Thursday, December 11, 2008

I <3 Technology

I heart it, I really do. So let me paint a picture for you of my technological past......dream sequence.........Once upon a time, Sarah decided to start taking her photography more or less seriously, which included new things like a fancy digital camera and learning intimidating software. I don't care what you say, Photoshop is intimidating. So she started teaching herself how to edit ginormous files equipped only with her sister Jessica's computer, online tutorials, and lots of trial and error. When the commutes to and from Jess' house were not working, and I think her computer was tiring from my using of it, my darling sister Nina and her husband Matthew generously gave me a hand-me-down laptop that he had used through law school. It looked something like this:
Only the touch pad decided to wig out every 5-25 minutes and not work for awhile. I became accustomed to this though, and continued my learning and the editing of pictures. Through time, computer crashes, and loss of pictures that I am still sick about, it became apparent that this was not the ideal setup. So for the last, say, 3-4 years this is how I have gone about processing literally thousands of pictures in my spare time:

See, the computer can only support about 10-15 of my photo files now before it starts acting up. So I can only process this many at a time. I have been using an external hard drive for awhile now, but the only problem is this......there is only one USB input and it is loose, so it randomly unplugs whatever hardware I have loaded in lets say 5-10 minute intervals. So what has to happen is this.......I plug in the card reader and can't retrieve all the files at once so I edit them one at a time, saving the edited files on my computer. About 15 pictures mind you. I then unplug the card reader and plug in the external hard drive (what Angie likes to call the eternal hard drive...she is so very spiritual) and transfer the ten files over from the computer. But this has to be done in batches of 2 or 3 photos at a time because the USB port will decide to unplug itself. The card reader unplugs itself as well.

So, after a couple years when I have one session of photos edited I (of course) don't have a CD burner, so I have to find a friend to let me use their computer to burn backup disks or, you know, actually give people their photos. All the while, the touch pad stops working every 10-20 minutes mind you. And yes, have tried a wireless mouse and otherwise, doesn't fix it and that requires a USB port as well.

If I fail to take the above precautions, this is what inevitably happens:


That may or may not be a slight exaggeration. So you can imagine my elation when over Thanksgiving Dad and Joel and I decided to visit Fry's to see what deals they had going on. Dad has been trying to build me a computer for ages. For obvious reasons. They didn't have the thing with all the chips that we needed The motherboard? Motherload? I don't know. And somehow about 20-30 minutes later Joel had bought me a new laptop. It is not a MacBook Pro, much less expensive. (Matthew told me that he would strike me a deal where I buy his used MacBook off him for 2k so he could buy the new MacBook Pro....if only I had 2k.....would have been such a killer deal). But it is pretty (navy blue! it's the new black!) and I can get on the interweb with it and I started over a job that I have been working on for literally 2 months and finished it in 4 hours. 4 hours. And it looked better than all the work that I have done over the last 2 months. Dad commented that the ring was one thing, but a computer? Now thats commitment. I am spoiled. And we can never spend money again. It really wasnt very expensive.....and you've gotta spend money to make money.....or so I hear. Am I right people?

Ang, I will have your family's pictures to you by this weekend, this goes for Sallee's pics as well, and Nina's and anyone else that has been waiting ages for me to give them pictures. It's a new era people. See, I am spiritual as well. Take that Ang.

Also a special thank you to family and friends that have generously let me use their computers and internet to get to this point. I am forever in your debt.

6 comments:

Tara said...

What a relief! I have dealt with shady computers in my past and can't believe I held out as long as I did for a new one. What a guy (Joel that is).

Britten said...

Wow! I don't think I blame you for not getting your pics done.

Yay! for new technology!

Potcherboy said...

Great news! Do you by chance have the photos of us at the cabin from a couple of years ago? I'm sure I'm at the back of the line!

Becca Jo said...

I do still think you should have gone with the mac! I <3 my mac.

Anonymous said...

I am glad that my old "computer" served you "well" I use quotes on words that could be replace with "piece of crap" and "not really at all," respectively. I am glad the new machine is working out for you.

Jaime Van Hoose Steele said...

I'm jealous you got a new computer, my computer is soooo old and ghetto! I am excited to see what new pics you post though! I love the pictures I've seen of yours.