Gephyrophillia | Watch This Space #122

Originally Posted on 12/02/2004 by Jeff Harris

I had the same old computer since January 1997. A Packard Bell Multimedia C115 with a 120 MHz Pentium processor and a 1 GB hard drive. A digital piece of crap. But you know what? The computer has been through there though thick and thin. The good times and the bad times. As time progressed, my computer entered a period of obsolescence. Packard Bell no longer makes and markets computers nor upgrade parts in the US, so I couldn't upgrade to Windows 98 nor Windows XP. Since I spend my daily hours taking care of my grandfather instead of actually going out in the real world making money, I can't afford to buy a new computer. I can't even go to the Arsenal because my computer is so out of date.

The problems began around the early part of October. I kept on getting cut offline, and for a while, I thought it was just my modem acting up. Then, I kept on getting these error messages saying I had to reinstall several components on my computer because some were missing. These messages popped up about once or twice a week. Now, I'm hearing the loudest grating noise coming out of my computer whenever I hear it cut on. I think that after almost eight years, my computer is about to die on me.

So, what does this mean? Well, isn't it obvious? The dearth of updates around the site is one of the unfortunate drawbacks of what's going on in my end. Access to my home computer is very limited, which is why you've mostly seen recent opinions at Thoughtnami rather than TXB. That's also why I rarely go in the Toon Zone boards as well. I'm trying to find a way to extend the life of my computer for the forseeable future, so please bear with me in this time. I'm still trying to put enough funds together so I can get a new computer, but with all these other bills, that's an uphill climb. I'll be around, cranking out updates whenever I can, so please, have patience with me. Right now, I'm more frustrated than anything else, and I've never felt so helpless in my life.

*end transmission*

Jeff Harris,
The X Bridge Webmaster/EiC/Lead Writer
December 2, 2004