News
Briefly
Calendar of Events
Commentary
Opinions
Sports
Diversions
World News
Login
Letter Submission
Search
Archive
Publishing Policy
Classifieds
Mail Subscriptions
St. Cloud State University
College Publisher
Home
>
Commentary
Office technology often annoys
By Eric O'Link
Published:
Thursday, July 10, 2003
Often, when I sit down to write a University Chronicle staff essay, I try to come up with something that will be insightful to our readers. I'm not saying that it is, necessarily, but I try.
But today is going to be a bit different.
Today, I'm going to rant.
We just received two new computers down here in the Chronicle office. They came in a couple weeks ago, but it wasn't until this past weekend that we got them up and running.
The Chronicle's online editor, Bob, was a big help in getting our computers going. I'd like to think that I know a thing or two or four about computers, but not when it comes to things like this.
Besides, my new computer is a Mac - an eMac to be exact.
I might as well come out and say it right now: I am a PC person. Hardcore, to the end. After using iMacs for four years in my high school's computer lab and after wrestling with the finicky whims of the iMacs here in the Chronicle office, I, well, I hate them. They constantly lock up, require restarting and occasionally act just plain weird.
On top of that, they have those awful, computer-generated voices that sound something like a mutant crossed with Stephen Hawking's voice. For a while last year, the Chronicle office was a constant cacophony of giggles, whispers, chirps and maniacal cackling laughter on layout nights, all courtesy of our iMacs.
Fortunately, someone eventually shut them up.
I've come to the conclusion that outside of graphic design uses - because it's common knowledge that nothing beats a Mac when it comes to graphics - Macs hold captive the small audience that likes a funky-looking computer that makes lots of funny noises and does a bunch of other useless, but cute, things.
So anyway, Bob and I are down here Sunday morning and in a few hours it seems that we've got most of the bugs worked out of the new computers. I'm looking forward to working with my eMac because the people at the big Apple finally wised up and got an operating system, OS X, that actually runs well and is usually pretty friendly to use, although I must admit I find it amusing that the eMac's power button is located near the BACK of the machine.
Bob heads back to the Twin Cities on Sunday and THEN the trouble begins. I come into the office again Tuesday and try fiddling around with my computer. Problem after problem seems to pop up almost faster than I can blink. I can't install a key program that I need to work on laying out the Chronicle's pages each week. I can't get a hold of anybody who knows what to do. I can't print; our printer mysteriously says that it's out of paper, though I throw several hundred sheets in the tray.
Then something else goes screwy on my eMac, a warning window pops up and the machine, in that horrible creepy out-of-a-nightmare computer voice says, "Alert..." and begins reading the window's text to me, as if I can't read it for myself.
I finally managed to figure out that my eMac was trying to print to the wrong printer tray (which was empty) and while I've fixed the problem, I still don't have a clue how to change the printer defaults. Just finding the printer control panel on this eMac is next to impossible.
I went home thoroughly frustrated Tuesday, only to come back to the office today and spend even more time working on my computer. This time I made progress, enough that things are smoothly running - for now.
Meanwhile, in an ironic twist that smacks of the movie "Office Space," a shrill, urgent beeping beckoned from the hallway.
Turns out our fax machine has decided to break itself - so I spent an hour and a half trying to fix it, to no avail.
Yep, it's just another day in the Chronicle office, computers cackling, fax machine beeping, and me, trying to make sense of it all.
Forum:
displaying
1
-
4
of
4
top level comments
Unfortunatly Mr. O'Link, the chronicle h... (7/10/03)
-
Unfortunately Mr. duker3100, the compute... (7/11/03)
Bob let you guys buy Macs?... (7/11/03)
-
As the online editor & technology assist... (7/11/03)
acctually the computer store right now h... (7/11/03)
What a lively discussion....the reason w... (7/17/03)
Post a comment
Privacy Policy
Network Advertising
Article Syndication
