Its a Mega-Giga-Tera Byte Thing

I bought a new computer last month. My eight year old Pentium IV was starting to groan and sputter. (And 8 years is about 2 millennia in "computer years"). I have been watching the online offers from Dell and others and was prepared to jump at the right deal. For a short time I toyed with the idea of assembling my own computer from components purchased at someplace like Tiger Direct, but ultimately decided that I wanted the new computer to work during this millennium.

Dell had a great deal last month, so I jumped. It has an Intel 7i core processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM, 1024 megabytes on the video card and a terabyte hard drive. It comes with a 23" HD monitor and the capacity to run three monitors at the same time. Now came the first issue. I have to wait while they build and then ship it. The initial advisory was three weeks until delivery. Oh my!

Being from the instant gratification generation, I needed my NEW computer now. I wanted those mega-giga-terabytes now (or at least sooner rather than later).

E-mail updates from Dell indicated that the build was faster than first stated. The shipping date was moved up. My new computer would be here in 10 days, rather than 3 weeks. Oh boy!

The date got closer, my anticipation grew. Then came the next uncomfortable realization. UPS was scheduled to deliver my new computer on the same day that we were going to be at the Pioneer Power Show in LeSueur. UPS will not leave my computer here without a signature. And Babe is worthless, again, in the signing for capacity.

Fortunately I saw the UPS driver the day before delivery and made arrangements for him to leave it in my garage. Whewwww!

I returned home from Pioneer Power dusty and dog tired. The computer was in the garage, but I wasn't in any condition to deal with it that day. The next morning it was brought into the house. Then there was realization number 3. I didn't want to disassemble the older computer until I was sure that the new one was functioning properly. I cleared a space on the center island in the kitchen and started unpacking.

Even with all its mega-giga-terabytes the thing was easy to assemble. Two power cords, an hdmi cable to the monitor, the keyboard cable, a sensor into a USB port for the mouse and the antenna for the wireless network connection, and away we go. It fired up, the Dell logo flashed on the screen, then the Windows 7 logo followed by a couple of software install screens. It worked. HURRAY!

Then the 4th realization hit. I was going to have to transfer all my data and files and passwords from the old computer to the new one. Windows 7 makes this easy. Ya sure! I read and copied and read some more. Horrors! Windows 7 does not support Outlook Express for email. I have used Outlook Express for umpteen years and I was not happy with Microsoft's decision to abandon its own program to force me into Windows Live. Damn Microsoft!

I have been gradually transferring data from old to new. The old computer remains in its place in my office. The new computer is now assembled in the dining room. The new computer is blazing fast. The old computer is a comfortable dinosaur. The new computer surfs the web with lightning speed. The old computer sputters along. The new computer sits isolated from my TVs and other office essentials. I am torn.

And then there is realization number 5. The new computer should be integrated into a new office setting. I have been contemplating redesigning my office setting for a couple of weeks. I have 2 HD TVs, 3 old style TVs, 3 computer monitors, a satellite TV receiver and a surround sound receiver to incorporate into the new design. I have the perfectly sized shelving unit fully loaded with junk in the garage. I want to do the redo right. Oh crap!

So for the next few weeks I will be emptying and moving shelves, disconnecting and reconnecting video equipment, reconstituting my computer network and otherwise unplugging, plugging and wiring everything in my office. It will be frustrating, unnecessarily complicated, and horrifyingly incomplete. But ultimately I will be pushing mega-giga-terabytes from my command center in the reconstructed office. Yippee!!!

Mr. Flannery