On why I nearly threw my new laptop out the window!!!

I cannot believe that it's been 5 days since I got my new laptop and I still have not had the chance to properly 'play' with it or use it yet...

Here's how the story goes...

Long, long time ago, when you buy a new pc/laptop/notebook/netbook, you will find a vacuum-sealed pack of documents, instruction booklet, guide and most importantly, a Windows back up disk, or disc whatever you want to call it.

That time is long gone.

These days, user guidebook - install online.

Instruction - go to www.blablabla.com

Windows back up disk -- buy either 2 DVD or 14 CD's and make them yourself !!!

Which I did. Gave the other half very specific instruction on Thursday to get me blank DVD and despite getting back from work at 10.15pm and tired like a dog, I took a quick shower and sat the notebook on me lap and got cracking.

The reason I had to do this before anything else is quite obvious. A factory default back up disk means you don't play with it and mess up the settings and everything... a factory default back up disk means you do it right from the start, so that in case you need to reformat your system, you get it back to how you originally found it.

So I got started and found it quite easy because there was already a pre-installed software for the job and all one has to do is follow instruction. But when it came to burning onto the DVD, I encountered problems. Since there are so many versions of DVD out there, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD+R, 16x, 8x, 6x, 4x, da da da, I put it down to the other half having bought the wrong DVD so I went to bed feeling a little annoyed that I had to wait another whole day before I get to touch my new laptop again.

The next day, I found another type of DVD (which is supposedly compatible) and gave it another go. Still it didn't work. By that time, I was annoyed, frustrated and a bit angry.

So another bright idea was to look online to see if there have been similar problems in any online forum that I could find the solutions to. Of course did I not proudly brag that this laptop is the LATEST top of the range model, which meant that you won't find much information about it??!! Dang. By this time, profanity was the only thing that was coming out of my mouth.

I had no choice but to try and use 14 CD's in total to create my back up discs (it would have been only 2 DVD's had it worked).. So I got the first glimmer of hope when it finally managed to write onto the CD's. But by the 4th disc, the same problem ocurred and each time it would start writing on a brand new CD-R and stop halfway through and not complete due to verification problems. So I had to keep feeding it new CD's in the hope that the next one will be completed !!! And the whole process of trying to burn 14 discs took an annoying 3 hours, and I was reaching disc 12, when I ran out of blank CD's to feed this, annoying, obnoxious, arrogant and greedy metallic monstar !!!!! So I was hoping that some of the rejected CD's might work so I kept popping them back and they kept being rejected. So I was at my wit's end and I tried the DVD's as well to no avail and in the end, the only thing I didn't do was to throw that damn thing out of the window. So, I had to end the job and live with the fact that the next time I start that back up process again, I will have to start from disc 1 (a painful experience I found out after I had finished burning disc 1 and 2 and had to terminate the process to go to work and come back to find that I had to start the whole thing again)

When I went to bed, I was beyond frustrated and threatened to throw the thing out the window. So Steve said that we'll take it back and get it changed for a new one. And I thought, as if anyone would allow you to take back a laptop so easily? But I had his assurance that he will deal with it *perhaps just to shut me up so that he can get some sleep?*

To make it short, all in all, I have ruined 31 CD's and achieved nothing !! Not to mention I am stuck with 10 blank DVD's that I can't take back or use.

I had to abandon the post half way through and as I am writing this paragraph now, it is 6 hours since I started this post and the latest update on the laptop issue -- we are getting a replacement on Tuesday (hoooray! Trust Steve to deal with customer service) but Tuesday is sooooo far away and am currently blogging on me ol' faithful (my old laptop).... I was a bit terrified that it won't start because it was in a strop with me for replacing it. But thank god, it didn't let me down and it started fine.

Anyways, these pictures show a happier times when I first opened the laptop!!