Big Nell & My Long Night

Let me start out by saying It's Not The Computer. I wanted cheap, I got cheap, I can't complain about that. Big Nell is very basic, no bells, no whistles, not even much of what I'd expect to be basic - but she runs.

After a lot of grief last weekend I got Linux Mint installed and running by using the Mint4Win tool. Kinda like Ubuntu's Wubi. And it worked just fine. Installed Evolution, it read my backup and when I opened it, there was everything just like I'd left it on Nellie! Very good! Ditto Firefox; I used FEBE and it worked a charm to copy my profile over to Big Nell. Installed Skype without a hitch, it worked a treat. All was well.

But I noticed it lagging and some of the apps running slow or hanging. (Could be because there's only 2GB of RAM? Don't know if I can upgrade to 4GB and since it didn't come with a manual, nor can I find one online, I will have to buy it and try it I guess!) But Nellie only ran on 2GB and she ran smoothly - maybe Mint 12 was heavier than Ubuntu? I don't know...but I just went with the flow...

Then Yesterday Big Nell froze at boot. At first it was when she couldn't find the wifi where we were. I clicked on the Network icon to give her a little help, and she froze completely up. Hmmm...rebooted (using the switch obviously) and tried again - same thing. And same thing when I just tried to start Firefox, thinking the app might give the network a good kick...nope. Then she started freezing up earlier in the process - after I typed in my password, then before...but always after the Mint screen came up, so I knew it wasn't Grub - it was Mint.

I just kept trying, and on 2 occasions I got her to run, get online, and act normal. But her heart wasn't in it, and for every time I got her to run she froze at least a dozen. The 2nd time she was up and running I exported/copied all of my files & settings onto the external HD.

I uninstalled Mint, and installed the good old standby, Ununtu 10.04. Ahhh...so familiar, like an old friend. But a friend who couldn't seem to find any networks even though there are 4 right around here. And I couldn't add them by force either. No good if I can't get online...so I uninstalled that and installed Ubuntu 11.10 (not a fan, but better than Windows!). Now it was about 4 a.m...I had to get up in 4 hours, so I was hoping this would work. And it did. Got online a treat, took over an hour to load up all of my files (my email tar file was over 750MB itself)...all that was left to do was install Skype. YEAH!

Uh...no. Skype doesn't play nice with Ubuntu 11.10 apparently. I got a dire warning message after I did the apt-get that I would seriously damage my system if I continued. Um, really? SERIOUSLY? And on I went.

OK, after uninstalling my 2-hour install of Ubuntu 11.10, I decided I'd just use Windows for work today since it was already getting online, Skype worked fine, I could access my email at the host's server via the web, and it could obviously read .xls files - the 4 requirements for my work computer. Thought I'd give it a shot to make sure it worked; by now it was after 7:00.

Guess what? MS Office Starter wouldn't allow me to edit MY OWN FILE, nor save it! I turned off all the protections that it proudly proclaimed were saving me from myself - still couldn't use the spreadsheet that is the most important file that I use every day. I tried to get help, was sent to a MS Knowledge Base article (which is never helpful), which sent me to another page after I wasted more time reading several screens on that one...then read how I had to alter the registry keys. And to follow all the instructions VERY CAREFULLY. But of course I wouldn't HAVE the instructions with me as the I'd have to have my browser off. I'm no stranger to tinkering in Windows registries, I've done it a LOT. But not after 10 hours of solid frustration, no sleep, need to start working in 90 minutes (but first get my grandson up and dressed and cuddled and prayed over and ready for his day)... As soon as my daughter's dad picked up my grandson, I had a meltdown of major proportions. No sleep, hours and hours and hours of frustration, my hatred for all things Windows and feeling forced to endure MS torture...I had had it.

Thankfully, hubby got home from work about the time I was supposed to start taking calls, and he let me use Nellie. Yes she has her problems, but at least she can do what I need her to do. Except Skype, which just means that I will be using cell phone minutes today that I can ill afford to do...but at least I can do my job...

And Big Nell has now been wiped clean, and reset to factory settings. I'm kinda punchy and can't think straight, so I'm making notes on EVERYTHING having to do with my job, so I don't mess anything up. And after a nap at 5:00 I will get back to work on Big Nell...don't have a plan, don't know what I'll do, but I have to make her do what I bought her to do!