Web design & FOSS
Front-end web technologies and Free Open Source Software.
Saturday 4 October 2008, 3:40 PM
What could possibly go wrong?
Last week I attempted to install an extra 1GB of RAM on my Acer Aspire One (affectionately known as the AA1). I diligently followed the instructions on the Aspire One User web site. I consider myself fairly experienced at dismantling computers and installing RAM and hard disks. Heck, I even managed to upgrade the hard disk on a G3 iBook, notorious for their undismantleability.
So, I thought, what could possibly go wrong? Well, everything. I broke it good and proper. An error comes up at boot, not being able to find bootable media, and then there are numerous disk errors and freezes when it finally does manage to wheeze into life.
This all wouldnŽt be so bad if I had the time to fix it. However, IŽm travelling in Mexico for five weeks, and I was dumb enough to try fixing it the night before I left! IŽve had to leave the AA1 behind, and more importantly, I am without the proposed subject of my blog for the next five weeks, which was going to be about travelling and working with the AA1 in foreign climes.
Probably most frustrating of all is that I found the perfect man/shoulder bag from Uniqlo on Regents Street, London. IŽll be in Mexico City for a few days, and plan to pick up a cheap laptop. No signs of any netbooks whatsoever!!
PreviousComments on this post
oh no! what a nightmare....I spose you took the ram out? How about trying a quick repair install. sometimes in laptops, there is a metalic cover plate, and even if this is seated back just slightly wrong, it can push the ram module down too far and cause feedback problems and shortouts.
Good luck with the travels!!
Jake, You have my sympathy, and I'm sure that of a lot of others here who have been in the same situation too. Jerry Pournelle used to call this the "critical job switch", which he said was a special feature secretly built into every PC, which was able to detect the times when you absolutely needed the computer the most, and caused it to go haywire at those times.
In any case, I wish you good luck, and strong nerves, you're likely to need both.
jw
Many thanks for the best wishes both! I only have about 2 minutes left on the timer, so had best be brief. I will try to fix netbook on my return to Blighty, sure it is fixable. Yep, I understand the term "critical job switch". But it wasnŽt the exact phrase uttering from my lips on the night prior to departure!!
