Ok, so the image may be overkill... What I actually have is one problem and one annoyance. If there are any computer-geeky types reading this blog, please leave help in the comments if you have suggestions. Problem: My ibook, which I only used plugged in b/c the battery is old and I'm too cheap to buy a new one, flashes every couple of minutes/seconds between the "charging" and battery icon (sometimes the light on the power cable also flashed orange to green and back again). I've tried a new power adaptor and the problem is persisting. After consulting the boards, I think I need a new DC-inboard (as does our IT guy here). Are these babies hard to install? Should I try it myself (at risk of breaking the darn thing), pay someone to do it, or make steak-and-a-blow job day arrive a little early this year and beg L to give me a hand? I haven't done anything hardware related on my laptop other then replace the RAM... Either way, somethings got to be done b/c I laptop is now on permanent sleep, and as anyone else in the history business knows, not being able to access you computer is like being stuck in you own special corner of hell. Fortunately my docs are backed up on the Univ's server and I had just emailed off the two big documents I was working on so I can reclaim them through gmail.
And now, the annoyance: I bought an older Belkin Ergoboard at our Surplus store, got the PCI:USB adapter, and my ibook, before it went to eternal slumber, can't/won't recognize the damn thing. Surprisingly, the internets have failed me and Belkin doesn't have anything resembling drivers. Suggestions?
1. This is a take-it-to-the-Mac-Store kind of problem. Unless you and/or L are feeling very brave about totally dismantling your laptop and screwing around with very sensitive stuff on the motherboard. (Or, use it as an excuse to buy a new one!!!)
ReplyDelete2. If it doesn't say "Mac compatible" on the package, it probably doesn't work. If googling the crap out of it doesn't turn up any drivers, you're out of luck. Lame, huh?
super, super, super lame. On all accounts.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could use this to justify a new one, but at this point I could probably only really afford a PC laptop and I'm not sure I can go back...
FYI you also get like 10 minutes of free service from our campus IT guys, as I found out recently. I'm having them install a new hard drive for me next week so I don't f**k it up.
ReplyDelete