Yes, just got my notebook back after a week without it. This is the second time in as many months that my machine has died. This time it died on Monday morning when I booted up at work, but I’m lucky enough to have it back late on Friday arvo (so I can spend all weekend re-installing all my stuff J).
It makes you realise how lost you can become without your machine. Sure, everything was all backed up (I haven’t lost anything – especially my VPCs that I’ve spent the last month building thank goodness), but if you haven’t got anything to restore your backup to then it can be a frustrating time. Fortunately there was spare machine in the office I could use for basic email and office functions – but you really miss not having your space.
I guess this is why most senior managers and presenters these days carry around two machines… just in case.
At times like this you really appreciate the different registration processes that software companies use. For example, at the ‘you little ripper’ end of the spectrum is FeedDemon. I just downloaded the latest version and it prompted me to enter my Newsgator name and password. It then did the rest – retrieved my subscription details, registration code, everything. A fantastic experience. Others have been a little frustrating, such as SnagIt. I bought this in the days of v7, and then paid for the upgrade to 8. But trying to install their latest version, and hunt back through emails for registration codes, which then turn out to be invalid since they are for 7, and you can’t find a code for the 8 upgrade, and on, and on, and on it goes – very painful. I haven’t been able to get SnagIt registered yet – and will most likely just buy it again to get around the issue – very frustrating.
In Microsoft’s favour I have been pleasantly surprised that activation of Office 2007 has been pain free. Even though this is the 3rd time this year I’ve installed it on this notebook (and more if you count my VPCs) there have been no activation issues (and thus no phone calls required to the activation hotline). I’m assuming that part of their activation process records the hardware specs, and somehow knows it is being installed on the same machine. I wonder what will happen when I get another machine (I’m pretty sure I’ll be getting a backup machine now).
Anyway, must dash, I have few thousand blog posts from the past week to get through.
The best part of a week to get it back?
You do make a base image of your notebook with apps installed using Ghost etc. don’t you?
The best part of a week to get it back?You do make a base image of your notebook with apps installed using Ghost etc. don’t you?
I know, I know :-)
I don’t make base images any more, but I do backup everything. In this case the boot sector thingy (or something) was corrupted, and it took a week to get through our tech department etc.
I know, I know :-)I don’t make base images any more, but I do backup everything. In this case the boot sector thingy (or something) was corrupted, and it took a week to get through our tech department etc.
Norty norty.
One thing (one of the only!!) that I’m actually disciplined about is making base images. Probably because I’m usually the guy that has to rebuild the machine if it dies.
Alright for you managers on high….. :)
Norty norty.One thing (one of the only!!) that I’m actually disciplined about is making base images. Probably because I’m usually the guy that has to rebuild the machine if it dies.Alright for you managers on high….. :)