Sunday, March 12, 2006

Woe

18 months ago and against all sane reasoning, I purchased a Tiny laptop. It was their almost "top of the range" model but I do occasionally like to push the envelope in my PC related purchasing activities. Nothing urges me on more than trying to prove the doubters wrong.

Despite all warnings to the contrary it has performed wonderfully well. It's lightning fast compared to the heap of crap I used before and the screen's pretty good. I've never had a virus on it despite it being pre-loaded with something that sent me to a Russian site of dubious content the moment I switched it on and the WiFi kicked in. It's 64 bit compliant too which means I bought something that no other software would be able to use until the computer was obselete. The back of the lid has a few bits of Araldite cunningly smeared on it to hold back the cracks and there are two worrying fractures elsewhere on the body. The internals were obviously built to outlast the shell.

Shortly after I got it, Tiny went tits up. As a company they were quite frankly, shite. Their customer service was appalling and it wasn't worth getting in contact with them for anything unless you fancied a huge phone bill with nothing to show for it so it was with little regret that I felt their passing. Two weeks ago, the company that took over their servicing arrangements phoned me to introduce themselves as I was still under guarantee. I couldn't have been more surprised. Their rep was polite, humorous and informative. He asked me if there was anything I needed and I said no and that apart from the cosmetic problems I was satisfied.

I should have kept my mouth shut. 45 years old and I still haven't learnt how not to tempt fate. This morning the battery warning light flashed so I went to push the power lead in thinking it had come loose as it does now and again. No power. Arse. The little pop I'd heard at my feet an hour or so previously while listening to the cricket was my power brick's death rattle. I hadn't even known it was ill so it must have been a particularly sudden demise. I phoned Maplins in aarrgh Stoke and they said "A what? Oh yeah, bring it down." I protested that I thought it was maybe a little bit of an eccentric power adapter being as it's an 8 amp one and has a four pin connector on it but the phone had already been put down. An hour later and I was about to strangle the dangerously mocking assistant as I was exceedingly angry that I had driven to aarrgh Stoke on a totally fruitless mission. Stoke is full of twats. Apologies to anyone from the five towns but you really ought to be thinking more positively about the benefits of eugenics. I will take a chance and phone Tiny's helpful and nice new service people on Monday and wait.

Until such time as I can reactivate my machine I will be largely absent from cyberspace. Attempts to use Sharon's laptop are fraught with misery as it's hellishly slow and she's using it all the time "for work", hence this being posted at this ridiculous time in the morning. Do keep stopping by, feigning interest and posting your ill-meant messages of support. I am already starting to shake with the onset of cold turkey and this pile of tin is hardly PC methadone.

G'night.

4 Vegetable peelings:

Blogger Vicus Scurra said...

Now, have you tried turning it off and turning it on again?
I yearn for you tragically.

11:04 am  
Blogger Richard said...

Mr Scurra, obviously you've worked at some time in an IT support department or for PC World judging by the high quality of your advice. Suffice to say, it didn't work.

2:05 pm  
Blogger Tennessee Jed said...

Richard your way with English makes even your woes worth reading twice, best of luck with it all.

6:52 pm  
Blogger Sharon J said...

You had my laptop all morning! Did I complain? No, not once. Not even a tiny, teeny, weeny bit. Of course, I won't mention the fact that I was asleep or your visitors might not think I'm quite as nice as I'm hoping they will.

~Sharon (your ever suffering partner who you've yet to make an honest woman of).

1:59 am  

Post a Comment

<< Home