Computer

I hate to make excuses for my absence on the blog lately, but I really do have a good one (but it's long, so if you're not in the mood for a LONG story...)

For those who aren't aware, lovely Microsoft will stop supporting all OSs below Windows 7 in April of this year.  Our computers at home are Windows XP and Vista, so, not wanting to open ourselves up to viruses and hacking, we decided to buy a new computer.  I was excited as our current set up works, but isn't ideal.  We have a desktop in the basement with Photoshop installed on it.  It runs SO SLOWLY, so editing photos is nightmarish, and doing anything else is on it is pretty much out of the question.  So the only time we "booted up the beast" was when I felt like gouging my eyeballs out needed to edit photos for pictures I'd taken for people.  Never for my own photos of course, that would be insanity.  Upstairs, we actually had 2 laptops (both of which were bought for pennies from a school district that was done with them.)  I used one, but without much memory, there was no way I was going to put Photoshop on it.  The others was actually supposed to be Andy's for work, but as mine got slower with ever bulkier programs, we kept it at home for Ira to use for his math curriculum.  Again, not perfect, but it worked.

Feeling like our hand was being quite forced, we started looking into new computers in December and ordered a relatively high end Dell with Windows 8 right around the first of the year.  I'd also made a commitment to myself to blog more, now that the computer would be lightning fast.  Well, a few days into January I got an email from Dell that our order had been cancelled and to contact our credit card company regarding the reasons.  I called our credit card company the next day who said they had no idea why it had been cancelled, they didn't even show an attempted authorization.  So I called the phone number/extension in the email from Dell and was told that that extension no longer existed.  How helpful...  I then spent 45 minutes being transferred from one person to another (6? more? in total), got hung up on by the automated system three times, and felt belittled by everyone I talked to because for some reason (which no one could explain) my customer number got tied to the customer number of the person who stole our credit card and bought a Dell Laptop 18 months ago, flagging our account and cancelling our order.  I have no idea how that happened because our credit card number is different and I've never bought a computer from Dell in my life.  I should have taken the hint at that point and just given up, but no...  Finally I talked to a woman who said "I will be the last person you talk to, and I will get this issue resolved."  A.MEN!  She got me a new customer number, ordered our computer, and shipped it to us 2nd Day for the trouble.

So the computer came.  We bought a thumb drive to back the OS up before we did anything to the computer.  Except an update needed to install for the MyDell program before we could use it to back the OS up.  And the update was corrupt.  So we restarted (our brand new computer) and the update seemed to install.  Then the computer wouldn't recognize the USB drive plugged into any of the ports.  After chatting with Samrat for 2.5 hours, him remote-accessing our computer and updating the PE environment, partially updating the BIOS (but it failed for some reason), reformatting the thumb drive, we restart the computer and he is gone.  Completely gone.  No chat window, no phone call back.  Nothing.  And the dang back up program still wouldn't work.  It was 12:30am by this point, so I went to bed, more than a little irritated. 

Given the fact that I homeschool and am busy teaching during the day, I couldn't call back until late afternoon the next day.  I spent 4 hours on the phone with Lourhey installing 64 updates, reformatting the thumb drive, updating the BIOS again, uninstalling and reinstalling the MyDell program (again on my BRAND NEW COMPUTER.)  Lourhey was remote accessing the computer to back it up and we were chatting when I realize that she's backing up the FILES and PHOTOS (which there were NONE OF YET), not the OS like I had been asking for for FOUR HOURS. 

Finally, we get the OS backed up.  Then the printer that was previously working/wirelessly connected wouldn't work anymore.  So we spent another 30 minutes to get it working.  Then I spent the entire night downloading Windows 8.1 on my brand new computer. 

After looking through the materials with the monitor, it said for optimal performance to install the drivers on the CD.  So I did.  Then the bottom half of the monitor started flashing.  And wouldn't stop despite restarting, shutting down, and reprogramming the monitor.  So I spent another 45 minutes chatting with tech support.  He disabled something and the monitor started working again. 

And then the PE Environment needed updated again.  And there was a new version of the MyDell program... so I got to spend an hour updating those. 

I thought maybe just maybe we were in the clear, when I decided to try our 30 day trial of Microsoft Office for the first time.  Except that I click on it and NOTHING happens.  And I restart and click on it again and NOTHING happens.  And I realize that the screen saver sometimes works and sometimes doesn't.  So I get to call tech support again and spend 2 hours "trying to figure something out."  And get told "If we can't figure something out, you can always download Open Office."  (Which is a free office suite that has nowhere near the functionality of Microsoft Office, and has nothing to do with Microsoft.)  No thanks, I'd just like my 30 day trial.  So first she tries some work-around like I'm a company, getting a 90 day trial of Office 365.  Except that doesn't work.  So then she (remote access again) has be download Microsoft Home and Student.  Again, it's going to take all night (our internet is S.L.O.W.)  I asked her 3 times before we hung up what the product key was so that I could run the program.  And 3 times she completely ignored my question before saying "Thank you for choosing Dell Premium Customer Support, have a nice day."  CLICK. 

So I try to run Office first thing in the morning and guess what, it needs a PRODUCT KEY.  When she called back the next night, I she said she would need to check with her supervisor about other options.  The next night when she called back, I let it go to voicemail, because I'm sorry, this BRAND NEW COMPUTER that doesn't work is CONSUMING ALL MY TIME.  She proceeds to leave a message saying, not "We've got it figured out, give us a call so we can step you through it." but "We have some more options for you to try out.."  At that point I was just done.  Are you kidding me, TRY MORE?!  No, this is just insanity.  I've let all the calls roll to voicemail since.   

In the meantime, the Chrome App has stopped working completely, the screensaver still doesn't work, the USB ports sometimes work and sometimes don't, Windows 8 is as buggy as all get out , I'm still doing lesson plans on our old, slow laptop because I don't have OFFICE on my BRAND NEW COMPUTER and I am just DONE.  Seriously... a person can only take so much.  Getting this brand new computer to work like it should have out of the box has consumed my life for 2 weeks and it STILL DOESN'T EVEN WORK.  I've felt bullied (into upgrading in the first place) belittled, and beyond frustrated.  And I'm done.

We made the decision tonight to send it back and will be researching other options, the problem being, what options do we really have?!  We can't do a Chrome Book because everything is stored remotely and with our internet speed, that just isn't going to happen.  We're considering Apple but really know nothing about them, just that they're NOT MICROSOFT.  Are there other options? Are any of my readers Apple users?  What's it like being a Mac in a PC world?  What do you use for an Office Suite?  What has your experience been with the reliability of your Mac?  I want to know.  Because this Microsoft user is a VERY UNHAPPY CAMPER right now.

So yeah, that's why I haven't been blogging.  Fun times, eh?  Hopefully we can return to more regularly-scheduled programming following this happy post (although they'll be from my old, slow laptop, so be patient!)