have moved on to Vista are getting hit and there is more to come with win7. Why? because using Win OS changes the OS. The more you add applications and anti-virus and security tweaks and stuff, the more the registry changes. Updates from MS comes not anticipating the "amount of change" internally to "your system". If all the registry chickens don't line up the rooster doesn't crow (system fails to boot). It maybe one number off, how would you know? Ah yes, the BSD (blue screen of death).
Murder by asphyxiation of the digital cortex (cpu). Crime scene tape wrapped around the computer. "I tried everything to resuscitate it, even deep hard drive stimulation." "There was nothing you could do at this point Mr. Arno (should have taken preventive measures). Must have been an untreated infection or glitch. Was there any signs?" "Yes, but I thought is was a trimmer in the force, I mean power fluctuations." "We'll have to perform an autopsy."
"Mr. Arno, your system is whacked, we'll have to reformat your drive (erase your memoirs) and re-install Windows. That will be many dollars and 39 cents." I'm thinking, making a backup of the last working system install is too much trouble.... and/or setting that last working system breakpoint date is........ and coping my personal data and pictures to CD/jump drive/other hard drive is.........then all my tweaks and settings and....."Hey, why 39 cents???" "Tax, title, license, and learner's certificate, we'll train you to do......." "Man I've been at this for years, I don't need no class, no geek training." "It's geek habit user reprogramming Mr Arno. It's completely voluntary, an unfunded mandate for ID thief and personal loss prevention. It's this or neural implants via iPod web casts for 6 weeks!" "I ain't got time for this." "Yes, my young padawan learner, that is why you fail, there is no try, only do or not do and pay me." "Or pay me!" The call from the end of the counter (bluish guy, short, wings flapping like a humming bird). "What kind of PC, yeah, Nubian I think! We let the fate decide, I have a chance cube!" Man, a hack with one dice, the ways of the farce vs the ways of the force, I just want my PC fixed like it was, darn, I forgot the red shoes, can't go home. "Mr. Arno, take the blue pill (buy a new system) or the red pill (reformat and install), see how far this rabbit hole goes." Name is Arno not Neal." "Sorry, thought we were doing movies."
No comments:
Post a Comment