The Complaint Thread

[Deleted]

My grandpa was taken to the hospital a while ago. He apparently has a kidney infection, and while everyone is convinced that he will be okay...I still remain worried about him. I really do hope he will be okay. Please keep him in your thoughts.

[Deleted]

Well... I guess you could say I have a good-news, bad-news situation here.

Good: I finally got my own computer with internet access...

Bad: It's an utter dinosaur of a computer. I assumed when the guy (I got it at a real computer-repair type place) was talking it up that - even though it's a 2004 computer - it could be prodded into working well. Well... I guess there's a reason very few if any people actually still use these old piles. The programs are beyond ancient, blip.tv stutters on everything, if you highlight Higher Quality viewing options on YouTube- the screen freezes constantly, and - worst of all - ..., my screen is coming up in square-form. I'm actually viewing this on a very rectangular monitor (it's not proper widescreen but the ratio is not a freaking square!). The only way to make it fit this monitor forces everything to stretch and look bad.

I'm stuck in a bit of a pickle. I don't know what I'm going to do. I mean- this was meant to be the catalyst for me to REALLY pick up all my old article / review series again since I know have no one to share this computer with. But the format - if I can talk myself into bothering to slog on - is going to be severely compromised.

UG! (I fucking hate being poor.)

[Hawk]

People selling repaired computers always make them out to be really good.. I remember the laptop my dad got me from some "computer repair guy".. What a fucking piece of shit.. I couldn't even watch youtube videos.. It was so shit.. It would just freeze.. In the end I got sick of it and punched it.. It never worked again haha.. I know this doesn't help you in anyway but I just wanted to share my story haa..

[StevePulaski]

Ever look into getting a notebook or even a laptop? They are getting more and more affordable as time passes. I was at Sam's Club checking out notebooks and they went for about $200 - $350.

[Deleted]

Jun 21, 2012 10:49:57 GMT -5 Hawk said:

People selling repaired computers always make them out to be really good.. I remember the laptop my dad got me from some "computer repair guy".. What a fucking piece of shit.. I couldn't even watch youtube videos.. It was so shit.. It would just freeze.. In the end I got sick of it and punched it.. It never worked again haha.. I know this doesn't help you in anyway but I just wanted to share my story haa..

No- I like giving other people a chance to vent. Compare and contrast sorta thing. I guess your situation was the same as mine- this software is just really outdated and it needs to be updated so that it can keep up with all the stuff we do online. All the stuff that keeps upgrading their own software so that they can offer a new look and dazzling features.

As a slight update on my situation- I actually watched YouTube videos for a couple hours this morning without a lot of trouble. Of course, I watched a good deal of them without maximizing the screen- which I almost always do. And surprisingly, I got through a few music videos on 480 and at least enjoyed watching them- even though they would all skip for a couple seconds toward the end. I don't know why- every time near the end, 2-3 seconds they all would skip. Just watched somebody's short-film about 40 minutes ago without problems too. And I watched a movie last night on Netflix and the picture was a little jerky- but I was still able to completely enjoy the movie. It was fullscreen though (1.33 / ratio). I'm thinking I'll only have luck there with FS but we'll see...

Jun 21, 2012 11:06:29 GMT -5 StevePulaski said:

Ever look into getting a notebook or even a laptop? They are getting more and more affordable as time passes. I was at Sam's Club checking out notebooks and they went for about $200 - $350.

I actually jumped the gun on this purchase, I just fucking (felt as though I) couldn't wait any longer. ...No, I couldn't wait any longer. And technically, I'd rather have this than nothing. I'm sure if I had looked around, I could have gotten a better deal somewhere but - as you may have guessed considering how little I've been around here the past 2 months - I've had entire days without any access to a computer. That fucking problem-roommate had to return from the hospital, on feeding tubes and walking around the actual house with an IV pole, and because she can't sleep on her back- she MOVES IN to the computer room where she sits at that computer table and plays Solitaire. ALL DAY. Her boyfriend (who is my other roommate) offered to let me use his laptop which kinda has everything I need (it was brand spanking store-bought new in January this year) but he thinks I use computers just to watch videos and chat a little. I need a place where I can fully set-up shop, save files, make videos, edit them, take photos, edit them. Etc.

In general, I hate to say it but, I don't love his laptop. The arrow buttons (which I use for gaming) are too small and stuck in a place where you'd have to really hunt to find them if you were pressed for time (which is kinda the point of a game). And there is a huge board sort of area which makes it hard for me to type. This computer, if one thing can be said in its' favor, is a dream for me in that regard. Typing is easy and fun. (Perhaps why this reply is a wee bit too long- now I have LOTS of time to indulge in overexpressing every thought.) Of course, I suppose you could just hook in another keyboard through... USB? I dunno. Too set in my ways, I guess. My point though is just that I shouldn't be put in this position. You know what would really help me out? If you could buy a computer via a payment plan. Get it now and pay as you go. But I don't think they have that kinda thing, I guess businessfolk still see computers as something that goes south very fast.

Anyway, maybe I'll be able to upgrade somehow in a few months. Not holding my breath, though, since it really takes me months to save up a pathetic $50.

[StevePulaski]

Wishing you all the best, NP, as usual. And to answer that keyboard question, say you were going to buy a new computer, you could just hook that keyboard up to it via USB.

[Deleted]

Gotcha.

I will definitely be writing some reviews pretty soon but the format will have to be changed until I can port everything over to a better-looking computer. I'll start a new series with a title along the lines of... Rough Drafts or My Notepad/Notebook/Scratchbook. Something like that. With whatever pics I can scrounge up. Eventually, all the articles will be reformatted and put where they belong. With larger pictures, etc. Since this screen is so small, the pictures I can actually take on this computer will have to take a downgrade. (Which actually is important to me- as you can tell, I'm very presentational.)

[StevePulaski]

Jun 25, 2012 16:38:04 GMT -5 @zender said:

I really ought to change this old Tarzan avatar. By the time you read this, I probably will already have Darth Maul or some other space freak up.

Yeah, cause Jeff Probst is such a space freak. And honestly, I think your avatar and text is immature. He's a great speaker and, while I'm not sure a show is a must need at this time, it would be nice to watch.

[patface1979]

My computer on the fritz again ugh I know how u feel NP!

[StevePulaski]

I see dollar signs, lots of greenbacks too. Disappearing before our eyes, Obamacare got through. And I think to myself; what a tax-driven world!

[Deleted]

Jun 27, 2012 1:40:48 GMT -5 patface1979 said:

My computer on the fritz again ugh I know how u feel NP!

Could it be a virus? Is it over 2 years old?

What's wrong with it?

[Deleted]

Well, my computer drama is far from over. I just got another one and... the screen was fucked up. It had a huge aqua bar running down vertically just left of center and wouldn't disappear.

So, now I'm taking it back and getting another one later. HOPEFULLY, what went wrong here won't go wrong again. But I have a bad feeling. Of course.




Update:
Got the new computer now and it works a lot better. Not perfect but a lot better.

[Deleted]

My Sims 2 game won't play on the family's desktop. As a result, I have to wait until my brother gets back from California at the end of the month; he is the only one that knows how to fix it.

[Deleted]

I can't believe that the inside of my throat still feels a bit sore, even if it's not as bad as it was yesterday.

[Deleted]

I went to a screening of The Amazing Spider-Man today, only to find out that it was a version with subtitles for the hearing impaired. I tried to sit through it anyway, but in the end the subtitles really bugged me (no pun intended). While I enjoyed the movie itself, the whole experience was made significantly less enjoyable because it was not one of the regular screenings.

So now I know how many people feel about foreign films, hence why so many of them are remade in English to avoid having to read subtitles. In perfect honestly, I have no problem with subtitles as long as they match my situation. If I don't speak the language that is being spoken in the film, I would very much like there to be subtitles. At least with such films, I KNOW that subtitles will be shown, whereas with this, it was just an irritating surprise.