Further chronicles of computer crises. . .

I have decided yet again that I hate computers. Let's just start from the top. About a month or two ago, my dad sent me my little brother's laptop, which is super speedy and absolutely awesome, and I've been happily writing my thesis on it. However, a couple of weeks ago, the USB ports failed, so I had to find my old USB card adapter from my old computer, but things were working fine for a while. Then, a few days ago, the internal wireless adapter decided it couldn't pick up our wireless network. So, I pulled out the old dinosaur (aka my old computer) and have been working on both computers for a few days. It's been kind of interesting to read e-mail edits from my advisor on one computer while making those edits on the other computer. Let's also mention that on the dinosaur, the 5, 6, and dash keys, as well as F1 and some of the other function keys, are not working. My data has 5s and 6s in it. I'm sure you see the problem.

So, I pulled out a keyboard my dad gave me the last time the dinosaur's keyboard failed and have been using that to type stuff. My roommates have been highly amused laughing at me. I have one bulky computer with really slow Internet, on which I finally got a stats program to run (super slowly), and one speedy computer without the Internet. Did I also mention that the only place I could pick up the wireless network was out in our living room, with the laptop positioned on the coffee table? Just imagine two laptops, side by side, on a coffee table, with me sitting on the floor, bulky keyboard in hand. I should take a picture, if only to remember how much of a pain theses can be.

At least my roommates have also been having trouble with the wireless network, so it's not just my computer having issues. On Thursday or so, a friend of ours came over and encrypted a wireless account just for apartment (thanks, Ryan!), but of course I couldn't connect to it. Despite all of these adventures, I managed to get my latest revisions in to my advisor early Monday morning (or late Sunday night, if you prefer). It was fortunate that I had saved copies of everything I had done on my IPOD (my jump drive hasn't really been working, but the IPOD is a wonderful file storage device) because this evening, the dinosaur decided it had had enough and gave me the blue screen of death. I believe I get to re-install the entire operating system for the third time. Let me tell you how excited I'm not. At least I still have the CDs my dad sent a few months ago the last time the dinosaur tried to extinct itself. I can't wait to re-install Windows 2000, especially since I've had to use Open Office software because I can't get Microsoft Office programs (like Word for Windows) to run correctly. I swear, I should go into business or something to give computer scientists a run for their money. I know I've stumped my dad many, many times in how to keep this old thing running! He fixed the keyboard and battery and also reinstalled everything last summer, for which I'm eternally grateful, but I can't help but think that this laptop is on life support. Maybe it's time for the laptop to make a living will; I'm not sure it's going to live much longer.

Anyway, at this point, I have no internet, and the wireless adapter card from my old computer won't work on the new laptop without having the driver installed. And did I mention that I have to go on the Internet to find this driver? AUGH! I can't win. Anyway, my roommate fortunately has a working computer, and I saved the email from last fall when Dad sent me the Internet links to get the drivers I needed. For once, I used something I had saved! Makes me reconsider changing my slightly packrat-ish ways (I don't care if it's a word; I'm going to use it as one!). Using my roommate's computer, I downloaded the file to my IPOD, connected it to my brother's laptop, and managed to install the driver. I also managed to connect to our encrypted wireless connection, which means I have fast, reliable Internet service now. On the downside, though, I have to deal with the old problem of switching the wireless and USB cards, which means I can't print stuff at the same time I'm surfing the Internet. I don't know if I have some sort of electromagnetic field surrounding me or something, but my computers sure seem to pick up something off of me. Maybe I'm just a viral carrier, or maybe the machine is just sick of thesis writing. Heaven knows I am!