Does not compute, does not compute

[peterbirks]

Long-term readers of this litany of woe may recall that I upgraded to Windows XP a few months ago. However, I couldn't get the dual monitor system to work, so I downloaded the latest driver for the second graphics card, after which I entered several hours of hell, utterly unable to get the machine working at all. Eventually I managed to get it started again (without the second monitor working, natch), so I stripped out the driver, deleted the dual monitor set-up, and returned to some degree of normality.

Anyway, at the end of last week, in the middle of serious tidying up in the wake of collapsed ceilings and the like, I found the card of the guy who fitted the second graphics card and set up my machine for two monitors in the first place. Ah-hah! I thought. John (for that is his name) will be able to fix it up. So, I telephoned him and, last night at 8pm, round he came.

An hour and three-quarters later he had just about got as far as I did when I installed XP in the first place -- viz, the blue screen of death, with not even safe mode solving the problem. He looked at me sadly and said: "I think I'm going to have to take this away, Pete".

So, I'm minus the main computer until Monday. I got the laptop fired up with a line connection rather than a wireless connection, so I can play a single table, just.

Oh, and I bought a four-to-one USB extension "especially suitable for laptops" and plugged in the wireless connector. "You have attempted to connect a high-speed USB connection to a non high-speed extension. See documentation for how to solve this conflict" it said, unhelpfully. I think I have a case for taking that back to Maplins, since I bought both items there.

Computers, how much money is lost to the economy doing things with them that we didn't have to worry about in the past? I dread to think.

Comments

[jonathankaplan.livejournal.com]

A lot of money is lost to the economy making computing work. But then, a huge multiple of that is gained just because computers do things that used to be undoable, or almost impossible, or damned difficult, whatever. On a time benefit analysis, computers are a big boon, we are all much much more efficient. Even in times of computer difficulty.
I can remember 20 years ago when I would try and attach computer peripherals, it was as exasperating as could be. It took two WEEKS of near constant attention to get my first scanner to work.

On your specific case, keep plugging away. I am a big fan of multi-monitor systems. I have a 4 monitor grouping, using a quad monitor card from Appian Graphics. It was easy to set up, but....there still was a huge problem which, if I didn't know it existed, would have been a death knell. If you install a 3rd party video card to a recent PC, make sure you disable the Intel Graphics Accelerator that is (probably) on the motherboard. In fact, disable all graphics that is hardwired on the board completely, if you konw how, but at the least, kill that accelerator. It will totally mess with any 3rd party card.

You'll make it through this. And when you do, you'll wonder how you ever made do with just one monitor.
And I wonder how we ever survived without computers. I don't think our economy could run without them, now.

Hmm

[peterbirks.livejournal.com]

Yes, well, obviously the "cost to the economy" comment was tongue-in-cheek. I remember in 1980 working as a temp and spending a weekend converting exchange rates on a typewriter for an oil company -- an action which could now be done in seconds via an Excel spreadsheet. But when things go wrong....

I HAD dual monitors , but the machine was using Windows ME. Upgrading solved lots of problems but introduced the other, aforementioned, big one.

Ahh, the IGA. That's an interesting point. I do not think that it's the problem with my ancient Hewlett Packard, but it's certainly something to remember for future reference. Of course, I don't know how to disable it at the moment, but I'm sure that I can find out.

And I'm very unhappy with my laptop. It seems incapable of getting any hand better than Q6 off.

At the moment (if the dual monitor system is working) I have three monitors, on two computers. If I include the laptop and another old machine, I have five monitors on four machines.

Appian Graphics, huh? This sounds like a goer. I nearly just walked into PC World today and bought another base unit for the heck of it, as "something for the weekend". Except that it was raining, so I came home instead.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear Pete,

Considering that you are the guy who more than anyone else I know has emphasised the huge, mostly hidden benefits to the economy caused by the "information revolution" over the last 20 years or so, I don't think that you can complain much. Yesterday I booked a Tunnel crossing and a couple of Easyjet flights in about five minutes and then got very cross because the printer crashed when I tried to print out the confirmation. It took maybe ten minutes to sort out, and I got ridiculously annoyed about it, but what sort of proportion is that of the time and cost I would have needed booking both by telephone or post?

Information Revolution

[peterbirks.livejournal.com]

As I said John (I assume it's John), the comment was tongue-in-cheek, but your own follow-up emphasized my point! We take for granted the improved efficiencies, and then get annoyed at the "one-step-back" after the seven steps forward.

Hell, if it hadn't been for the advantages gained, the loss of that time would have been irrelevant. I would have been knitting wicker baskets, or something.