Up and Running (mostly)

My computer is up and running, and I have installed most of the essential software that I need. ("It's my industrial-strength hair-dryer, and I can't live without it!") I have also recopied my back-up data onto my computer as well as the stuff that I had saved in my Oxford math account only during my time without a functioning laptop. There is some issue with Oxford's Matlab license (the key file I was sent doesn't have the right code), but I'll just have to deal with that after I get an e-mail response on Monday. (I was using a Caltech license before my computer crashed and burned.) Aside from Matlab, I think I'm pretty much good to go. (I am about to try Mathematica, and then I will be done with setting things up for the day and mostly done overall.) Then I can hopefully catch up on some of my work... (The last couple of days I was productive anyway because I was in my office revising papers that I had handy and just wasn't trying to fight computers.)

I am quite pleased with my experience with the Southampton Apple Store. Getting there was annoying, but I dropped off my computer on Thursday and I got the call at 1:30 pm today that it was ready with its new harddrive. Having to take a 1.5 hour trip each way on two occasions was annoying, but the service was great/prompt and I wasn't charged anything for it (though the train trip cost a bit). Note also that I explained to them the various diagnostics I had done (with help) on my computer and they didn't make me watch them do all the same things again. Between dropping off my computer and picking it up, the total amount of time I spent in the Apple Store was maybe 20 minutes and most of that was waiting for 10 minutes while somebody else was being helped (as I had come early; I was taken before my official appointment---this was one reason I purposely went bright and early in the morning; I also wanted to make a meeting and get work done in general). I rant a lot about bad service, so I also want to point out situations like this when I got excellent customer service.

Oh, and I have a new harddrive name: Hourglass.

This is in honor of a certain wizard, who came to mind particularly because a book about him for which I have been waiting for a year has been delayed from last month (when it was supposed to come out) until July 2009. So much for having a more positive alignment, but at least I'm now down to Neutral Evil (or just Evil, if you prefer the alignment systems in either 4th edition D & D or first edition Dragonlance Adventures AD & D).

By the way, the double meaning in the harddrive name (in terms of its life clock already ticking) is completely intentional. I happen to be feeling rather fatalistic. The reference to the song by Squeeze, however, is entirely unintentional.

Until the next traumatic blog post about one of my computers... (which I hope is a long time away!)