Computers hate me and want me dead

Computers hate me and want me dead.

Yesterday and today were days reminiscent of the horror-days of yesteryear when I dealt with plagues of locusts decending on the computerscape.

Several of the computers in my office are elderly, having been purchased not long after I formed my company in 1998...well, the oldest is probably from late 1999 or early 2000. I have been renewing virus software protection on them annually since 2002, prefering to stick with Norton Antivirus 2002 than making the logical move to upgrade. That bad, penny-wise and pound-foolish decision came back to haunt me.

When it came time to renew, we discovered it was impossible to renew...must upgrade. So, we decided to do same...upgrade to Norton 2006. Easy enough, not much money, etc.

But, the computers we upgraded became angry and tried to hurt us. They either slowed to the speed of near-frozen molasses or allowed as they were unwilling to put up with the new software, goddamn it!

After wrestling with the beasts for two days, we discovered that our machines with 128K memory were too elderly for the software...Norton 2006 requires 256K, they tell me. Bastards!

And, of course, these old crippled computers didn't need today's inexpensive memory. They needed old, expensive memory. So, we upgraded one and temporarily patched another and opted to replace a third. This is occuring, of course, at the same time I am looking at replacing our ancient server and our phone system (which, incidentally, cannot run on Windows NT Server...bad, old software...which we are using). I'm about to invest in an entirely new computer network! We'll have a few workstations that will still work...but MY GOD, THE COST IS ASTRONOMICAL!

I screamed alot and I think I frightened my young Australian assistant. I probably pissed off everyone in the office...no one likes to hear their boss raging like a bull and threatening Bill Gates and his entire generation with a beating. Wait, I'm part of his generation.

We're back in business, if only barely. A couple of adjustments, plus a new server and phone system...we'll be in business...and the poor house. But the new phone system may allow me to work at home more frequently...and has the added benefit of turning my notebook computer into a telephon extension so that, if I am online, my office can transfer a call to me, I can speak to the person from my computer, and can transfer the call back! Magic!

I need 5 new clients, though, large and generous ones, to pay for all of this. I'll do right by them! I have changed my stripes. I like clients! Send them my way!

Finally...I lost my chance today to go to Mexico with my brother. He's on his way. He will stay with my other brother for a week or so, then venture out to a village where English is not spoken and will rent a place short term...and there, he will be forced to polish his Spanish. That's his plan. I envy him.

Enough bloggery for tonight.