I HATE technology

[Admin]

I have had enough of technology! Just spent days getting my computer and internet going extremely fast but had to endue a lot of pain to get there. Some hints on what you may be able to do are below.

 

To start with I had a $650 Denon DVD player that broke down just out of warranty - the repairman said the cost to fix it wasn't worth it.

 

The kids $39 DVD player has been faultless for a longer period and suffering harder treatment

 

The TV set top box also just out of warranty jammed up - again not worth fixing - so went out and bought a new twin tuner hard disk recorder as the VCR was also playing up and didn't want to spend the $40 just to find out that it may also not be worth fixing.

 

The wife goes through a new hairdryer every year and at $99 I reckon it is cheaper to simply use a razor and shave your head

 

I have a $1,000 Seiko watch which may last 10 years - after 3 years the glass is already has scratches all over it and a battery that lasts 2 years costs about $40 to replace - do you know that I have to pay 5.5 cents every single day to power my watch - I also have to pay 27 cents every day to have my watch - total cost of watch is 32.5 cents every single day - looking up at the sun is cheaper i_dunno

 

have we ever stopped and calculated what our lives cost us per day - we would be horrified when we add it all up like the cost of our shoes, our clothes, the replacement of the lounge suite, the carpet we walk on, the cost of washing the bed sheets calculated out to a daily cost. Add every single thing up especially all the replacement costs of the things we don't think about and you would be shocked to know how much you really have to earn per day - you also start to think about things like buying a $10 throw away watch whose battery may only last a year - that's only 2.7 cents a day

 

Anyway, my internet has been causing me grief over the last 3 to 4 months. I am on Optus cable and have been since it first came in 10 years ago (did you know I have spent over $7,500 on internet access in 10 years ). Then the other day my 19" LCD monitor started playing up (2 years old) - it wouldn't come on if I rebooted but would after letting it have a nice little rest for 30mins or so. It was alright when I turned it on in the morning and left it on all day

 

I have had enough of technology so I went all out and spat the dummy. I went and bought a 22" Samsung wide screen monitor ($350 over say 2 years life - by experience - 48 cents a day :yuk:). Complained to Optus - I mean really complained but luckily I knew enough not to be flogged off by the rubbish the help desk guy was telling me and asked for a line technician to call me back. When the techo phoned me I asked him to do certain tests of loading, packets etc. The next day he called and said WOW, you do have a problem, we will send a technician out. He came yesterday, went up the pole and replaced a gadget - he said they only have a limited life - well SURPRISE, SURPRISE, SURPRISE.

 

In the mean time I completely trashed my PC - wiped the hard disk completely clean with a re-format and did a complete clean fresh reinstall of windows and everything else. I normally do this every 6 months or so which was due at Christmas time but didn't have the time. It gets everything cleaned up and working at it's peak.

 

WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENCE - the internet is like browsing my own hard disk - I'm talking milliseconds for a page to come up - getting consistent speeds of around 800k to 900k a second - a web page may only be around 50k to 100k (disclaimer on that statement). The huge screen, the completely clean computer and a heavy complaint to Optus has left me with a big :big_grin:

 

When was the last time you did a clean install on your PC?

 

Now I will be busy today working out the cost of flying - hmmm, cost of car to drive to airfield, replacement cost of fuel drums, daily cost of ERSA and Maps - anyone have a humpy on the bank of a nice clear water creek, some dirt for a vegie garden and some wild animals running through the forest for a Sunday roast

 

:big_grin: :big_grin: :big_grin:

 

 

[Ultralights]

nothing, and i mean Nothing is built to last anymore, everything built to a budget or bottom line, i have noticed even Road quality has declined rapidly. the new M7 is starting to undulate, yet the 30 yr old F3 going north is still as smooth as the day it was built.

 

In the mean time I completely trashed my PC - wiped the hard disk completely clean with a re-format and did a complete clean fresh reinstall of windows and everything else. I normally do this every 6 months or so which was due at Christmas time but didn't have the time. It gets everything cleaned up and working at it's peak.WOW, WHAT A DIFFERENCE - the internet is like browsing my own hard disk - I'm talking milliseconds for a page to come up - getting consistent speeds of around 800k to 900k a second - a web page may only be around 50k to 100k (disclaimer on that statement). The huge screen, the completely clean computer and a heavy complaint to Optus has left me with a big

this is the reason i bit the bullet and bough myself a nice big 24 Inch Imac a few months ago!

 

 

[Yenn]

"anyone have a humpy on the bank of a nice clear water creek, some dirt for a vegie garden and some wild animals running through the forest for a Sunday roast"

 

I havn't got the creek but a couple of nice dams will do. As I said today in a post by disperse that I was frustrated with town. I can understand exactly where you are, but everyone is chasing the big money so they have to have something to spend it on.

 

From reading the papers or watching TV you would think life is tough and we can't make ends meet, when in reality we have never had it so good. I can think back 60 years and life s sweet now compared with the past.

 

 

[Guest disperse]

WE NEED A COMPUTER FORUM ...... as there is a huge amount of computer knowlage and know how amongst us ...... and besides flying ...... we all have computers ....

 

When I was a youngster. Fridges and washing machines were expected to last 15 to 20 years ........ Now it's 5 years

 

 

[storchy neil]

dont worry ian tv 20 vid rec 6 computor 2 car 5 mobile home 40 house 35 me bloody old that is years but the plane is new got me sums right:help:neil

 

 

[farri]

Ian,

 

Understand what you`re saying,happens plenty to me,possibly to everyone I gues.

 

I`ve got plenty of dirt on a river but check my blog and you`ll see what`s in it,plenty of clear water creeks near by though.

 

farri.

 

 

[Flyer]

2 things here.....

 

1. Theres something to be had by living in nature in natures way...if you know what I mean ;)

 

2. You dont want to find out that your favorite engine which drives your favorite bug smasher has a finite life quitting at 300' agl and it costs $36.25 per hour....:yuk:

 

Regards

 

Phil

 

 

[Geoff]

WE NEED A COMPUTER FORUM ...... as there is a huge amount of computer knowlage and know how amongst us ...... and besides flying ...... we all have computers ....Yes we, "I" Need a computer forum

[Matt]

Time for a poll - find out how many of us on the forum actually work in the IT industry, I'd be surprised if there weren't more than 20 or 30 members who have some involvement in the industry either through web design, system engineering, management etc.

 

Oh yeah, I'm one of them. 13 years in the industry with a variety of experience.

 

>PS: While you're considering what a pain technology is, how things aren't made to last etc. calculate what % of your income any of the items above cost you i.e. car, TV, fridge etc. and compare to 10, 20, 30 years ago. I think you'll find that as Yenn has said (and my parents and grand parents agree), we've never had it so good.

 

Cheers,

 

Matt.

 

 

[Admin]

Guys, I hear ya - I have been working on something on the side for a while now when I get spare moments - but I don't want to say any more as owners of other forums come here and copy my ideas so I don't want to let the cat out until I have finished it but I will say...it will compliment us all and everything here and at Australian Flying...ALL pilots and has a "computer" component to it.

 

In the mean time I will ask my hardware supplier to put together a special bulk deal price on 3 types of PC setups that will all run MS Flight Sim as well. I won't add anything to it myself but if enough of you want a new updated PC then we may be able to get a really good price for bulk - it's at least worth a try just in case it helps any of you.

 

I will also soon start a "Tips" section for the forums as there is so much here plus so much more planned - an aviation newspaper, a separate aviation movies page, complete the menu items that are not yet done, plus many other things that are currently hushed up ;) (you watch I bet some other forums will suddenly have an aviation newspaper appear now).

 

Anyway you know me - anything you want, anything at all, just let me know and I will add it in here!

 

 

[slartibartfast]

You're a fledgling Matt. I have 32 years in IT. The systems I started on took entire rooms, had no disks or monitors, and even the smallest of them (with a whole 16k of memory and in a 20 foot long bench) produced enough heat to dry my bike jacket on.

 

We still got paper tape from the RAAF bases every night. Punch cards were a step up.

 

 

[Admin]

You're a fledgling Matt. I have 32 years in IT. The systems I started on took entire rooms, had no disks or monitors, and even the smallest of them (with a whole 16k of memory and in a 20 foot long bench) produced enough heat to dry my bike jacket on.We still got paper tape from the RAAF bases every night. Punch cards were a step up.

You've done it now Ross - a new forum has been added called "The Pilot's PC" located in the "Bar Room Chatter" section - Ross is going to be on hand to help everyone with their PC problems ;)

 

 

[Guest TOSGcentral]

Oh Goody! Now everything is working so fast Ian then there will be spare time for the TOSG web site!!!! :thumb_up:

 

 

[Captain]

Time for a poll - find out how many of us on the forum actually work in the IT industry, Matt.

 

Does being called a NIT-WIT mean that I've been in IT twice?

 

Ian ..... you mentioned " When was the last time you did a clean install on your PC?". Is that just getting rid of everything and relaoding it all again, or is it simpler than that?

 

 

[Admin]

Oh Goody! Now everything is working so fast Ian then there will be spare time for the TOSG web site!!!! :thumb_up:

 

 

[icebob]

Hi Ian, know where you are coming from, been there, done that, bought the tee shirt.

 

In all of the your list you forgot the one important ingredient just to top up all the woes WIFE PREGNANT TOO??????

 

Bob.