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Friday, 16. November 2007, 21:40:02
I've
been fooling around with computers a few years now. My first experience
was with one of those computers that you hooked up to a TV. Can't
remember the name. It looked like a keyboard and the only way to get
programs on it was to program it in or load pre-written one of a
cassette tape.
I
guess my first experience with, lets call them, modern day computers
was when I took a 30 hour course back in 1994 on Desktop Publishing.
My Uncle got a computer, long befor I did. It was a 286 with about 1 MB RAM, 12mhz speed (at one time thats all you needed). It had a Monochrome or Black and White monitor. The operating system was Windows 3.1 and MSDOS 6.22.
When
he first got it, even I didn't even know how to start it up. Windows
did not automatically start up at the time. Whe had to get someone come
and show us.
These days I'm the guy everyone comes to, to show them how things are done.
I use to have a site at www.geocities.com/terryhollett2003/. I've had it since July 2005, but Geocities are shutting down their free servers - thats why I moved here as of July 12, 2009.
http://hitanykey.webs.com/ - New Name - Slighty New Look...
My first computer, I bought from a second hand store. It was a 486sx, 50mhz, 8mb RAM, with Windows 3.1 and MSDOS 6.22.
It did not have a mouse so that was the first thing I had to learn, how
to use one without a mouse. I didn't have the internet then so what I
was able to learn about computers came from the magazines I bought over
the Pharmacy, here in Twillingate.
Since then I went through a few computers, all second hand; 486Dx66mhz, P-166, Compaq Deskpro (P200), IBMPL300 (P266), and my latest another Compaq Deskpro, this time a P2-400mhz, 192mb RAM. I recently bought it at a yard sale for $20.
At first my only internet access was at the Public Library or on my Uncle's computer. Then at the post office they use to sell Telus long distance calling cards that could be used to access the internet through their service. Then came Sympatico dial-up. And then cable through Cable-Rocket and finaly, cable from Personia, which I've had for a few years now.
And speaking of the internet, my choice of browsers. At the Library at the time it was Netscape 4, on my Uncle's computer it was Internet Explorer, On mine it was first Internet Explorer, then Opera version 3 or something. It had this big hunking ad that you had to pay a registration fee to get rid of.
I tried a few independent ones that didn't impress me including one called Firebird which I think was the original name for the Firefox browser, correct me if I am wrong.
Anyway I eventually settled on Mozilla Suite. An open source version of Netscape, that included a browser, email client, newsreader and a HTML editor. I used it up till the Mozilla Foundation decided to give it up and concentrate on developing Firefox. It was taken over and renamed Seamonkey, apparently the original name of the project.
I wasn't sure what to expect so again I went hunting for a browser. Decided to try Opera again. That ad was gone and Netscape, at the time, was history. And Opera, it still is today.
In case your wondering, I originally gave up Internet Explorer
because I became to paranoid about potential security issues. Firefox
is and always will be a resource hog. It's not perfect but Opera is now my browser of choice.
This site deals with some of the
problems I have personaly experienced and the solutions I have found to
them. Also, I am the guy that everyone calls to fix their computers, so some
of these problems deal with their systems. Their problems become mine.
All of this info you can find on other sites on
the internet, there are only so many ways to say put slot A into slot B, but in these cases I have my own
personal experiences to tell.
Standard warnings: There are so many potential setups and settings that this info may or may not help you. Use at your own discretion. I am not responsible for any further damage done while following this info. It is simply meant as a guide to help find potential solutions.
Most of this site deals with my own computer experiences, so in case you are
wondering what my current computer setup is:
November 2007 - Compaq Deskpro Jan 2009 - P4 June 2009 - Compaq Deskpro Oct 2009 Dec 2010 MY MAIN:
I have a cable internet connection and all computers are connected with network wires through a Router.
Computer Help And Support Based On MY own Experiences
My Current Computer Stats
- Recently bought a computer at a yard sale for $20. Still had to take
a few things off my old one to upgrade it. My first major hardware
update in years.
- A guy whos computer I fix on a regular basis gave me his old computer. Again took a few things from my previous and put on this on. I then set up my Compaq as my Client computer, slightly better than the one I had there before.
- Unfortunately, the P4 computer I received in Jan has already conked out. It keeps shutting down. I suspected a build up of dust inside. Cleared out the CPU heatsink, fan and computer motor - worked for other computers I cleaned out with the similar problems but in my case - No Luck. I suspect a bad motor.
- Was given another old tower (Gateway). This time a P3-600mhz, 320 MB RAM. Again I gave up my Compaq. Only time well tell. As of 10:50 AM January 5, 2010 still working.
- Still another P3-650mhz system came my way. 50mhz faster but otherwise only equal to the Gateway one. I have them both hooked up in my bedroom.
- I'm currently using my Sister's desktop computer. A 1.80 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4.