by El Zorro Viejo (aka; Jim)

So, I was actually doing some potentially paying work on the computer this afternoon when it suddenly went inert. It became a doorstop. It ceased computing. It expired. It scared the crap out of me. As you can see here, I did get it running again, but I will never be able to trust it. My best guess is that it is the power supply. Seems the cooling fan has quit so it is possible that the power supply overheated and shut down. This is an orphan machine--the company that built it is no longer in existance--and it is over four years old so getting replacement parts for it is not going to be easy. Therefore, it now becomes a priority to come up with sufficient funds to meet all ongoing obligations and buy a new computer. This will not be easy. Fortunately, what I was working on when the damn thing stopped on my was a little project that could have a dramatic effect upon my finances...but that won't happen for at least 4-5 months. Either I'll have to win the Lottery (not likely and rememember, "hope is not a strategy." [that latter quote is from a current book in our Business section.]) or I'll have to make this project actually fly...enough, at least, to get a couple grand in my pocket. Then I would be able to at least argue for a new machine.

My next computer will have a cpu with a clock speed of a couple gigahertz, at least 512meg of RAM, a cd-burner, at least a 40 gig hard drive and a flat panel monitor. And all that shouldn't cost me more than a grand.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. ©El Zorro Viejo 2002-2005