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Not too bad a day
Jul. 16th, 2002 12:23 amWell, I got to do some of the stuff on my list today.
I also ran into a few unexpected snags. And a bit of fun. <g>
The cables went ok. But the guy I deal with didn't have enough in stock for everything I wanted to do. On the other hand, I've re-thought my plans, and I may only need a couple more.
Next stop was the Y. I hadn't realized how much it'd cost. I need to hit the bank (not having a checking account sucks.
Then I hit Radio shack for some audio cables I needed. And the split loom tubing to make the mess of cables coming from the back of each computer into a neat bundle.
Then it was walk across the parking lot to the Subway for lunch. I got a foot long but had them wrap the halves separately. I had one for lunch and the other for a snack later.
Then I hit Trader Joes . It's nice that all that stuff is so close together, but when I start hitting the Y several times a week, I'm going to have to be real careful.
I got home and called the phone company for a minor change on the phone (caller ID on the line the Fidonet node uses). And I'll pay that bill at the same time I pay the light bill, on the way to the Wednesday munch.
When I called my ISP, I found out that I don't need to involve them in getting the DSL, nor would there be an extra charge. I just need to get the DSL line put in and tell the phone company who my ISP is.
So, back to the phone company. And time for some bad news. My neighborhood can get DSL now. But neither of my phone lines can.
<sigh>
I'll talk to my friend who resells DSL from somebody else. Unlike the phone company, who don't like running a new line to get somebody DSL, the outfit he resells for sometimes will.
If that doesn't work, I'll have to get cable. Ick. So I'm putting off getting the cable reconnected until I can check on the DSL. No point trying for two visits if they can do it all in one. I need to check out the modems, too. At least one vendor sells a unit that can be used with DSL and with cable.
Since I plan to buy the modem (it'll pay for itself in saved charges in the course of a year or two) I might as well get something I can still use if DSL is eventually available.
I may check out ISDN, since I have the equipment for that already, but I doubt it'd be cost effective.
I hate having to go with cable, because I'll have to pay for the cable company's ISP services as well as my current ISP. Their services (AT&T Broadband) aren't that great anyway.
I got to talk to Lin twice today. Once before I left, when she called me, and once later this evening when I called her.
I got to tell her that they may not ned a new vid card after all. I had also gotten lucky at the first place I got cables (Oregon Electronics, my mypreferred stop for computer cables). I'd asked about where to get a cable to connect Lin's keyboard to her computer's sound card.
Turns out he had a cable that *might* work. Seems the sound card's aren't really good about handling external midi devices. He'd gotten the cable a while back and had several customers return it because they couldn't get it to work. And the sound card makers basicly said "If you can get that to work, let us know, there are some other customers who want to do that too..." (yeesh!)
Anyway, he let me have the cable to try out. If we can get it to work, he'll negotiate price with me (not a lot, as he has no intention of buying another of the blasted things). If it doesn't work, I just return it.
His recommendation if it doesn't work is to visit a music store and buy a dedicated MIDI card, It'll have cables and drivers that are guaranteed to work. Of course, that'll have to wait until Lin and Kermit can buy a new computer, unless their old computer can handle a MIDI card.
( quit reading here unless you want to read "adult" stuff )
I also ran into a few unexpected snags. And a bit of fun. <g>
The cables went ok. But the guy I deal with didn't have enough in stock for everything I wanted to do. On the other hand, I've re-thought my plans, and I may only need a couple more.
Next stop was the Y. I hadn't realized how much it'd cost. I need to hit the bank (not having a checking account sucks.
Then I hit Radio shack for some audio cables I needed. And the split loom tubing to make the mess of cables coming from the back of each computer into a neat bundle.
Then it was walk across the parking lot to the Subway for lunch. I got a foot long but had them wrap the halves separately. I had one for lunch and the other for a snack later.
Then I hit Trader Joes . It's nice that all that stuff is so close together, but when I start hitting the Y several times a week, I'm going to have to be real careful.
I got home and called the phone company for a minor change on the phone (caller ID on the line the Fidonet node uses). And I'll pay that bill at the same time I pay the light bill, on the way to the Wednesday munch.
When I called my ISP, I found out that I don't need to involve them in getting the DSL, nor would there be an extra charge. I just need to get the DSL line put in and tell the phone company who my ISP is.
So, back to the phone company. And time for some bad news. My neighborhood can get DSL now. But neither of my phone lines can.
<sigh>
I'll talk to my friend who resells DSL from somebody else. Unlike the phone company, who don't like running a new line to get somebody DSL, the outfit he resells for sometimes will.
If that doesn't work, I'll have to get cable. Ick. So I'm putting off getting the cable reconnected until I can check on the DSL. No point trying for two visits if they can do it all in one. I need to check out the modems, too. At least one vendor sells a unit that can be used with DSL and with cable.
Since I plan to buy the modem (it'll pay for itself in saved charges in the course of a year or two) I might as well get something I can still use if DSL is eventually available.
I may check out ISDN, since I have the equipment for that already, but I doubt it'd be cost effective.
I hate having to go with cable, because I'll have to pay for the cable company's ISP services as well as my current ISP. Their services (AT&T Broadband) aren't that great anyway.
I got to talk to Lin twice today. Once before I left, when she called me, and once later this evening when I called her.
I got to tell her that they may not ned a new vid card after all. I had also gotten lucky at the first place I got cables (Oregon Electronics, my mypreferred stop for computer cables). I'd asked about where to get a cable to connect Lin's keyboard to her computer's sound card.
Turns out he had a cable that *might* work. Seems the sound card's aren't really good about handling external midi devices. He'd gotten the cable a while back and had several customers return it because they couldn't get it to work. And the sound card makers basicly said "If you can get that to work, let us know, there are some other customers who want to do that too..." (yeesh!)
Anyway, he let me have the cable to try out. If we can get it to work, he'll negotiate price with me (not a lot, as he has no intention of buying another of the blasted things). If it doesn't work, I just return it.
His recommendation if it doesn't work is to visit a music store and buy a dedicated MIDI card, It'll have cables and drivers that are guaranteed to work. Of course, that'll have to wait until Lin and Kermit can buy a new computer, unless their old computer can handle a MIDI card.
( quit reading here unless you want to read "adult" stuff )
