Sunday 19 March 2023

A Fresh Start

My old PC served me well for at least 15 years. I used it mainly for playing my favourite computer games, but also for blogging, reading and writing emails and doing my tax stuff.

Of course I kept maintaining it; I regularly opened the case to dust the fans etc., cleared out unnecessary data, upgraded the OS and software as available, and generally had nothing to complain.

Over the years, the little old machine became slower. It was state of the art when my late husband originally bought it, but of course you all know that in the world of electronic devices, even two years is "old" - 15 years is positively ANCIENT, like Mesopotamian clay tablets with cuneiform writing.

Still, I was happy enough with what my machine could still do. But when February turned into March, I discovered that my favourite game did no longer work. In order to make it work again, I would have to change the app on which it runs, and that new app only works on a 64 bit OS. Needless to say, mine was a 32 bit OS with no way to upgrade it anymore. 

What to do?

Well, for a couple of years now I have been saying (O.K. will confirm this) that it is time for a new PC. In February, I received a bonus from work, and my birthday is next week. Therefore, my birthday present to myself was going to be a new PC!

Last week (March 7), after work I went to the computer shop just down the road from my house. I told the helpful man at the counter what I wanted, and he looked up the requirements for the new computer game I will have as a birthday present from O.K. (Hogwarts Legacy, in case you want to know). Together, we configured the machine to suit my purposes, and I placed my order. We agreed on me coming for pickup on Friday afternoon.

When I arrived at the shop on Friday (March 10) at the arranged time, much to my disappointment I was told that the man's colleague had accidentally sold my computer to someone else that same morning. I wasn't pleased, but it wasn't really a problem, either; I was going to travel to O.K.'s two hours later and would not be home all weekend anyway.

On Monday evening, I found a message on my answering machine that the computer was now indeed ready. As soon as I returned from work on Tuesday, I went to the shop, paid for my computer and - with much puffing and panting and several stops to give my arms a rest - carried the big, heavy parcel home.

Since then, the unopened box has been sitting in my bedroom; for something like setting up a new PC, I need time and a focused mind, neither of which were really available together until today.

I have only just finished - the most time-consuming bit was finding a cable in Steve's huge fundus to connect my old screen (yes, for now I am keeping monitor, keyboard, mouse and sound system - they work perfectly well, and there is no reason to replace them).

Finally, Draco comes out of his box.

My little old white tower is going to go. *sniff*

Draco's side is made of glass.

He's a true gaming machine with fancy lighting in the front...

...and at the side. It even changes colours! (Silly, I know - I didn't NEED that, but it was what the machine came with.)

New set up on (very) old screen.

Here we go - ready for blogging!
Writing this blog post has been my first deed on the new PC!

Now I am going to look at getting my games to run... Wish me luck :-)

26 comments:

  1. I then usually find lots of other things on new computers are different, and even a month of more later can still be fiddling around trying to work out how to do things.

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    1. So far, I have had no problems and no fiddling was necessary, but I guess that could change once I start playing. (At the moment, my games are still downloading via the EA app.)

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  2. Best of luck, Meike! My computer is old also (a hand-me-down from my sister) but I am hoping it holds out for awhile. I haven't cleaned it out or taken good care of it so I am not sure how it has lasted this long. I had better back things up one of these days before I lose it all!

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    1. Thank you, Ellen! Maybe your computer has been lasting that long because you do not clutter it up with game data and other stuff. A backup every now and then is always a good idea - you never know when your harddrive decides to give up!

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  3. I am glad you have up-dated to a new gaming PC. It should last you for some years to come. I use a Chromebook and it serves my purposes and is quick and simple. My Sky tv satellite system was 15 years old when I had it replaced. The guy who came told me my equipment was 9 years old but the actual system was 15 years old and very out of date. It worked but I could not access modern platforms. He was right. Now I am up-to-date with a second installation following soon after that one which came courtesy of Sky TV for being a long subscribing customer. I am now fully up-to-date. It is a reassuring state to be in.

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    1. Exactly! If then something does not work as it should, at least you know it's not because your equipment is outdated.
      The new PC is so wonderfully quiet! My old one sounded like a rocket ready for take-off when the fan achieved its working speed.

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  4. I am SO happy for you! Your enthusiasm jumps right off the page!

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    1. Thanks, Nan! I have not yet had a proper playing session, but I am already happy about how quiet it is (see my reply to Rachel above yours).

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  5. Hope this one does you well dear Meike. Only Apple products here - all synched and easy to deal with, never hacked, lightweight, and beautiful to behold! I had no idea you would be a 'gamer.' I wouldn't know where to start with anything like that, haha!!!

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    1. You probably were not yet reading my blog in 2013, when I last wrote about my work for EA and my favourite games:
      https://librarianwithsecrets.blogspot.com/2013/08/back-from-gamescom.html
      O.K. has all Apple devices, too; for me, it has always been more convenient to have computers (both for work and play) running on Microsoft OS, as they are compatible with the usual office applications "everybody" uses. I know that Apple have made huge progress when it comes to compatibility, but it wasn't like that for a long time. Nowadays, my mobile devices and my TV box are Apple, while my personal PC and my two laptops from work run on Microsoft OS.

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  6. Not needing the power of a PC for gaming and living as I did in New Zealand half the time I have used a laptop/Macbook for the last 17 or so years. It meant I could take everything with me. Even so the power of a modern Macbook if far greater than my real need and with reliance on clouds for storage most of us have far more computing power than we need these days.

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    1. I agree; most PCs provide more than their regular users need every day. But gaming puts of course high pressure on the overall performance, and especially on the graphics card. And playing a game that keeps stop-and-go-ing or with blurry graphics is just not much fun. (Many people would say that for them, computer games are not much fun anyway - and that's fine; I don't want to "convert" my readers in any way.)

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    2. I gave my 2010 Macbook Pro to my mother and got a new one ilate 2013. That died a year ago and the helpdesk described it as "vintage mac", but my original model still worked until recently. I agree - I certainly dont need the power or expense of a Macbook pro anymore, but love my new MacAir.....

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    3. Hello Fi! See my reply to Mary's comment reg. Apple devices. O.K. loves them, too :-)

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  7. Ha ha, you will be GAMING all the time on this beauty! Please don't forget your blogging! LOL!! And I know most folks won't care but I love it changes those different colors!

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    1. Not in the coming months, I won't - there is much daylight and spring time to take advantage of for my walks after work, nothing keeps me indoors when I have the chance to be out there on the fields :-D
      But of course I will spend some time on my new PC to install the new game and give it a test run, and blogging will still be happening, too.
      The lights can be turned off, and as soon as I can be bothered to figure out how, I will turn them off. When I sit at my desk and look at the screen, the lights are at my feet - I don't see them, and they just cost energy that can be saved. Every little helps, as Tesco have been saying for decades ;-)

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    2. I know you exercise and blog very often, I was just kidding about gaming all the time! 😊 I forget that English is not your first language, you write so very well. Take care!

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    3. Thank you, Kay - I knew your advice was tongue in cheek ;-P

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  8. Enjoy your new PC! Good Luck with whatever subject you choose to concentrate on!!

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    1. Thanks, Duta! Your good wishes have already helped; setting up went smoothly and much quicker than I had expected. We'll see how the new game works when O.K. is here on the weekend; I won't spend much time playing, of course, but it needs a test run.

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  9. Welcome to your new computer ! I hope it serves you as well and as long as the last one did. By the way. I don't think I have ever come across the word "fundus" before but you appear to have used it correctly. I must give it a try some time.

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    1. Thank you, Neil! I am typing this comment at the new computer, and I am still so pleased and amazed at how FAST everything is on here, compared with the old one. It feels like switching from a trundling wooden cart to a sleek sportscar.
      Fundus is not so unusual in German, and at that moment that was the first term that came to mind when I was writing about my search for a matching cable.

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    2. I don't know if you plan to make a blogpost today. It doesn't matter. I just wanted to say.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope you have a nice day.

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    3. Thank you, Neil!
      As I am on a course for work all week and have an exam on Monday, I am rather busy today and won't be posting. But the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I will meet my Mum and my sister for a stroll in the palace grounds and a meal after work.

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  10. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! Sending you lots of love today!

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    1. Thank you, Jennifer - and HAPPY BIRTHDAY to you!!!

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