originally written Friday, 16. November 2007 (updated 12:51 PM April 29, 2015), (updated 10:11 AM December 27, 2018)
I've been fooling around with computers a few years now. My first experience was with one of those computers that you hooked up to a TV. Can't remember the name. TRS-80 maybe. It looked like a keyboard that I hooked up to my TV. The only way to get programs on it was to type them in manually or load pre-written ones from a cassette tape. I tried to teach myself to program in BASIC from this but couldn't wrap my mind around it. Still can't.
I guess my first experience with, lets call them, modern day computers was when I took a 30 hour course back in 1994 on Desktop Publishing. I also took an home correspondence course in Desktop Publishing and Design from the Stratford Career Institute, Mount-Royal, Quebec, which I finished successfully on Feb 03 2000.
My Uncle got a computer, long before I did. It was a 286 with about 1 MB RAM, 12mhz speed (at one time thats all you needed). It had a Monochrome or Black and White monitor. The operating system was Windows 3.1 and MSDOS 6.22.
Drawing of computer that I did on that computer at the time.
When he first got it, even I didn't even know how to start it up. Windows did not automatically start up at the time. We had to get someone come and show us. These days I'm the guy everyone comes to, to show them how things are done.
extra note:10:15 AM December 27, 2018:
My very first site was at www.geocities.com/loqui1ca/index.html - from Oct. 2002, the site is no longer valid. Then came www.geocities.com/terryhollett2003/. I've had it since July 2005, but Geocities shut down their free servers - thats why I moved here as of July 12, 2009. And then: http://hitanykey.webs.com/. To many problems with the service that ended with me not being able to update my site for almost a month. So I closed my account and came here: http://hitanykey.x10host.com/. So far so good.
My first computer, I bought from a second hand store. It was a 486SLC, 50mhz, 8mb RAM, with Windows 3.1 and MSDOS 6.22. It did not have a mouse so that was the first thing I had to learn, how to use one without a mouse. I didn't have the Internet then so what I was able to learn about computers came from the magazines I bought over the Pharmacy, here in Twillingate.
Since then I went through a few computers, all second hand; 486Dx2/66mhz, P-166, Compaq Deskpro (P200), IBMPL300 (P266), and my latest another Compaq Deskpro, this time a P2-400mhz, 192mb RAM. I recently bought it at a yard sale for $20.
At first my only Internet access was at the Public Library or on my Uncle's computer. Then at the post office they use to sell Telus long distance calling cards that could be used to access the Internet through their service. Then came Sympatico dial-up. And then cable through Cable-Rocket and finally, cable from Personia, which I've had for a few years now.
And speaking of the Internet, my choice of browsers. At the Library at the time it was Netscape 4, on my Uncle's computer it was Internet Explorer, On mine it was first Internet Explorer, then Opera version 3 or something. It had this big hunking ad that you had to pay a registration fee to get rid of. I tried a few independent ones that didn't impress me including one called Firebird which I think was the original name for the Firefox browser, correct me if I am wrong.
Anyway I eventually settled on Mozilla Suite. An open source version of Netscape, that included a browser, email client, newsreader and a HTML editor. I used it up till the Mozilla Foundation decided to give it up and concentrate on developing Firefox. It was taken over and renamed Seamonkey, apparently the original name of the project. I wasn't sure what to expect so again I went hunting for a browser. Decided to try Opera again. That ad was gone and Netscape, at the time, was history. And Opera, it still is today.
In case your wondering, I originally gave up Internet Explorer because I became to paranoid about potential security issues. Firefox is and always will be a resource hog. It's not perfect but Opera is now my browser of choice.
This site deals with some of the problems I have personally experienced and the solutions I have found to them. Also, where I fix computers for others, their problems become mine. All of this info you can find on other sites on the Internet, there are only so many ways to say put slot A into slot B, but in these cases I have my own personal experiences to tell.
Standard warnings: There are so many potential setups and settings that this info may or may not help you. Use at your own discretion. I am not responsible for any further damage done while following this info. It is simply meant as a guide to help find potential solutions.
In case you are wondering what my current computer setup is:
November 2007 - Compaq Deskpro
- Recently bought a computer at a yard sale for $20. Still had to take
a few things off my old one to upgrade it. My first major hardware
update in years.
Jan 2009 - P4
- A guy who computer I fix on a regular basis gave me his old computer. Again took a few things from my previous and put on this on. I then set up my Compaq as my Client computer, slightly better than the one I had there before.
June 2009 - Compaq Deskpro
- Unfortunately, the P4 computer I received in Jan has already conked out. It keeps shutting down. I suspected a build up of dust inside. Cleared out the CPU heat-sink, fan and computer motor - worked for other computers I cleaned out with the similar problems but in my case - No Luck. I suspect a bad motor.
Oct 2009
- Was given another old tower (Gateway). This time a P3-600mhz, 320 MB RAM. Again I gave up my Compaq. Only time well tell. As of 10:50 AM January 5, 2010 still working.
- Still another P3-650mhz system came my way. 50mhz faster but otherwise only equal to the Gateway one. I have them both hooked up in my bedroom.
Dec 2010
- I'm currently using my Sister's desktop computer. A 1.80 gigahertz Intel Pentium 4.
MY MAIN as of :10:16 AM December 27, 2018
My Second
I have a cable Internet connection from Eastlink. 100 Mbps download, 10Mbps upload.