Sunday, December 9, 2007

Computers & Shopping Hurrah!

Ugh. So today we went up to visit my grandparents and get their new iMac set up. It came like a week ago, but between us being sick, them being sick and their trip down to the Biltmore, its just sat in a box since then... In anycase, I figured it'd take me about a half hour to get it all set up and then another half hour or so to show grandpa how to work it. I figured that sounded fairly reasonable. Don't you?

Well, it wasn't. For starters, I could not figure out how to install their cable modem (Motorola SB5101) from Time Warner on the Mac. I had the install disc, but it simply did not work. I read the instructions and it just was *not* working. I'm not sure if it was a windows-only disc somehow, or if I'm just totally stupid. Who knows. Of course, Motorola's site is totally unhelpful. Lots of info on how to install the damn thing for Windows 95, 98, ME, XP, Vista... but not a word on OSX!!

The other big hang up was (is?), that they have been using AOL for the past several years, and there is apparently just no good way to get ones contacts, email and bookmarks off of AOL. I mean, I understand *WHY* AOL makes it soo hard to do so... but that doesn't mean I have to approve. Ugh. Mind you, its just made me all the more determined to figure it out, one way or another....

And, finally, I could not get it to upgrade to OSX Leopard. Since its so new it came with the install disc (although it wasn't pre-installed)... but, when I put it in the drive, and it started restarting the computer... it'd just lock up. I didn't share this with either grandpa or anyone else as I figured it'd just piss them off. I found it both bizzare and obnoxious, but don't know what I can do, really.

In anycase I'll probably be driving back up either tommorrow or the next day to finish up, and then go holiday shopping some more. We did manage to find gifts for both my brother and his fiance' and Kevin's sister and her family though.... Which basicly leaves just my mom, and his (Kevin's), mom & stepdad, and his grandparents... Hopefully we can make it over to Lehman's sometime here soon and figure them out

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