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Computers shouldn't be like this
By Joey Cooper
Incidents like this have happened to all of us. In fact, no one I know who uses technology -- specifically computers -- doesn't relate to this.
I'm sitting here innocently, minding my own business, surfing the web on my beautiful iBook, connected up magically to the web through a dial up connection and AirPort. I decide -- without much thought put into it -- to type in the URL of a popular TV show's website. The splash screen appears. It starts to redirect to the main page. Suddenly, nothing is happening. The progress bar appears stopped. Touching the trackpad on my iBook, I find that the cursor is still working but that's it. Clicking all over the screen does nothing. Queen's "A Day at The Races" CD continues to play on my stereo. I have one thought. "Damn Javascript."
Control-command-powerbutton.
As my computer re-powers up, I ask myself, "Why do computers seemingly randomly lock-up?" As always, my answer is not satisfactory. The Happy Mac appears on the screen. Disk First Aid begins its mandatory scan of the hard disk, reviewing whether this is one of those regular lock-ups or something much more sinister. As always, nothing is wrong with the disk. The Extensions begin dancing across the bottom of the screen, Queen continues to play, and I start thinking about something else. Something important. Like why they canceled three of my favorite TV channels on my basic cable package.
Double-clicking 30 seconds later on Internet Explorer, I have had time to forgive Apple and the rest of the computer industry for making products that just stop working sometimes. By now that G3 processor has already passed me through the startup screen and I begin typing that same URL into the address field. I hit Return, the redirect page appears again, and Microsoft's browser starts to ask for images and ad files from some remote AOL server. Suddenly, nothing is happening.The progress bar appears stopped. Touching the trackpad on my iBook, I find that the cursor is still working but that's about it. Clicking all over the screen does nothing, except give me a sick feeling. Queen's "A Day at The Races" CD continues to play on my stereo. I have one thought. "Damn Javascript."
Control-command-powerbutton.
I have fallen into the worst trap possible for a technology nerd. I have let the computer freeze-up twice on me, doing the exact same thing. This time I don't ask why computers randomly lock-up. I ask why they consistently lock-up.
- Joey Cooper welcomes your comments. He is editor-in-chief of MacMilitia.com.
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