Friday, August 20, 2010

Well, I'm OLD, so I MUST Be Useless

It's all a conspiracy!!!

My computer died a few months ago. I was lucky enough to have a back up of my files. But my new beastie runs Windows 7. Except for the organic way Windows 7 finds anything in my computer, I pretty much hate it. Word and Excel have some strange new menus and I have to use help to do everything I used to do with ease. But I digress.

First comes the big bill for the computer. Then comes the realization that, since I loved XP pro and never trusted all those upgrades Microsoft (referred to as Microcrap in this house) came out with, none of my software will work. KACHING! Well, I'm barely scraping by as it is. So I literally beg, borrow and steal software cause I don't have an extra two grand just burning holes in my pockets.

Then comes the realization that my hardware doesn't work either! KACHING! KACHING! Microcrap overlooked the ever so remote possibility that every computer in the place would not be running Windows 7. Cause, yeah, I'm not working and can certainly afford to buy TWO computers...NOT! So networking is not REALLY possible...not with the ease it was with XP.

With XP, I have a wireless router and could print from either the big printer by my desktop or the little printer in the studio.... Easy peasy. With Windows 7, I have to choose. No longer printing an invoice from one computer to the other. The closest I can get is printing a pdf file to one from the other, then going to the printer I need and retrieving the pdf for actual paper printing. ARGH!

But that's not all. After wasting 7 hours of my life, downloading drivers, reloading drivers, erasing drivers for my scanner, I finally discovered online chat with HP (Hewlett Packard). After chatting with "Jack" (who I'm certain was either Indian or Filipino because he apologized constantly. Clue to companies sending American jobs overseas... Americans don't want constant apologies... it pisses us off!), I was told... "Well, your scanner is OLD!"

Yes, but it worked fine before Windows 7!

HP is not updating drivers for such old equipment.

Well, funny but I used to think alot of that old company, HP. NOT ANY MORE.

Not only do I feel like all these companies get together and try and see how much money they can squeeze out of consumers, I really HATE the tendency to throw out things just because they are OLD. I don't own a single flat screen tv... because my old ones work fine!

I guess I shouldn't be surprised...we don't treat our senior citizens much better.

7 comments:

Linda@VS said...

I read this earlier today and had already clicked on the comment screen when thinking about your post reminded me of the trouble I'd had a few weeks ago with my HP 3 in 1 printer/scanner/fax. I reached out and clicked the on button -- and nothing happened but one blinking light. By the time I'd spent an hour and a half searching for the manual, both in my home and online, and not finding a solution. I unplugged the thing, turned it back on, and it worked. By that time, though, I was too ticked off to write a coherent comment. So, now I'll say, I know exactly how you feel!

And in regard to your observation about senior citizens, we may not be treated wonderfully, but at least they still make replacement parts for us. :)

Maggie Mae and Max said...

Well Hello deres!

Tank youz for stopping by my bloggie today. Mom wanted me to tell you tanks for your concern over my jumpings too. After a couple of minutes she realized it prolly wasn't a good ideas after all so she made me stop. Please come back and visit me again. I am your newest follower!

Woofs and Licks,
Maggie Mae

the booker man said...

miss creekhiker,
all of that sounds way most annoying like! i say you uninstall the windows 7 crapola, and reinstall XP on your new compy!! mama kept XP on her compy cuz she likes it so much.
*woof*
the booker man

Pat Wahler said...

For what we pay, our wonderful new technological items should last a whole lot longer!

Pat
www.critteralley.blogspot.com

3 doxies said...

Oh we stupid bouts dis stuffs. All I know is we gots da vista thingy and eveybuddy complained bouts it ...but, we has nevers had a problem.
Xp, Gps,...I have no idea what all them letters mean anyhow...hehehe!

Puddles

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

Our Mom got so sick of problems with PCs that she switched to a Mac and loves it. Sorry about all the problems and hope you can get it figured out.

Woos ~ Phantom, Thunder, and Ciara

Snowbrush said...

The foreigners I get on the phone don't only not apologize, they don't give a shit for the most part. As soon as I hear that Indian accent, I cringe.

I'm sorry for all your hassle and expense. Four years ago, I bought an Apple. The price hurt, but the hassles are far, far fewer plus I don't have to constantly buy and update security software that drags the computer down to a crawl. I can no longer even imagine going back to Windows.