Computers... games... tech? Why do I bother?

5magics · 5 July 12, 23:40

First of all, I'm not looking for advice on how to resolve any issues. It's not the first time - I'll get through this I'm sure - but during the last few months I've:-
1) Built a state of the art pc and I have intermitent USB issues.
2) Installed a solid state drive and it was a nightmare updating the firmware.
3) Had problems with my G25 but don't know whether it's the actual G25 or a USB problem as mentioned in #1
4) Upgraded my internet access from "AOL Broadband (slow but reliable)" to "BT Infinity option 1 (Brilliant - worked just as advertised whether I use an ethernet cable or my USB wireless adapter)"
...but I got greedy so:-
5) Got "BT Infinity option 2" and it works but the wireless is even slower than option 1 (Related to my USB issues again? Possibly, but why did it only happen the second I upgraded from option 1? Should I disclose my USB issues to BT? If I do they might use it to unjustly justify my poor internet speed..AAARRGH!
6) Spoke for hours to BT tech support and got great speeds... until they hung up.
7) Considered gaming on my sons XBOX 360 but it just seems so limited - I like racing sims after all... and those controller things give me cramp!

Anyway, I'm just venting. It's just turned midnight and I am now 40 years old! seriously... it's my 40th birthday right now and I've instantly turned into my dad.

max attack · 5 July 12, 23:55

Happy 40th mate.
You will get through it. Enjoy your birthday.

joaoa13pt · 6 July 12, 00:29

Loved this post

Happy 40th birthday!!
You may be a father...and you may have turned into YOUR father, but it's never late to celebrate one more year on earth, and on total, 40 years here on this planet, and simply go out there and -->

markspeed · 6 July 12, 02:27

Happy 40th! I'll be joining you in 11 months from today.

edubz123 · 6 July 12, 03:29

happy bday. As a technologist I can honestly say I don't trust this industry at all. There's no reward to being an 'early adopter', none at all. Just complete frustrations (if you're lucky) or hours wasted on the phone with support folks (lucky if they're native English speaking). Quality Assurance doesn't exist. They (yes I'm using a broad brush but it's mostly true) use the consumers as guinea pigs. Worst is there's no (software) refund policy! The risk is totally on us. Which is why I'm a "late adopter" and stick with already proven products/services (prefer last year's winner versus today's shiny new question mark) and minimize the total services/products I actually use. Just don't have time to spend making this effective. On top of it, these chips retain NO Value. The minute you drop it in your box it loses 25% and by 2-3 years the entire machine is near worthless. Even automobiles retain value better than this! So again there's no reward in overspending on bleeding edge gizmos. Save the case and perhaps the Power Supply (which are reusable in future builds) not much else is worth seriously investing in.

Again, happy birthday and I hope you quickly find a stable situation and it remains until your 41st!

gears · 6 July 12, 03:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by 5magics

Anyway, I'm just venting. It's just turned midnight and I am now 40 years old! seriously... it's my 40th birthday right now and I've instantly turned into my dad.

Haha I turned into my dad years ago

Turns out he was right about everything and a great guy! lmao

Happy 40th

Junkie1962 · 6 July 12, 04:31

Isn't it funny how much smarter our fathers got as we got older

happy 40 th

5magics · 6 July 12, 08:11

It's surprising how therapeutic it is to just vent, and my problems are of course only trivial at worst. Thanks for the well wishing, now if you'll forgive me my ex-wife is taking over parenting duties for the day so I'm off to get drunk. After all there's back ache and teenagers to moan about

...

mrpowcz · 6 July 12, 11:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by edubz123

happy bday. As a technologist I can honestly say I don't trust this industry at all. There's no reward to being an 'early adopter', none at all. Just complete frustrations (if you're lucky) or hours wasted on the phone with support folks (lucky if they're native English speaking). Quality Assurance doesn't exist. They (yes I'm using a broad brush but it's mostly true) use the consumers as guinea pigs. Worst is there's no (software) refund policy! The risk is totally on us. Which is why I'm a "late adopter" and stick with already proven products/services (prefer last year's winner versus today's shiny new question mark) and minimize the total services/products I actually use. Just don't have time to spend making this effective. On top of it, these chips retain NO Value. The minute you drop it in your box it loses 25% and by 2-3 years the entire machine is near worthless. Even automobiles retain they're value better than this! So again there's no reward in overspending on bleeding edge gizmos. Save the case and perhaps the Power Supply (which are reusable in future builds) not much else is worth seriously investing in.

Again, happy birthday and I hope you quickly find a stable situation and it remains until your 41st!

Very agree with you, whenever I buy something I look at price/power ratio.. I would never spend 500$ just on cpu for example, the ratio is much worse it only makes sense if you're huge enthusiast who only wants the best of it.

CX650 · 6 July 12, 12:00

Happy Birthday buddy.

Age Rohbein · 13 July 12, 01:13

..And now get a Mac to solve half your problems

5magics · 13 July 12, 11:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Age Rohbein

..And now get a Mac to solve half your problems

Nah, fixing these things is half the fun. As it happens I sorted out my G25

. A wire had come loose in the shifter and the power cable has a rather flimsy connection. Both of which were fixed by crudely jamming them back in place. As for my internet connection, I decided to go "old school" and use an ethernet cable. The remaining half of the afore mentioned "pc fun" can be found in tripping over clumsily placed cables and fataly dragging a ton of extremely fragile and expensive electronics to the floor

.

redi · 13 July 12, 12:15

Happy belated bday!

Keep on adopting early, it's good for my job!

Pizzaman · 13 July 12, 22:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by redi

Keep on adopting early, it's good for my job!

Happy birthday bud. But, remember ReDi is a fireman.

nikbear · 13 July 12, 22:44

Happy Belated Birthday,I can relate totally,I'm 44 and have a love/hate relationship with all things tech

I love them,they hate me,......at regular intervals,usually when I need them most!

Pizzaman · 13 July 12, 22:53

I didn't know robotic women existed yet Nikbear.
But it sounds like they made them too realistic.

6 July 12, 03:29	#5
edubz123 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Chicago USA	happy bday. As a technologist I can honestly say I don't trust this industry at all. There's no reward to being an 'early adopter', none at all. Just complete frustrations (if you're lucky) or hours wasted on the phone with support folks (lucky if they're native English speaking). Quality Assurance doesn't exist. They (yes I'm using a broad brush but it's mostly true) use the consumers as guinea pigs. Worst is there's no (software) refund policy! The risk is totally on us. Which is why I'm a "late adopter" and stick with already proven products/services (prefer last year's winner versus today's shiny new question mark) and minimize the total services/products I actually use. Just don't have time to spend making this effective. On top of it, these chips retain NO Value. The minute you drop it in your box it loses 25% and by 2-3 years the entire machine is near worthless. Even automobiles retain value better than this! So again there's no reward in overspending on bleeding edge gizmos. Save the case and perhaps the Power Supply (which are reusable in future builds) not much else is worth seriously investing in. Again, happy birthday and I hope you quickly find a stable situation and it remains until your 41st! Last edited by edubz123; 6 July 12 at 11:10.

6 July 12, 08:11	#8
5magics Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cheshire, UK	It's surprising how therapeutic it is to just vent, and my problems are of course only trivial at worst. Thanks for the well wishing, now if you'll forgive me my ex-wife is taking over parenting duties for the day so I'm off to get drunk. After all there's back ache and teenagers to moan about...

5 July 12, 23:40	#1
5magics Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Cheshire, UK	Computers... games... tech? Why do I bother? First of all, I'm not looking for advice on how to resolve any issues. It's not the first time - I'll get through this I'm sure - but during the last few months I've:- 1) Built a state of the art pc and I have intermitent USB issues. 2) Installed a solid state drive and it was a nightmare updating the firmware. 3) Had problems with my G25 but don't know whether it's the actual G25 or a USB problem as mentioned in #1 4) Upgraded my internet access from "AOL Broadband (slow but reliable)" to "BT Infinity option 1 (Brilliant - worked just as advertised whether I use an ethernet cable or my USB wireless adapter)" ...but I got greedy so:- 5) Got "BT Infinity option 2" and it works but the wireless is even slower than option 1 (Related to my USB issues again? Possibly, but why did it only happen the second I upgraded from option 1? Should I disclose my USB issues to BT? If I do they might use it to unjustly justify my poor internet speed..AAARRGH! 6) Spoke for hours to BT tech support and got great speeds... until they hung up. 7) Considered gaming on my sons XBOX 360 but it just seems so limited - I like racing sims after all... and those controller things give me cramp! Anyway, I'm just venting. It's just turned midnight and I am now 40 years old! seriously... it's my 40th birthday right now and I've instantly turned into my dad.

5 July 12, 23:55	#2
max attack Donated Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Melbourne Age: 47	Happy 40th mate. You will get through it. Enjoy your birthday.

6 July 12, 00:29	#3
joaoa13pt Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Portugal	Loved this post Happy 40th birthday!! You may be a father...and you may have turned into YOUR father, but it's never late to celebrate one more year on earth, and on total, 40 years here on this planet, and simply go out there and -->

6 July 12, 02:27	#4
markspeed Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: San Diego, California Age: 39	Happy 40th! I'll be joining you in 11 months from today.

6 July 12, 04:31	#7
Junkie1962 Join Date: Aug 2010	Isn't it funny how much smarter our fathers got as we got older happy 40 th

6 July 12, 12:00	#10
CX650 Grumpy old Git Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Dorset UK	Happy Birthday buddy.

13 July 12, 01:13	#11
Age Rohbein Join Date: Jun 2011	..And now get a Mac to solve half your problems

13 July 12, 12:15	#13
redi Superator Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: On a thin crust covering a huge ball of hot molten stone whizzing through space Age: 40	Happy belated bday! Keep on adopting early, it's good for my job!

13 July 12, 22:44	#15
nikbear Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: United Kingdom	Happy Belated Birthday,I can relate totally,I'm 44 and have a love/hate relationship with all things tech I love them,they hate me,......at regular intervals,usually when I need them most!

13 July 12, 22:53	#16
Pizzaman Minifreak & Muscleman Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Groningen Centre of the Universe	I didn't know robotic women existed yet Nikbear. But it sounds like they made them too realistic.