old technology

I got a new PC last fall that is wicked fast. There was a bug in the motherboard setup the precluded its waking up from Windows sleep mode. I R&R'd the mobo several times in an effort to first find a jumper switch that might fix the problem and then the Serial Number so I could return the motherboard. Today's removal of the mobo to find the S/N finally killed it altogether. Motherboards are not designed for lots of in-and-out handling.

I did finally find the S/N. It was well-hidden and hard to read. It was definitely not in a customer support friendly location. The RMA process has been started and I should have a replacement mobo within the next week. I will miss my best PC ever while it is not working.

I use that PC as a home theater PC (HTPC). I tried using an LG Blue Ray player that I had used in the same role for a year. I stop using the LG two years ago when I got a laptop. It lasted for an afternoon before I got busy swapping another PC in to replace it. After wrestling with some audio driver issues, the temporary system is working.

Now I have my third and oldest computer running at my PC desk for typing, checking email and writing this blog post. It works fine, but the fan is a bit noisy. It will be okay to use for a week. I might replace the fan.

The title of this post "old technology" is a tongue-in-cheek reference to what constitutes old in the PC world. My old car is 18 years old. My oldest PC is 4 years old.

I am grateful to have the tech toys to be able to swap in a backup when things are not working as I would have them be. It is also good to have product warrenties that will cover damaged electronics.