March of technology causing frustration

Recently, two of my over-the-hill friends and I have been enduring attacks by our computers or printers and have mentioned that we didn’t have such frustrations when we were young because we hadn’t entered the computer age and merely had to battle typewriters, pens, and various kinds of copy machines.  We could process our own film or we could take it to the local shops and receive prints in fairly short order.  Now, we have major attacks of tension when these modern gadgets refuse to cooperate.

Because the three of us use the same brand of computers, we can speak to each other about our problems even though we still speak in English and can explain to each other what is happening even if we have to include a few well-chosen words to express our feelings at the moment.  Their computers decided they had to be replaced and refused to do anything until the new ones appeared so they could be dispatched to the land of computer corpses.

Each friend has called to express thoughts about the changes made since their last purchase and the work they are having to do in order to make the little dudes cooperate.  We can’t understand the necessity of such changes other than to confuse those of us in the less than computer literate group. 

Why must we learn how to turn on the new ones by hitting something other than what we hit on the old one? 

Why do the icons look different and the orders we are issued by them seem impossible to follow? 

Why are the new programs so much more complicated than were the old ones?Well, they now have their new computers and are trying to learn all the new tricks.  One hired a ‘techie’ to install all her programs and to see that each wire was attached to the proper place. 

The other friend refuses to look at the new computer and walks a distance to avoid being near it unless she feels she can stand a period of frustration as she tries to learn the new tricks.  At least, they are in business.

My printer decided to quit cooperating and caused major withdrawal on this corner because I couldn’t follow my writing schedule or print any pictures.  Because of my illiteracy, I gave the wrong information to a good friend who ordered a new printer for me and received one that wasn’t compatible or even friendly with my computer. 

I decided to ask that friend to order new print heads (whatever those are) for the old printer because it said they needed to be replaced before it would print another letter of the alphabet.  Well, that seemed to be a good idea because I could still use the old printer without having to learn all sorts of new tricks.  I could even install these heads and thought all was going to be just fine until I had written a couple of letters and printed a few pictures.  The infernal machine said it was through for the duration because the color ink cartridge had run dry.  Ordinarily that would have been minor but became major when I could not find such a cartridge in town. 

At least, that problem should be solved when the new cartridges arrive, but who knows what else will happen.

The quill pen was a wonderful invention and caused limited frustration!