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Of PC nitwits and cops with attitude...
A2597
Fanboy
in Zocalo v2.0
OK, so, there is this lady (Daughter of friend of parents) that has PC trouble, about 30 minutes away from here. Guess who the only tech guy is she can call.
yep, me.
first off, let me describe her PC.
Genuine Intel processor
16mb ram
1.2 GB HD with 120 megs free
14in moniter
top of the line scanner/printer
so, I've been there a couple times. the past two times she had real issues, which took on average, an hour to fully solve/walk her through it so it doesn't happen again.
I got a call sunday night "I need your help again...I got a new phone, and when I plugged it into the computer, the computer stopped working.
"so, I plugged in the old phone, and now I can get on the internet again, but now the monitor is all scrunched up funny."
so, I'm still trying to figure out how they relate, and figured she used the moniter as a half hold while leaning behind it, and somehow hit the adjustment buttons, this scrunching the image.
Unfortunetally, I can't even get her to tell me if there are adjustment buttons on the moniter. Great.
Schedual to go there today, arrive, start up PC. Gee, the image is fine. So WHAT was she trying to tell me?
So, we go online, so I can ensure that is OK...and wal-mart connect pops up, and heres the problem:
She resized the wal-mart connect window down to about half the size of the screen.
I resized it, then maximized.
oh wait, it gets better. I figure why waist a trip down here, because she probably won't pay me for less then 2 seconds work. so I ask her to bring her new phone out, so I can get it hooked up.
I look at how she can the phone cabels:
From the wall to the PC: yes
From PC to Phone: yes
the reason the phone didn't work?
the phone wire was plugged into...I never identified it. best I could tell, the sound card. yes, the SOUND CARD. to the phone. I don't know how she got it in there, but I got it out, and used the new wire that came with the phone. Worked fine.
Gah! 30 minute drive, 5 minutes to boot PC and solve problem (Note specs above) and 15 minutes to fix the phone, program speed dial, and set the clock. (15 minutes because she made it harder...)
and 1:30 listning to her yak as I'm trying to get out the door with a measly $20 she gave me.
Oh, wait, the day gets better!
I'm getting back on the interstate to head home, small town = small acceleration/merging lane. one car in front of me, and a state trooper behind me, and 500 cars in the slow lane, none in the fast lane. Thanks for merging people!
guy in front of me finds a small opening after he hit 35 or so.
I'm at about 45 and spot a small opening, I floor it to get into there...and note that the cop is going to merge in with me. OK, fine. Then I notice he didn't want to merge behind me, he wanted to get AHEAD of me, which of course, there was no room to do, and he was forced to slow down and stay behind me. He was pissed. He flicked me off.
Yes, I WAS FLICKED OFF BY A STATE TROOPER.
no, not pulled over, he zoomed to the fast lane and was a mile down the road quite quickly, no lights or siren, so no emergency.
go fig, how many people can say they have been flicked off by a cop? :D
and just to top the day off...no fireworks tent is selling bottle rockets. just lots of sparkers. Bah.
yep, me.
first off, let me describe her PC.
Genuine Intel processor
16mb ram
1.2 GB HD with 120 megs free
14in moniter
top of the line scanner/printer
so, I've been there a couple times. the past two times she had real issues, which took on average, an hour to fully solve/walk her through it so it doesn't happen again.
I got a call sunday night "I need your help again...I got a new phone, and when I plugged it into the computer, the computer stopped working.
"so, I plugged in the old phone, and now I can get on the internet again, but now the monitor is all scrunched up funny."
so, I'm still trying to figure out how they relate, and figured she used the moniter as a half hold while leaning behind it, and somehow hit the adjustment buttons, this scrunching the image.
Unfortunetally, I can't even get her to tell me if there are adjustment buttons on the moniter. Great.
Schedual to go there today, arrive, start up PC. Gee, the image is fine. So WHAT was she trying to tell me?
So, we go online, so I can ensure that is OK...and wal-mart connect pops up, and heres the problem:
She resized the wal-mart connect window down to about half the size of the screen.
I resized it, then maximized.
oh wait, it gets better. I figure why waist a trip down here, because she probably won't pay me for less then 2 seconds work. so I ask her to bring her new phone out, so I can get it hooked up.
I look at how she can the phone cabels:
From the wall to the PC: yes
From PC to Phone: yes
the reason the phone didn't work?
the phone wire was plugged into...I never identified it. best I could tell, the sound card. yes, the SOUND CARD. to the phone. I don't know how she got it in there, but I got it out, and used the new wire that came with the phone. Worked fine.
Gah! 30 minute drive, 5 minutes to boot PC and solve problem (Note specs above) and 15 minutes to fix the phone, program speed dial, and set the clock. (15 minutes because she made it harder...)
and 1:30 listning to her yak as I'm trying to get out the door with a measly $20 she gave me.
Oh, wait, the day gets better!
I'm getting back on the interstate to head home, small town = small acceleration/merging lane. one car in front of me, and a state trooper behind me, and 500 cars in the slow lane, none in the fast lane. Thanks for merging people!
guy in front of me finds a small opening after he hit 35 or so.
I'm at about 45 and spot a small opening, I floor it to get into there...and note that the cop is going to merge in with me. OK, fine. Then I notice he didn't want to merge behind me, he wanted to get AHEAD of me, which of course, there was no room to do, and he was forced to slow down and stay behind me. He was pissed. He flicked me off.
Yes, I WAS FLICKED OFF BY A STATE TROOPER.
no, not pulled over, he zoomed to the fast lane and was a mile down the road quite quickly, no lights or siren, so no emergency.
go fig, how many people can say they have been flicked off by a cop? :D
and just to top the day off...no fireworks tent is selling bottle rockets. just lots of sparkers. Bah.
Comments
[B]LMAO Peoples stupidity is amusing :rolleyes: [/B][/QUOTE]
Read these:
[url]http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/[/url]
[i]You will read stories in this file that will convince you that among the human race are human-shaped artichokes futilely attempting to break the highly regarded social convention that vegetables should not operate electronic equipment.[/i]
Probably still not the wisest course of action...but hey! :)
[B]Read these:
[url]http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/[/url]
[i]You will read stories in this file that will convince you that among the human race are human-shaped artichokes futilely attempting to break the highly regarded social convention that vegetables should not operate electronic equipment.[/i] [/B][/QUOTE]
That page is funny, but I really wish they'd order their entries better.
[B]Read these:
[url]http://www.rinkworks.com/stupid/[/url]
[i]You will read stories in this file that will convince you that among the human race are human-shaped artichokes futilely attempting to break the highly regarded social convention that vegetables should not operate electronic equipment.[/i] [/B][/QUOTE]
My favorite:
[quote]
Customer: "When my computer boots up, all I get is a black screen that says, 'boot2/'."
Tech Support: "What operating system are you using?"
Customer: "I'm using Windows 98 and NT 4.0."
Tech Support: "Ok, I'm the Mac tech. The Windows tech is gone, but I can try to help you."
Customer: "Ok, what should I do? I've reformatted the hard drive and have fresh installs of both operating systems."
Tech Support: "Sir, have you put any cheese or mustard in your a drive?"
Customer: "What? Did you just ask me if I put cheese or mustard in my floppy drive?"
Tech Support: "Yeah, we've had that happen a lot lately."
Customer: (staring blankly at roommate, who was laughing uncontrollably on the floor) "I think I'll wait for the PC tech to get back. Thanks for the help." (click) [/quote]
Jake
It got so bad that I was really tempted to strangle her, especially after she would blow a *itch fit if I objected. (mind you I had just walked in from a full days work and was hungry)...
I got my point across finally when people started asking me if she could help them with this and that, and I booked her schedule right heavy...
:p
Now we appreciate each others abilities so much more now...
:D
[B]I took 3 months to reformat a PC and give it XP. People don't ask me to help them anymore. :) [/B][/QUOTE]
It allways take you that long to reformat and install windows on a computer?
[B]It allways take you that long to reformat and install windows on a computer? [/B][/QUOTE]
Maybe that PC is what Microsoft's claims as minimum requirements for OS.:D
"Uh sir, you know that you can download the software from the net, you don't have to wait for the disk right?"
"Yes but I can't be bothered to wait 15 minutes for the download, I'd rather just get the disk."
Uh-huh. 15 minutes is too long for him, but 3 months wait time isn't??? Of course I stuffed a sock in my mouth at that point. I know better than to make a customer feel dumber than he already is :rolleyes:
[B]Maybe that PC is what Microsoft's claims as minimum requirements for OS.:D [/B][/QUOTE]
It's below, actually. I broke my 98 disc, and said what the heck, it's worth a shot, just for fun--and somehow XP worked on a PC with 128Mb of RAM and < 500mHz. It's probably going to melt any day now, but I don't care, I want him to get a good PC so I can convert him to geekdom. :)
It took 3 months because his modem died, [b]AOL Dialup[/b] didn't want to work for me, and I didn't give a crap about his 6-year old PC. Wasn't getting paid, obviously. :p
I'm a bad, bad man.
[B]Windows XP runs fine on a 500MHz computer. I used to run it on one. It's RAM that is the important requirement for XP, not CPU speed. [/B][/QUOTE]
LESS THAN 500, it might be as low as a 266, with 128Mb RAM. It's a frickin' PeoplePC!
you guys must run really low or REALLY high resolutions...
[B]what linebreak? It's dead center in the screen for me...
you guys must run really low or REALLY high resolutions... [/B][/QUOTE]
1280 x 1024... I believe you said you use some freaky widescreen resolution like 1280 x 960. :p
[B]My favorite[/B][/QUOTE]
I don't get it. Why is it funny?
[B]no, I use the 4:3 aspect ratio, your using some freaky square aspect ratio. [/B][/QUOTE]
5:4, actually. Not particularly square at all.
[B]I don't get it. Why is it funny? [/B][/QUOTE] I was waiting for someone else to ask, in case I was alone. :D
[B]5:4, actually. Not particularly square at all. [/B][/QUOTE]
Closer to square than 4:3, anyway, and not at all like my nice 16:10. Nevermind that it's on a 4:3 monitor, with big black bars at the top and bottom, and that both my monitor and card support a resolution that would have the same horizontal but would also fill up the vertical, I still likes it.
:p
[B]Why don't they reduce 16:10 to 8:5 ?[/B][/QUOTE]
Because it doesn't sound as cool.