Frazod's Great Technology Leap of 2023

[Frazod]

So here's the plan:

Step 1: Purchase or build new computer capable of running Starfield, which I realized a couple of weeks ago that my existing one isn't. Old computer goes to the wife. Wife's old computer, which was my previous computer and is at least 15 years old, failing and still running Windows 7, goes to the dungeon to join the massive collection of shit I should throw out but never do.

Step 2: Upgrade internet service from slow-as-**** overpriced AT&T to T-Mobile 5G (already existing phone service). It would be nice if Starfield didn't take a day and a half to download.

Step 3: Shitcan overpriced/now useless DTV, get Amazon firesticks for all the televisions.

Here's reality:

Step 1: Completed; mostly a success. Found a computer to buy that was pretty much as good and reasonably priced as anything my IT buddy and I could have built, with infinitely less grief. Got this:

https://www.microcenter.com/product/...g443-gaming-pc

Works great; No issues (so far-knocking on wood). Pain in the ass reloading software and navigating the endless password/verification gauntlet, but eventually I got through it. The only real problem was with my old computer. The AIO CPU liquid cooler was starting to go, and whether it was just ironic timing or being jostled a bit during the relocation, it died almost immediately when I moved it to the new location. When I first fired it up the goddamn thing sounded like a dosimeter at Chernobyl. Eventually it quieted down, but apparently that just signaled its death, because soon after the computer shut down and wouldn't reboot because of overheating. God that pissed me off. So the replacement is out for delivery, and hopefully that will be successfully installed today. I don't trust myself and my limited skills to directly **** with the CPU, so IT buddy is coming over to deal with that one - I'll probably do the work, but under supervision.

Step 2: The new T-Mobile system is also supposed to be delivered today. They say it's easy to install. I'm assuming it will be a pain in the ass, because that's just how my luck rolls. I guess I'll find out later today.

Step 3: Commencing after the end of the month/baseball season, so the wife's nightly Braves viewing is not interrupted and she doesn't kill me in my sleep. Beyond watching a couple of YouTube videos, I know exactly dick about firesticks and this will be completely new territory for me. Seems easy enough in the videos. But I've learned that this shit is rarely as easy as they make it look. At least for me. I wonder if I have to remove/shitcan the dish myself, or if they'll come and get it. I guess I'll find that out in October.

Anyway, I'm old and cranky and mostly hate change of any sort, so I expect to be in Ari Gold mode over all this crap for the next month or so. But when I'm done everything should be much better, and by dumping AT&T/DTV, much cheaper, and I'll be happily enjoying Starfield. Wish me luck!

[Frazod]

So either the hard drive is dead or the SSD is dead. Either way, shit ain't getting fixed tonight.

And I'm now out of southern. Fairly hammerred right now. Switching to rum, just because it's within reach.

And people wonder why I ****ing hate computers.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Frazod

So either the hard drive is dead or the SSD is dead. Either way, shit ain't getting fixed tonight.

And I'm now out of southern. Fairly hammerred right now. Switching to rum, just because it's within reach.

And people wonder why I ****ing hate computers.

Shoot that thing into the sun.

Does she need a shitload of capacity? Maybe just go buy her a new one.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Shoot that thing into the sun.

Does she need a shitload of capacity? Maybe just go buy her a new one.

I just spent two grand on a new one; the last thing I want to do is buy another computer. The whole idea was I wasn't supposed to spend shit on the old one I'm handing down to her.

This whole thing is just maddening. No, she doesn't a shitload of capacity. But she does need her own computer, and the really old one is so far gone there's no point in trying to salvage it. Can't even upgrade the OS because of the way it was built (something about a partition that interfered with the free Windows update), so it's running on 7 and hasn't had support for a couple of years now. The newer one either has a bad SSD or a bad motherboard (or the way my luck is running, both). If it's the SSD, I'll need to purchase a new OS and reload EVERYTHING. If it's the motherboard, I'll need to replace that, which will a require complete rebuild. Either way it's a huge pain in the ass. And the odds of two major components failing at the same time are really low, but I hit that shitty jackpot all the same.

At least I won't be hungover in the morning. I drank so much so fast that I'm basically sober now. But I'll still be pissed.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by Frazod

I don't play anything online. Gaming is me time, not us time.

Cool.

[lawrenceRaider]

Originally Posted by Frazod

I just spent two grand on a new one; the last thing I want to do is buy another computer. The whole idea was I wasn't supposed to spend shit on the old one I'm handing down to her.

This whole thing is just maddening. No, she doesn't a shitload of capacity. But she does need her own computer, and the really old one is so far gone there's no point in trying to salvage it. Can't even upgrade the OS because of the way it was built (something about a partition that interfered with the free Windows update), so it's running on 7 and hasn't had support for a couple of years now. The newer one either has a bad SSD or a bad motherboard (or the way my luck is running, both). If it's the SSD, I'll need to purchase a new OS and reload EVERYTHING. If it's the motherboard, I'll need to replace that, which will a require complete rebuild. Either way it's a huge pain in the ass. And the odds of two major components failing at the same time are really low, but I hit that shitty jackpot all the same.

At least I won't be hungover in the morning. I drank so much so fast that I'm basically sober now. But I'll still be pissed.

Shoot man, just snag her a Chrome laptop. Cheap, and they work well with a decent internet connection.

[BleedingRed]

Originally Posted by lewdog

This thread reminds me of the time it took me 2 years to convince my parents to get real internet and understand how easy streaming can be.

I moved my grandparents to FireSticks because they could talk to the remote

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by lawrenceRaider

Shoot man, just snag her a Chrome laptop. Cheap, and they work well with a decent internet connection.

Yeah. Even if it isnt, I’m guessing a lower end desktop can be had for $500, and if a Mobo or SSD is 300 and your time is worth anything it’s probably a wash. Plus you don’t have to wait on parts or risk it being something else ****ing dumb.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by lewdog

This thread reminds me of the time it took me 2 years to convince my parents to get real internet and understand how easy streaming can be.

This wasn't me not wanting to upgrade to better internet. There simply wasn't anything better available until recently. Which is really strange considering where I live.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by Buehler445

Yeah. Even if it isnt, I’m guessing a lower end desktop can be had for $500, and if a Mobo or SSD is 300 and your time is worth anything it’s probably a wash. Plus you don’t have to wait on parts or risk it being something else ****ing dumb.

New SSD ordered. Assuming its the drive and not the motherboard, this should be resolved on Friday. Too much time and effort dedicated to fixing the goddamn thing at this point to simply punt.

[Frazod]

First firestick has been delivered. So now I'm going to start ****ing around with that. I'm also kind of hungover. This should be fun.

[Buehler445]

Originally Posted by Frazod

New SSD ordered. Assuming its the drive and not the motherboard, this should be resolved on Friday. Too much time and effort dedicated to fixing the goddamn thing at this point to simply punt.

You and I have different views on hardware and sunk costs.

Granted I use mine mostly for business, but I have a quick trigger on this shit. I don’t have a ton of room in my life for ducking with computers. I start really looking at the performance of the machine at 2 years. If it’s not giving me shit I’ll do 3 but sometimes just 2 years, and then I wipe them and install office and Dropbox and they go to the tractors.

The manufacturers make them to be disposable so I oblige.

[Frazod]

Firestick installed in the bedroom TV. Pain in the ass dealing with passwords, but I've got most of the apps I already had loaded. Playing with the Alexa thing, which I don't like and would never use for anything but the TV. Going to go ahead and order another one for the downstairs TV. Since the den TV is hooked up to my primary computer, I'm not going to bother getting one for it.

I figure the next week or so should be a real pain for us, but after that it should be fine. Probably a couple of days away from cancelling DTV. That will be a relief.

[gh4chiefs]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Firestick installed in the bedroom TV

Just out of curiosity, why did you go with Firestick over Roku for example. I used to be deep in the Amazon ecosystem but I hate how they’ve messed with the interface over the years.

At one point I had the Recast for an OTA DVR, it worked good but it kept losing connection with my home network and was a ROYAL pain in the ass to reconnect. Eventually I gave up on it and started moving away from Firestick.

[EPodolak]

Originally Posted by Frazod

Firestick installed in the bedroom TV. Pain in the ass dealing with passwords, but I've got most of the apps I already had loaded. Playing with the Alexa thing, which I don't like and would never use for anything but the TV. Going to go ahead and order another one for the downstairs TV. Since the den TV is hooked up to my primary computer, I'm not going to bother getting one for it.

I figure the next week or so should be a real pain for us, but after that it should be fine. Probably a couple of days away from cancelling DTV. That will be a relief.

Will probably back off of Directv myself soon. I'm attached to it though, it's all we've used the last twenty years. In fact I may just suspend it until football season is over, we still really like it.

[Frazod]

Originally Posted by gh4chiefs

Just out of curiosity, why did you go with Firestick over Roku for example. I used to be deep in the Amazon ecosystem but I hate how they’ve messed with the interface over the years.

At one point I had the Recast for an OTA DVR, it worked good but it kept losing connection with my home network and was a ROYAL pain in the ass to reconnect. Eventually I gave up on it and started moving away from Firestick.

Firestick was the one I was familiar with and had heard people talk about. That's pretty much it.