Thursday, April 10, 2014

Broken Computer


Computers are scary things to me.  When they break, I panic. Some of you may know that when my PC caught a virus, I bought a Mac.   I kept the PC because all of my photo-editing software is on it.  So now I do all my internet-related things on the Mac where I feel safe and sound, and I do all of my photography things on the PC. 

This morning my PC broke.  It won't even turn on. Instead it hums and makes a clicking sound.  I'm taking it to Cowabunga tomorrow morning.  I don't really wanna spend money to fix it . . . especially if it's a lot of money.  I think it's around 7 years old.

Unfortunately, I was in the midst of editing photos from a senior shoot that I did this past Sunday.  Luckily, I still have the images on the memory card.  Right now I'm trying to figure out how to load the pictures from the card onto the Mac.  I don't even have a card reader.  My PC has a puka for the card.  My Mac doesn't.  Maybe I can put the card into my camera and attach the camera to the computer and load it directly.  I dunno.  

My Lightroom program came in a PC and a Mac version. Yay!  I just loaded it onto my Mac.  I think.  I don't even know how to access it yet.  I don't see an icon. I'm still not used to maneuvering around the Mac.

My Photoshop program is the PC version only.  It cost me a few hundred bucks (student rate).   I guess I got my money's worth from it. But somehow I still feel jipped if I don't get to use it anymore.  I had it just to my liking too . . . with shortcut keys to various functions, like resizing for web viewing, etc.  I also had presets and actions to help enhance my photos. Luckily, I'm too cheap to have spent money on those.  I only got the free kind. 

Anyway, if I'm missing from action for a bit, you'll know why. I'm kinda in a daze. 

*update*  I was able to upload the photos from Sunday's session directly from my camera onto my Mac.  Lightroom is working okay on the Mac. I gotta figure out what my preferred export settings were. I can't remember.  But at least, if no can fix my PC, I still can work on Sunday's pictures. No more Photoshop though, so I no can enhance um how I like, but maybe it'll still be okay.  Gulp.  I need a drink.  That frozen Pina Colada was horrible BTW.  I dumped um.

13 comments:

K and S said...

hope you can get it fixed without having to pay lots of $$

jalna said...

Thanks Kat!

Myko said...

Yes, you can load your photos by plugging in your camera to your Mac and it'll automatically upload and save your photos in iPhoto.

Unknown said...

sounds like the hard drive is no good any more.

jalna said...

Thanks, Myko!

Say it isn't so, Geoff. Ack.

Anonymous said...

When our Apple laptop broke we took it to a repair shop right across the street from Ala Moana. Sorry I don't remember the name but it is in the same complex as the new ramen place and behind the muu muu place. I believe he fixes both Mac and PC. He was great and reasonable.

jalna said...

Awww, thanks Anon. I'll keep it in mind. Always good to know of somewhere that's reliable. I already dropped mine off at Cowabunga this morning.

Anonymous said...

J: so sorry to hear. I know the deer in the headlights feeling. I've gone thru so many towers and laptops and once got the blue screen of death after dropping my laptop. So what I do now is upload occasionally to dropbox.com any essential files. There is a free version and a commercial version. My last work place we use to use it to share huge files with heavy graphic content. We also used it to share it with our customers who wanted a copy but rather than send huge files over the 'net we directed them to the dropbox address. We were also able to work on it offsite if needed without all the emailing. I still have stuff in dropbox from 5 years ago - old photos and docs I lost when everything crashed. Also good for archival purposes so you don't have to deal with CDs, flash drives, etc. that gets lost. And you keep your memory free. I don't use it a lot but they still keep your stuff. It does take time though to upload depending on your connection so I do it when I'm not busy. I don't know if you can upload your software. Good luck.-N.

Mark Shelby said...

If it's 7 years old, I would just buy a new computer.

They can transfer all of your pics and history on to your new computer! I am so sorry this happened Jalna.

Same thing happened to me about a year ago. Then I found a great closeout computer at Walmart, marked down to only $398. And this thing has Massive memory and hard drive storage!

I am also a Photographer, so I know how upsetting this is!

I do outdoor 4x4 exploring photography. And I explore the West! Old ghost towns and mining sites!

Myko said...

Soho Computer Repair on Kona Street.
http://www.yelp.com/biz/soho-computer-repair-honolulu

jalna said...

Thanks, N. I'll look into dropbox.com. Cowabunga hasn't contacted me yet so not sure of the outcome. I haven't felt the effects of what might be lost yet. I have a flickr account where I could store my photos, but never really took advantage of that. Maybe I will now.

Hey Mark, you're a photographer too!! Great hobby, yah. That was good deal you got at Walmart! I'm leaning towards getting another computer for my photo stuff.

Thanks again, Myko!

Nippon Nin said...

It seems like my world stops when the computer is not working. I just panic and have to call my husband...he says 'Don't touch anything until I get home' And I go 'Can you come home like NOW?

I hope your computer get fixed very soon.

jalna said...

Thanks Akemi.