Friday, August 15, 2014

Wondering About Modern Gadgets.

Oh yes, I know that title can include a whole lot of things, but lately a lot of our modern gadgets have us pulling our hair out!!  There have been a lot of things quit or malfunction around here lately.  My wireless printer, copier, scanner decided it didn't want to talk to my computer, or maybe the computer didn't want to talk to it.  I even took my computer and held it right next to the printer, but nothing happened.  So then I decided to connect it directly and went to get a USB cable, knowing I had lots of them, but do you believe that I couldn't find even one of them.  You see, all my office stuff was moved out of the office so that a new floor could be put down and I have never moved the crap back in there. . . maybe tomorrow or the next day or the next week or the next month or the next year or ....

My wife, my son, and I have satellite radios which are all on our account.  We got one new radio to replace one that malfunctioned and the day before yesterday, we went to town to buy a dock to play it in.  The store in Conroe didn't have one but called the one in The Woodlands and that store did, so we went down there and got it.  We brought it home and all worked well until we called in had the other one turned off.  Well, wouldn't you know it, they did turn her old one off but they turned my radio off, too.  My wife called today, and would you believe that it took an hour and a half on the phone with someone in another country to try and get it all straightened out.  It wouldn't work so now we had to pay for a new unit.  This one will come complete with the radio and dock, so it should work.  But, I am not going to bet the farm on it. . . So, I guess now we have to go to town and get a printer, copier, scanner unit to replace the one that got mad at my computer and will not talk to it.  I am losing enough hair as it is and sure don't want to pull any more out.  I sure hope all of you have a great day, you hear?

17 comments:

  1. We buy various "gadgets" as well.... the thing that gripes me the most is that even if I buy something like a new Canon Powershot, the battery from the old one never fits the new one. Same with other things... Bill's new cordless drill doesn't fit in the same dock as the old one. And it's cheaper to buy a whole new drill than to buy a replacement battery. There's no such thing as recycle in today's market.... guess the designers know how to keep their jobs by making money for their companies. ARG!

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    1. I tried to hook the printer-scanner up to the computer (I found a USB cable on my wife's old desktop) and it worked with the cable but will not in the wireless mode. So, for now, I now I can use it and it isn't as urgent to get it replaced.

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  2. I can't get this newer computer (3 years old) to communicate with my printer (7 years old). On top of that I think the newer computer is on its last legs and I have no intention of buying one with Windows 8.

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    1. I still run Windows 7 and have no intention to going any higher for awhile. My wife bought a new laptop a year or so ago and it had Windows 8. We just gave it to my son's future wife for her daughter. Kids now-a-days can work most any computer.

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    2. This kid at age 70 got a new computer that had Windows 8 in it. I had heard all the stories about how bad it was but did not have any hair pulling moments making the transition from Ubuntu to Windows 8.

      I think most of the people that have a problem making the transition have been using Windows 7 for years and expect Windows 8 to be the same. Windows 8 did have some things that I did not like but I was able to find fixes for them or I adapted quickly.

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  3. Labor saving?

    Talk about pulling your hair out. Through a serious of misadventures I ended up with a shaved head . . . one of those days.

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    1. Dang. I, for one, would like to hear that story. Sounds like a good blog subject for your next blog.

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  4. That's why I try to go as technology free as I can - just have to worry about my computer and printer which is non-wireless so I have to USB my computer to the printer. My old scanner doesn't work anymore so I just won't scan anything! I just have to charge my jitterbug phone about every 3 nights and I'm good to go. I almost wish I could go computer-free, but then I wouldn't have contact with anyone.

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    1. After I turned 70, I decided to finish the jobs I had and not take on any more. Up until then, I had to have the latest operating system to run my engineering programs which were updated every year.

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  5. Do you think you've just got too many things...

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    1. Yep, We got seven rooms plus a laundry room and a closet as big as a bedroom (closet has a window) and the place is stuffed with stuff.

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  6. This is what usually for me is a Grand Exercise in Futility. Go watch Gunsmoke.

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    1. It just so happens that we are right at this moment watching Gunsmoke.

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  7. With your experience with that wireless printer, NOT gonna get one. The comments also has made me decide against it.

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    1. It was great when working properly, but it quit communicating with my laptop so I found a cable and hooked it up direct. It worked that way.

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