Computer Overload

I got a shiny new Hewlett Packard laptop over the weekend. I didn't really start setting it up until early Sunday evening as I was so busy with incredibly vital things like Renaissance fairs and Arab cultural festivals. The Arab cultural festival will probably be my next post, so stay tuned. I am somewhat regretting my decision to not dedicate the weekend to setting up the computer, as it is now Tuesday evening, and I am still sitting here copying files between the two machines.

Caveat emptor, buyer beware. Those are the words of wisdom I have for anyone lured by the siren song of shiny HP machines with their bright screens, back to school savings, and fancy remote controls. Once I finally have everything up to my personal specifications, I shall be pleased, but the general public needs to be forewarned that HP puts a ridiculous amount of crap advertising masquerading as software on their machines. Some of it is not even shown on the 'add and delete programs' list in control panel. The only way to actually exterminate them (like the nasty little vermin that they are) is to go into the programs folder in the hard drive and pray that you have gotten out all the bits and pieces. One particularly egregious example is the HP Total Care Advisor. While it is possible to delete it through the Control Panel, it purports to be in charge of important maintainence features that make me leery of getting rid of it, all the while being chock full of advertising! I just paid your company good money for a laptop, I don't know what right you have to shove advertising down my throat. Like the 'Easy Internet Setup' that is not a setup wizard at all, but a gimmick to get you to sign up with one of their corporate sponsor ISPs, the link to E-bay, the link for 'comparison shopping', and the search box that is permanently tied to Yahoo. If they are going to build me a search box, I want to customize it. Microsoft put enough crap in Windows Vista that I don't want without having to clean up the mess from HP!

Once I finally deleted programs and got my internet reconnected (when in doubt, power cycle a cable modem to reset the ISP), it was time to transfer my vital files. I was so excited that my old computer was basically functional for me to be able to copy irreplaceable files, but did not expect it to take forever. Windows Vista comes with a file transfer programs that claims to make it easy to transfer files and settings between computers. Of course, first one must install the program on the old computer, so I had to burn it onto a CD and do the install. Then I find out that I am unable to do the recommended method of file transfer that requires a special kind of cable that I don't have. The only other choices were setting up a network, or using discs or USB drives to move files. I was unsuccessful in getting the two computers into a network, so I thought that CDs would be the most expedient method. No such luck, as apparently my CD burner on the old machine no longer works properly. It took me multiple restarts, and trying to use different CD burning programs at my disposal to come to that conclusion. USB drives were my only hope. Have you ever tried to use two USB drives, one of 256 MB and the other actually an MP3 player commandeered in an emergency of slightly less than 2GB to transfer several hundred music files and over 1000 photos? Well, it is just slightly better than watching paint dry. My old laptop only has a USB 1.0 drive, so its infuriating slowness compounds the problem of that fact that I've gone though about 15 transfers thus far, and I'm still not done. Inshallah, I'm on the last one.

Then there is the issue of installing all the programs that I DO want. I got mozilla firefox last night and put it all the necessary browser extensions for my bilingual life and copied in my bookmarks from the other computer. I still need a new set of Arabic keyboard stickers, though. I could also do with skype, some special software from Emory University, aim, flickr uploader, google earth, and a special pack of extra Arabic fonts. I am getting really sick of having to restart at every single program deletion or installation.