My son, not to disappoint himself, has priced
a G3 minitower - the one that I want! He has spent hours on the web doing
this - at the Apple Store. He picked out one with RAM (lots of it), lots
of disk space, and a few other accoutrements. He has been mumbling about
this for days. 200MHz is not good enough. 96MB RAM is not good enough.
This to a mother on a IIci at 65MHz and 32MB
RAM. Right. Of course I am switching files to the 3400C - 200MHz and a
lot more RAM. My travel computer. Getting ready for Toronto.
But he ignores these facts and is focused on
what he might talk me into. He is in his room plotting. He learned well.
This occurred while I was scrubbing out the
third bedroom in a cleaning fit - packing up Lego's and Connext blocks
and kits and spare pieces. Boxed and boxes worth. Try thousands of dollars
worth. All piled helter-skelter in that room whose floor hasn't been seen
in a dog's age. Because he is in college and went to summer school and
has had no time - for the past four years.
I found it.
The floor.
Took four hours. Not counting the partial
hits I have been making for some time over the past few weeks. I want
the clothing racks out of my bedroom. I want to see the walls in my tiny
bedroom. God! I miss the house in San Diego! He finally consented to help
me scrape the floor with a rubber scrub and I got it clean. And disinfected.
And the cat trays down. That's a lot of activity for a day! And a heady
sense of accomplishment.
I have also now sat through Universal Soldier
- just to watch Van Damn. Movie could have used a dialog writer - to flesh
it out as it were. Would have been better. I like watching his kicks.
Of course, in the first movie, he had a lot less on....
Then, having survived that mayhem, we had
to go hunting for a C Compiler - so he could do his homework - at home.
I have been informed that he needed this. Needs expressed require Mother
to take action. Of course.
We drop down to ComputerWare in Sunnyvale
but they don't have any.
So we drop over to the Computer Literacy store
on the corner, but they don't stock any either.
So it's off to find Fry's. I couldn't find
the one in Fremont (they moved) which is how I ended up at ComputerWare
in the first place. My son has threatened to get my one of those satellite
navigation systems. No Way! I also like analog clocks. I would have asked
directions - had I found the gas station. In this case, Computer Literacy
gave me directions.
We find this Fry's (San Jose) and go for it.
For hours. Actually, until the blister on my heel formed and blew open
and I was limping in pain. It is a big store. It was hot. My shoes were
tight. No nylons. Lots of walking. Bad combo.
But I also have.....Software! Bad move giving
me a supermarket shopping cart in a software store. Or a really smart
one!
I upgraded PhotoShop. I was on 4.0 and 5.5
is out. Acrobat 4. To match the office. Illustrator 8. I added Astound
(I used to have it). 525,000 pieces of clip art.(For the cookbook.) And
Adobe Image Ready. Time to play! (Toys! I need toys!)
And, of course, a C compiler. In a textbook.
That requires a Pentium. (Boo! Hiss! Snarl!) Or Virtual PC so the Mac
can pretend it's a fast PC. (Gag!)
And we stopped to get a few C references.
Textbooks. I encourage extra references. Fry's has everything electronic
- a big open floor. Appliances. CDs. Software. Toys. Toys. Toys. A techie's
playland I get a few books. That way, I can read one or two. I need to
refresh my skills.
We aren't sure about Virtual PC - one version
will run on his Performa. One requires a G3. Gee....We ponder.
I offer the loan of my G3 notebook. Which
I have not yet set up with anything other than Office 98.
Not good enough for the brat.
So we look at G3 systems. Remember that this
is the woman who priced a 7200 and then waited to buy it so long that
it went out of availability! Learned, I did.
My blood pressure rises - I have wanted a
new system for how long????
450MHz. Drool.
His eyes are lighting up. He is shifting into
full-scale nag mode. His brother taught him. Something about my promise
to see about a G3 should he consent to go to college. He calmly and repeately
reminds me of this.
No! Not Fair! Me First!
I repeated the offer of the G3 notebook -
with the DVD drive. The one he was trying to pry out of my hands for so
long.
Ha!
He is in danger of drooling on the equipment.
He's been pricing them at school. Examining the student discount. He is
a walking fact sheet. Steve Jobs would be proud. I am drooling right along
with him. I reverently touch the monitor. Big. Beautiful. No eye strain.
Flat screen. Trinitron. Reliable. Lovely.
By the time I get out of there, I am $1,000+
poorer (my company, White Enterprises is, that is) And by the time I tear
him out of the store we have decided to find the other one. But ofr now,
we must stop. Something about the blood running down my ankle. My gasp
in pain at each step. Retirement just got delayed.
I want to buy the big things at ComputerWare.
So we drive back there.
They are closed. Just.
Good. I get to think about things. Like specs.
Like check the account balance.
We get to plan a bit. I get to ask my CMA
account manager if I can afford it. My madness. I am planning to get him
one to protect mine. Last time I did this I had to buy three systems,
one for each boy to stop the fighting and to keep them away from mine.
It is a system that worked. My older son's well-paying job and bright
future are a result of the seeming madness of spending a fortune on computers
and software. He says so. What more does a mother need to hear? I remind
my son that when I am old, he will be paying the bills should he spend
all my savings. He just laughs. That is not reassuring!
Now, I want video capture (tall blond one
- watch out!) and video acceleration and 24 bit color. I want speed and
a SCSI card (so that I can use my old peripherals). I want DVD. I think
I want a zip or a Jazz drive.
I've been waiting. For several years now.
Pent up demand. Mine.
Sometimes mothers need to take care of themselves.
I will do this now.
My son can have the digital camera and less
speed in his CPU. If I can talk him into it. He doesn't need all the bells
and whistles I do. I assure myself of this.
I have decided to buy. Mine.Top of the line.
His. Slightly lower cost.
Now when he gets to grad school...
But that's another story.
I found out later that ComputerWare could order
a C Compiler for the Mac. And they did. Code Warrior. Got it. It's right
here on the livingroom floor.
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