During the past week or two, we took our family trip to California and enjoyed the sights, visited family, and had a great time. When we got home, I downloaded our treasured pictures to my computer and all was well, at least I felt it was. The PC hadn't let me down and I was anxious to get some post to the blog to share the trip with you all. Then as the weekend was beginning, I fired up the PC and started to get some weird happenings that just got worse as I tried to figure out what was happening. I was getting nowhere and consulted Dan to help me figure it out. After several desperate but failed attempts, I even requested the help of the extreme fixer of computer problems, Bun, the hard drive format wizard extraordinaire. Even trying desparate measures myself such as system restore or system save, etc., no such luck. I felt that all was lost, so I took the cpu to a repair business just up the street, Computer Confidence, to help salvage by important stuff first, and fix my cpu next. After waiting the weekend, David was able to retrieve my important files, but when trying to reload Windows on my cpu, it became evident that all was lost, a motherboard system failure. Tragic and heartbreaking, repairs really could not warrant rebuilding the old cpu. Time to move on and let the past go.
Living with the loss was harder because searching for a suitable replacement brought many challenges. Yeah, just replace the cpu unit, well that's possible, maybe move on to a laptop to replace the desktop, likely if the price was within reason, or just getting a new desktop, probably the most logical. Afterall, I still have my software, so I wouldn't have to purchase them again. Except for the Windows XP, that was preloaded on to the hard drive, I had only the liscence but not the disks.
Well, the search was on, newspaper ads, online ads, local businesses, just about everywhere within reason.
My vision of a replacement desktop is perhaps a laptop or even desktop with a larger hard drive size plus an LCD screen, sufficient USB ports, etc., etc. I have all the PC software I use and it would be easy to load them again.
After much searching and discouragement, I happen to checkout the BYU Bookstore computer section and even lamented on the selections available. A couple of the laptops looked pretty descent but weren't appealing enough for a second indepth look. While talking to one of the workers, I was lamenting that the Dell special for BYU discount was still very pricey. Anyway, while there, he pointed me to the Apple computers, and at first, I didn't think this was going anywhere. I was a confirmed PC user and didn't feel that moving to Apple was a possibility. But while there, he pointed out that because the Apple's were using Intel chips to power their computers, it was now able to run PC software as well as Apple. REVALATION !!.
Seeing the display was awesome, then being told that the LCD display unit also housed the cpu, and everything in it except for the keyboard, I was awestruck. It was like the click and the lights were on, or should I say that the monitor made its case. It had all the jazzed computer get up and go, a decent sized hard drive, and all the connectivity I would need, plus the built it webcam, microphone, and sound speakers. It replaced my tower cpu unit, large flat screen monitor, and keyboard, I now have room available to spare and the best part is that I don't need any of the cords and cable connections. The iMAC rocks!
I am impressed with the visual clarity and presentation. I am getting used to the simplicity, ease of use, and plug and play capability. As for my PC software, well, I started loading them on and they work just fine. WOW, who knew that one day I would change my allegiance from PC to Apple. That thought is scary, almost tempting for a "red" state diehard to go "blue" state in this year's elections, or even giving up the sacred "rice" for vegetarian (mashed potatoes), etc., etc. Well, as Forrest Gump would say, "Well that's all I've got to say about that!"
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