On a day-to-day basis, technology is my "day" job. I've been doing that for about 15 years now. So I am not easily frightened when installing software or hardware on my own PC. But I do dread it. Not because it will be complex, or difficult to understand, but because it NEVER goes in without requiring hours and hours of time that have absolutely nothing to do with the actual technology itself. Plug and Play! What a joke! I'm trying to install a DVD/CD RW Combo on my system. I've installed literally hundreds of CD and CD RW on my machine and machines of my friends. Piece of cake. Except when the cable is not working. Or the software is an old version. Or there is a stripped screw somewhere holding the old one - and on and on. Tonight the problem is that the new combo drive uses SATA connections. There are two lovely little SATA connections on my motherboard just waiting to be used.  They match up beautifully with the cable that came with the drive. Of course, no diagrams or directions came with the drive - but so what?  It's just a Plug and Play drive.  Just plug one end of the cable into the drive, and one end into the matching connector on the motherboard - and bingo - start creating CDs/DVDs!  It got 5 stars on the Dell website for ease of installation!

I started on the process at 9:00.  I just finished my telephone conversation with Dell at 1:30.  For reasons that baffled three on-call technicians - neither of those delightful little connectors on the motherboard would light up the lights on my drive. Thank goodness for rollover minutes on my cell phone! Finally, the sweet young lady on the final phone call gave up. She is dispatching a technician with a brand new drive and a brand new cable.  He or she will attempt to install it and figure out the problem "on site".  So a simple little Plug and Play process turned into a five hour telephone call - and ultimately a "stay at home and wait for the technician (sometime between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm) in the next day or two (to be specified at a later time). They were planning to charge me because my warranty on the overall machine was past. But then they realized they had to support the drive - since they recommended it and sold it to me. And I think their pride is on the line now. After investing five hours, they are darned if they are going to let this machine lick THEM!

And therein lies the real attraction to technology. You invest so much time in it - that you can't just walk away when it begins to drive you nuts!  Why do I want this combo drive to begin with? In part, to help me get ready to create CDs for my hypnosis clients - and in part to position myself to create DVD's for my other creative work. What's the first CD I plan to record for clients? I'm thinking something along the lines of "Get a Life - Step Away from the Computer"!  :-)

Good night! (or good morning, I should say!)