I bought a USB apparatus that I hoped would allow me to transfer files directly from the laptop to the tower (the old tower is toast- nothing usable there), but it didn't work. So I had to rely on the flash drive, which took awhile (it will surprise no one that I have over 8,000 paper doll scans in my files- do you know how looooong it takes for 8,000 jpgs to copy to a flash drive, and then over to the new hard drive?). I was able to download iTunes, Google Chrome (which eliminates not only a new and annoying weirdness on Facebook, and it allows me to leave comments on friends' blogs again), anti-virus software (some came with the tower, but it's not the brand we use on the other computers, so I switched over), and the Nikon Transfer program for my camera.
All of that went slowly, but smoothly. It got a bit rougher when I tried to hook my printer up. Turns out that my printer (a Dell all in one) is not compatible with Windows 7. And it's never going to be. Unfortunately, I recently spent $100 on ink for the beast. I can use the printer with both the laptop and the mini, but that sort of defeats the purpose of working on the tower (especially since my new WORD will be the latest version, and those DOCs may not even open on the other computers...). So, I'll need a new printer/scanner, but not before I use up the ink on hand (I doubt I can even give the printer away, and no one is going to buy the ink from me).
And my first computer game obsession, and old MahJongg program, one I've installed on every computer since Windows 3.1, no longer functions. The graphics are primitive, and I know that there are much prettier MahJongg versions out there, but I'm still sad to let this one go. Even worse, the Counted Cross Stitch Design program that I've used for every one of my charted designs won't work. Neither will an old photo-manipulation program that was a freebie but it still did everything I wanted it to. These programs pleased me, and I knew my way around them inside and out. Now I not only have to relearn all of those skills on newer, and surely much more complex, interfaces, but I'm going to have to PAY for the privilege. (And yes, all of those programs are still on the laptop and the mini, but once again, that snarls the whole New Computer scenario).
I also have to call the Adobe people so they can give me the key to install CS3 on this computer. You can only install it on two computers at a time, so you're supposed to de-register and uninstall it on one machine before you install the program on another. Unfortunately, the old computer did not give me sufficient warning before it crashed and burned. It's not a difficult process, but it's going to take an hour on the phone, talking with assorted young men who say their name is Steve, before I can get anyone to understand that I cannot uninstall the program on a non-functioning hard drive.
But outside of that, and the fact that I am out of *running up and down stairs 40 times a day* shape, it went pretty well. I am really happy to be back in my office, and for at least a day or so, my desk is relatively clean. My brain was scrambled by the time I let all things computer go for the evening, but I did get some sproingy off-white wool of uncertain provenance plied.
I have no idea where this came from, but I have a good 5ozs left to spin. This is 1.7ozs, 117 yds, spindle spun and plied, a fairly nice fingering weight. I'm getting better at the whole spindle thing. Practice, y'all. It works.
