Troubleshooting
I am a self-confessed "gadgetphile" if there is such a word - OK I don't mean I shag my computer, (and no, those dirty sites in my history file aren't anything to do with me, that's what happens when you lend Daryl your laptop!) what I mean is I have a loving of technology and like to be at the forefront of what's going on. Technology is all around us, in theory to make our lives easier - and yes that is true - when it works!
My very good pal and fellow blogger QOTS has just written a highly entertaining piece on this very subject, which can be found here http://officialqueenofthesuperficial.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/technical-hitches-and-glitches.html
Which hasn't really stolen my thunder as what I want to get across is different.
When I say I am a gadgetphile, I like to think that I am selective in this - i.e. I do not have to have the latest bit of kit just because it's the latest bit of kit. So no queueing outside the apple store at midnight for the latest iPad for me. But I do like to look at all new things that come out and make a decision as to what will enhance my life and what's just a gimmick or overpriced and will be cheaper in 6 months.
When I do take the plunge into something i.e. tablets, it's after considerable research, and to get what's right for me. I have found myself going down the Android rather than Apple route - that's my personal preference though each have their merits.
The thing that challenges me is dealing with all the little day to day issues that come up whenever you use any bit of equipment. Installing things. Copying things. Putting things on the network. etc etc etc. All things that would seemingly be straightforward but that come with unforeseen stumbling blocks. Now I think I am pretty clued up but struggle with a lot of things - so no wonder there are so many people out there making a living from offering IT support. I think a lot of people would struggle to work out how to do some of the things I need to do. Goodness knows it takes me long enough - but I do pride myself that no long how it takes I always manage to resolve my problems myself.
Much like my life in general really. Never had counselling, even during times of high stress because I've never felt like I needed it. A good friend who cares (you know who you are) and a hug and a coffee has been all I've ever needed. I know it's not that way for some of you, and those that live day to day with mental illness (and again you know who you are) I've nothing but admiration for you.
But generally - I self help. In life, in parenting, in business, you name it.
I do sometimes wonder if there is a conspiracy not to make software issues easily understandable for the average Joe in order to maintain an industry. Of course all the information you need is out there but there is so much of it! It's true of almost anything these days. Even buying the damned stuff in the first place is hard enough. You want a PC, phone or any item of electronic equipment, well there are literally hundreds on the market - where do you start? No one product is perfect and has everything you need - so it's off to read as many reviews as you can to try and sort the wheat from the chaff.
When it came to purchasing my first tablet it took me months to decide which one to go for, but eventually I settled on the Galaxy Note 10.1, and I'm really confident I made the right decision, it is amazing. And here it is.
But it's the seemingly little issues I have problems with. For example, the Note comes with 16gb storage space built in but can apparently take cards up to 64gb. Sounds good. So after a bit of research I purchase one from Amazon, it arrives, put it in and Hey Presto! It doesn't work.
Now this is the point where you think - OK no problem, I will do a Google search. There's millions of people out there, loads must have had the same problem. Trouble is you don't know exactly how to word what your problem is. And it seems that no matter how many millions are out there, our own little problems remain very unique to our own little set of circumstances. Well there is nothing like a bit of individuality is there?
These searches invariably lead you to various technical forums where you are immediately made to feel inferior by the technical talk that assumes a level of knowledge invariably way in excess of one's own. Everyone on them it seems is Moss from the IT Crowd. So you search and search and re-word and re-word and frustration sets in.
Basically you have 3 stages in this process.
1) Working out what the hell to type into Google to get even remotely close to anyone out there who knows what the hell I am talking about.
2) Actually managing to work out what the problem is.
3) Somehow working out how to resolve the issue.
So how did I get on with my SDHC card issue? Well eventually I worked out that the card would only work in the Note if it had been formatted to FAT32 whatever that meant. Sounded like some sort of highly appetising steak size (in oz) available only in the US. Sadly not though couldn't you just get your choppers around this? I know I could!
So apparently there are several ways such cards can be formatted (so much for plug and play). That's OK, I know what the problem is now. Shouldn't be too difficult to resolve it? Hmmm...think again. You search on Google and it gives you lots of "helpful" advice. Right click on this, click properties, and do this...yet remarkably it always seems that the option suggested does not exist! In my case it was the "format as FAT32" option. Not on my PC it seems despite being only a couple of years old and on Windows 7.
Eventually I realised I would have to download a "utility" - one of these little bits of software you find on download.com - which may or may not work and which may or may not wrap itself around your hard drive forever more.
Anyway I got there in the end!!!
Then I spent 3 days approximately attempting to back up all my music from my DJ'ing laptop on to a portable hard drive. Yes 3 days. Bought the drive (positive reviews on Amazon as always) and attempted to transfer 30,000+ music/ karaoke files across. Lamentably slow. 314k per second transfer rate. Why is it so slow, so search on the net? Here we go, more pissing about.
Eventually it transpires (another thing nobody told me) that some of the USB ports on your average PC are better and more important than others. So switch the cable over the other side and suddenly we are getting 13mb per second, and the job's finished within the hour.
My point is - why does nobody tell us these things? How many more hours must I spend on these issues. The two examples above are just two out of hundreds I've had to get to the bottom of over the years.
However - I take pride in the fact that I always do get there. I never give up - on anything.
If you have enjoyed reading this blog, please take a look at my books on Amazon (Paperback & Kindle), where you can read lots more of the same! Click here.
Jason xx
My very good pal and fellow blogger QOTS has just written a highly entertaining piece on this very subject, which can be found here http://officialqueenofthesuperficial.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/technical-hitches-and-glitches.html
Which hasn't really stolen my thunder as what I want to get across is different.
When I say I am a gadgetphile, I like to think that I am selective in this - i.e. I do not have to have the latest bit of kit just because it's the latest bit of kit. So no queueing outside the apple store at midnight for the latest iPad for me. But I do like to look at all new things that come out and make a decision as to what will enhance my life and what's just a gimmick or overpriced and will be cheaper in 6 months.
When I do take the plunge into something i.e. tablets, it's after considerable research, and to get what's right for me. I have found myself going down the Android rather than Apple route - that's my personal preference though each have their merits.
The thing that challenges me is dealing with all the little day to day issues that come up whenever you use any bit of equipment. Installing things. Copying things. Putting things on the network. etc etc etc. All things that would seemingly be straightforward but that come with unforeseen stumbling blocks. Now I think I am pretty clued up but struggle with a lot of things - so no wonder there are so many people out there making a living from offering IT support. I think a lot of people would struggle to work out how to do some of the things I need to do. Goodness knows it takes me long enough - but I do pride myself that no long how it takes I always manage to resolve my problems myself.
Much like my life in general really. Never had counselling, even during times of high stress because I've never felt like I needed it. A good friend who cares (you know who you are) and a hug and a coffee has been all I've ever needed. I know it's not that way for some of you, and those that live day to day with mental illness (and again you know who you are) I've nothing but admiration for you.
But generally - I self help. In life, in parenting, in business, you name it.
I do sometimes wonder if there is a conspiracy not to make software issues easily understandable for the average Joe in order to maintain an industry. Of course all the information you need is out there but there is so much of it! It's true of almost anything these days. Even buying the damned stuff in the first place is hard enough. You want a PC, phone or any item of electronic equipment, well there are literally hundreds on the market - where do you start? No one product is perfect and has everything you need - so it's off to read as many reviews as you can to try and sort the wheat from the chaff.
When it came to purchasing my first tablet it took me months to decide which one to go for, but eventually I settled on the Galaxy Note 10.1, and I'm really confident I made the right decision, it is amazing. And here it is.
 |
| The clarity of the screen is amazing |
But it's the seemingly little issues I have problems with. For example, the Note comes with 16gb storage space built in but can apparently take cards up to 64gb. Sounds good. So after a bit of research I purchase one from Amazon, it arrives, put it in and Hey Presto! It doesn't work.
Now this is the point where you think - OK no problem, I will do a Google search. There's millions of people out there, loads must have had the same problem. Trouble is you don't know exactly how to word what your problem is. And it seems that no matter how many millions are out there, our own little problems remain very unique to our own little set of circumstances. Well there is nothing like a bit of individuality is there?
These searches invariably lead you to various technical forums where you are immediately made to feel inferior by the technical talk that assumes a level of knowledge invariably way in excess of one's own. Everyone on them it seems is Moss from the IT Crowd. So you search and search and re-word and re-word and frustration sets in.
Basically you have 3 stages in this process.
1) Working out what the hell to type into Google to get even remotely close to anyone out there who knows what the hell I am talking about.
2) Actually managing to work out what the problem is.
3) Somehow working out how to resolve the issue.
So how did I get on with my SDHC card issue? Well eventually I worked out that the card would only work in the Note if it had been formatted to FAT32 whatever that meant. Sounded like some sort of highly appetising steak size (in oz) available only in the US. Sadly not though couldn't you just get your choppers around this? I know I could!
 |
| The dream!!!! |
So apparently there are several ways such cards can be formatted (so much for plug and play). That's OK, I know what the problem is now. Shouldn't be too difficult to resolve it? Hmmm...think again. You search on Google and it gives you lots of "helpful" advice. Right click on this, click properties, and do this...yet remarkably it always seems that the option suggested does not exist! In my case it was the "format as FAT32" option. Not on my PC it seems despite being only a couple of years old and on Windows 7.
Eventually I realised I would have to download a "utility" - one of these little bits of software you find on download.com - which may or may not work and which may or may not wrap itself around your hard drive forever more.
Anyway I got there in the end!!!
Then I spent 3 days approximately attempting to back up all my music from my DJ'ing laptop on to a portable hard drive. Yes 3 days. Bought the drive (positive reviews on Amazon as always) and attempted to transfer 30,000+ music/ karaoke files across. Lamentably slow. 314k per second transfer rate. Why is it so slow, so search on the net? Here we go, more pissing about.
Eventually it transpires (another thing nobody told me) that some of the USB ports on your average PC are better and more important than others. So switch the cable over the other side and suddenly we are getting 13mb per second, and the job's finished within the hour.
My point is - why does nobody tell us these things? How many more hours must I spend on these issues. The two examples above are just two out of hundreds I've had to get to the bottom of over the years.
However - I take pride in the fact that I always do get there. I never give up - on anything.
If you have enjoyed reading this blog, please take a look at my books on Amazon (Paperback & Kindle), where you can read lots more of the same! Click here.
Jason xx
Sounds like a familiar scenario Jason. Thank goodness for Google even if it does take an hour or so to sift through the non relevant results to get to the really helpful stuff.
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