Technology Angst

It's one of those days...or weeks...in this case.  Why oh why did I ever become so dependent on technology!!!

I love using the computer...I spend hours every day checking blogs, emails, facebook, surfing the net, shopping, etc.  and I like doing it effortlessly.  This week, however, my desktop PC with it's large screen, wireless keyboard and mouse and built-in operating system, is in it's final death throes - and we've only had it for 3 years!.  Every morning I turn it on and after maybe an hour ...sometimes...I'm able to access  a program or two.  Most times I get the black screen with white printing saying that "the hard drive is in imminent danger of failing.  There are corrupted files. Back up your files and get it fixed or replaced".  So I backed everything up to an external hard drive and am waiting for it to be 'fixed or replaced' - hopefully in the next week or so.

In the meantime I'm doing all my computing on my handy dandy MacBook, which I love, but not for long term use - the screen is so much smaller than my pc.  And it's a different operating platform so not everything is easily shared.  I have used it mostly when I travel and don't want to miss anything.  Now it's my primary unit.

And another thing,  neither my HP all-in-one printer nor my Epson 1900 photo printer are working - probably because of some network glitch having to do with the crash of the desktop computer.  Aarrgh!

When did I  become so dependent on technology in my daily life?  I can clearly remember how excited we were to get our first telephone back in 1954 when I was 6 years old.  It was amazing that we could talk to people without being in front of them.  Then when we got our first black and white television a couple of years later, complete with rabbit ears, we thought we had a magic world at our fingertips.  We didn't have to worry about having to get up and walk to the tv to change the channel because there was only one channel we could get.  Those were such innocent years.

Now we have two televisions in our home here, two in our home in Lethbridge, and two in Arizona - all complete with remote controls, cable boxes, pvr capabilities and who knows what else.  Our television system here has five remotes.  It makes me crazy!  Sometimes I walk to the set and press the 'off' button with my finger...actually touching the button!!   Shhh - don't tell anyone.

I try to stay technologically current...I really do...but how much do I really need to know?  I have an iPad, iPod, smart phone, GPS system, and they all have many applications and capabilities.  And somehow I've come to believe that I can't exist without them.

Thanks for letting me rant.  I have to go now and watch a tv show I pvr'd yesterday, play Scrabble on my iPad and text Lloyd on my smart phone.

Have a good day.

Pat