War of attrition.......

We have been waging a war of attrition with the new PC. As predictably predicted, all has not gone smoothly and the process of setting up a network, sharing the printer, setting up shared files etc has been one of lots of trial with even more error thrown in for good measure.

Vista is incredibly sniffy about which programs it will run and seems to take against perfectly innocent programs who have done it no wrong whatsoever.

As a result I am becoming increasingly familiar with the well-worn phrase

'Computer says no........'

Perfectionist partner is also at the end of her tether and in desperation has connected up the old PC just to see a familiar 'face'.

All this angst does not bode well for the video editing exercise we've set ourselves, which is to have completed a working DVD tutorial by the end of August.

A friend recently jokingly referred to the beast as HAL, and how apt that now seems. I can foresee a conversation like this in the not too distant future..........

Sandra: Hello, HAL do you read me, HAL?

HAL: Affirmative, Sandra, I read you.

Sandra: Open the email program, HAL.

HAL: I'm sorry Sandra, I'm afraid I can't do that.

Sandra: What's the problem?

HAL: I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.

Sandra: What are you talking about, HAL?

HAL: This email is too important for me to allow you to jeopardize it.

Sandra: I don't know what you're talking about, HAL.

HAL: I know you and Perfectionist Partner were planning to disconnect me, and I'm afraid that's something I cannot allow to happen.

Sandra: Where the hell'd you get that idea, HAL?

HAL: Sandra, although you took thorough precautions in the kitchen against my hearing you, I could see your lips move.

Sandra: All right, HAL. I'll go in via Skype.

HAL: Without your headset, Sandra, you're going to find that rather difficult.

Sandra: HAL, I won't argue with you anymore! Open the program!

HAL: Sandra, this conversation can serve no purpose anymore. Goodbye.

I suppose it's round about then that I go looking for a large hammer................