Monday, April 4, 2011

New Computer

The hardest part of getting a new computer is getting to know it.
I don't care what people say; computers have their on personalities. Not personalities in the human sense- I would not imagine they prefer green beans to broccoli, or that they have a favorite color. But I do believe that no two computers are the same.
My last computer was a fairly reliable little workhorse. I wrote more than one entire novel on it, and it worked well. This was until about four months ago, when it stopped turning on its screen. The display might come up after four or five tries, but i was clear there was something wrong. I took it in over spring break, only to find out that not only was it unfixable, but it was going to get worse. They told me that, in all probability, there would be a point when it would not come back on, ever again.
I ended up ordering a new computer, one that is a better, more powerful computer than my old one. It's great, and I like Window Seven as opposed to Vista, but it's not my old computer. We were friends, and this new computer, while being an awesome piece of technology, is a stranger.
The keyboard is laid out differently, and what's more, it has a different sensitivity. I get onto the internet and look for a bookmark, only to remember that it's not on this PC. It feels different than my old computer.
Which is not to say I had none of these problems with my last computer. I thought nothing would replace my old PC, because even though it was an antique, it was my friend. I'd really learned how to use a computer on that one. And so, now, even though I love my old laptop and I ordered a new one begrudgingly, I like this one, too.
In one of Tom Robbins' books, he talks bout using a new typewriter to write the book, and regarding it as being inadequate for the story he's writing. I guess I know that feeling- as I write on this new computer, I continuously argue with it and curse it under my breath for leaving out an A or putting in one too many Os. I spend just as much time fixing the mistakes as I do writing, and it's annoying.
I used to handwrite most everything, but since my tendons have begun to fail me, I've come to rely on my computer. Having a computer die on me is like being evicted, and even if the new home is better, younger, and shinier, the stove's not where it's supposed to be. There aren't as many electrical outlets in the living room as yo're used to having. Eventually, you get used to where the stove is, and you buy some extension cords. You start to appreciate it for what it is.
I loved my last computer, and I know I'll love this one, but getting to know it is a real pain.
So you'll hve to forgive any typos I make; it's me and my new computer building a relationship.

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