Never Fear...Learning Here!
Sep 08 '00
When I bought my first computer in 1997, I was scared to death of it! I wasn't really even sure how to turn it on, much less what made it run, or what was inside it! Now, when my friends are having computer problems, who do they call? ME!!!
My first machine was a 486...by today's standards, a dinosaur. It had Windows 3.1 installed on it and I didn't even know what that meant! It only had a 14.4 modem in it and that was part of the sound card...talk about slow!!!
Of course I was living in Japan at the time, so connecting to the internet was a very costly thing!
One morning I got really mad at that slow thing, so I decided to see what I could do to change it! I went to the base computer store and asked one of the techs working there what I could do. He suggested that I go to the book store next door and buy a book called "How To Upgrade Your Own PC". So I did, and the rest is history!!!
When I got the book home, I looked through it until I found the 486. I decided to take the cover off the machine and look inside it to match it with the diagram the book showed...big step for me!
This book explained about the motherboard, memory, modem, and everything else I had questions about. I decided to take the book's advice and buy a computer toolkit which was very inexpensive, and has been a blessing to me ever since! While I was in the store, I also decided to buy more memory and Windows 95. I was ready to go!
I got home with all my new toys, and with my trusty book in hand, I began to make changes to my computer! I added the new memory chips I bought...my 486 suddenly had 64 megs of ram! After the memory was installed, I decided to install windows 95. Of course it was the floppy version of 13 disks.
I got through the installation and restarted my "new machine"...still not good enough for me, so I went and bought a 56k modem, which did absolutely no good because the phone line would not allow for that kind of speed...duh! The fastest I ever connected with that modem was 33.6, and believe me when I say that is fast in Japan! At a cost of 10 yen per minute to use the phone line (approximately 10 cents per minute)...it needed to be better...but what you gonna go?
Not to mention that MSN in Japan is billed by the minute as well! When I got my first bill from MSN I almost choked because it came to...are you ready for this...$435 US dollars! I decided that the internet was not for me and promptly cancelled my MSN account.
I also decided that this computer was just too slow, no matter how much I upgraded, it was still just a 486!!!
Since then I have upgraded time and time again...mostly by buying new computers to try and keep up with technology...I only have my HP now because the good old US Postal system smashed the Pentium 90 I mailed to myself from Japan.
Basically I am trying to tell you not to be afraid of getting into the nuts and bolts of your system! If you can read and follow instructions, you too can upgrade your own pc!
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Epinions.com ID:
bigtrouble54
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Member: Linda Hall
Location: Apache Junction, Arizona
Reviews written: 51
Trusted by: 92 members
About Me:
Been gone for a bit...I can see 2009 approaching...
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