Apple Mac G5
Looks like the new Mac G5 is just around the corner. At the same time, my Windows desktop at home is on its deathbed. Usually, old computers just become obsolete because they aren't fast enough to run the latest software. That's not the problem here--my current desktop is still plenty fast enough with dual Pentium 866Mhz processors. No, the problem is that it has become so unstable and slow after an operating systems upgrade that I may put my fist through the monitor one of these days.
After I upgraded to Windows XP, boot-up suddenly took several hours. I turn on my PC and go away to do other things and several hours later I get the login screen. After login, I always get the "You don't have enough virtual memory" error. Windows released a supposed fix for that issue, which was exciting, but it didn't work for me. The two hard drives each have cooling fans, and one of them is incredibly loud. I opened the box up and removed the hard drive, but getting into the casing where the fan is enclosed is probably not a good idea unless I want to risk damaging it. The sound card also croaked after the Windows XP upgrade because compatible drivers were never written. Dell's upgrade evaluation program conveniently left that tidbit out, so now my computer has no sound at all except the annoying whirring of the fans.
I've been trying to scan photos from my sabbatical. Every third or fourth photo, the application just quits, which is really galling because it takes some ten to fifteen minutes to scan a photo at the highest resolution. Then, when I try to edit photos in Photoshop, it just suddenly shuts down every other photo. When software misbehaves, it's one of the most helpless, frustrating things in the world. You search the web for software updates and patches and fixes. You uninstall and reinstall software. You scream at your monitor, and it stares back at you blankly, a deaf-mute. Your blood pressure rises.
So I may just have to switch over to a Mac G5 when it comes out. The biggest problem with swapping is the replacement software cost. I paid for a full copy of Photoshop once. But to pay for a full version of the Macintosh version? I just can't stomach the $500 cost. I wish Apple would work with software companies to offer discounts on their flagship programs when switching over from Windows to Macintosh. It would certainly be more effective a switching strategy than running lots of TV testimonial commercials.
After I upgraded to Windows XP, boot-up suddenly took several hours. I turn on my PC and go away to do other things and several hours later I get the login screen. After login, I always get the "You don't have enough virtual memory" error. Windows released a supposed fix for that issue, which was exciting, but it didn't work for me. The two hard drives each have cooling fans, and one of them is incredibly loud. I opened the box up and removed the hard drive, but getting into the casing where the fan is enclosed is probably not a good idea unless I want to risk damaging it. The sound card also croaked after the Windows XP upgrade because compatible drivers were never written. Dell's upgrade evaluation program conveniently left that tidbit out, so now my computer has no sound at all except the annoying whirring of the fans.
I've been trying to scan photos from my sabbatical. Every third or fourth photo, the application just quits, which is really galling because it takes some ten to fifteen minutes to scan a photo at the highest resolution. Then, when I try to edit photos in Photoshop, it just suddenly shuts down every other photo. When software misbehaves, it's one of the most helpless, frustrating things in the world. You search the web for software updates and patches and fixes. You uninstall and reinstall software. You scream at your monitor, and it stares back at you blankly, a deaf-mute. Your blood pressure rises.
So I may just have to switch over to a Mac G5 when it comes out. The biggest problem with swapping is the replacement software cost. I paid for a full copy of Photoshop once. But to pay for a full version of the Macintosh version? I just can't stomach the $500 cost. I wish Apple would work with software companies to offer discounts on their flagship programs when switching over from Windows to Macintosh. It would certainly be more effective a switching strategy than running lots of TV testimonial commercials.