Electronic machines

["Wille R." <veloce@domain.elided>]

All these technical inventions and facilities are gorgeous. They cross the cyberspace and the 
oceans, even the North sea  in less than seconds. They make things so easy and practical - if 
they work. When they do not, it is plain h*ll.

I work in an environment of electronic machines, all of them manufactured by well known companies 
and accompanied by manuals and warranty certificates. At the moment I do not know how many cables 
and connections the machines need and use under my desk. They have something to do with 
electricity, phones and connections, with other machines and between them under my desk.

The oldest writing facility, a regular computer and printer, some ten years old, are considered 
to be from the days of Columbus, before he discovered America. When computer people estimate the 
age of a computer, they multiply each year by 100. The development is pinning so fast that 
whatever you buy, it will be outdated before you turn it on. And that costs a lot of money.

On top of that, is the when you find out that your knowledge is nothing, even though you think 
you can handle the machines, that you do not know anything. You drive the technicians nuts, just 
by asking them what the next step is or why the computer acts as if it had a mind of its own. 
Then the kids appear to have a complete 100 percent computer skill. I am sure they are born that 
way, even though it takes them a year or two before they can climb a chair, or make a drawing or 
even write a few words and surf the web. They do not understand or show any sympathy with people 
who do not understand these technical wonders and who grew up using regular post and dial phones.

I have a couple of computers and a printer but also a telephone Besides the regular function of 
the phone, it can send and receive faxes and an it has internal an answering device. I deeply 
regret I purchased the monster. I am confident that the three operations are too many to 
co-operate in the diminutive box, which also must host the paper for the fax. There are way too 
many buttons to deal with plus the regular digits. There is a red warning light that goes on now 
and then just to annoy me and telling me that I have done something the machine does not approve 
of.

The h*ll I mentioned previously, has come to me. The latest computer, named laptop, runs quite OK 
after I have learnt to handle its more common functions. But the printer that came along with the 
laptop, has some strange and curious ways to act. Besides, it speaks to me in a deep baritone, 
base voice while working.

Sometimes it prints letter that are three inches tall, without any orders, it just starts. On top 
of that, it does not like new ink cartridges, iven though the voice asks for it. When I put a new 
cartridge in place, it just spits it out in a mean manner. Instantly the computer tells me that 
the printer is out of ink?

After many hours on the phone, I understood that we needed a new printer. The small almost brand 
new laptop is a few years old and thus cannot handle the modern printers. "You need a special 
printer for that laptop, Sir". Then the printer cannot be connected to the old computer, the one 
from the Middle age. While waiting for the new printer I had to communicate by typing on the old 
computer, then fax the text. And as sure as consume oil, the telephone wnet nuts and refused to 
fax. At the same time, the answering machine begun to start in the middle of any conversations on 
the phone, impossible to stop. It was supposed to get in action after six signals, but it 
obviously did not like to wait. This disturbing manner became even more frustrating as it allowed 
only one signal from the phone in the kitchen. Bah!

The only thing that is working at the moment, is to copy the text to a disc, post it and then the 
receiver will have to put the disc into their computer and use it. Meanwhile, I have long 
conversations with Vienna in Austria, the service is located there, but the machine was 
manufactured in China, even though I bought it in London. I have tried everything to get the 
phone in a good mood again, but I will have to wait for a new printer and a new phone, which the 
service has entitled me to have. 

But I will not say a word about Alfa Romeo and electronics, it is as it is. Things were better 
when Alfa had Weber.

Merry X-Mas

Veni, vidi, veloce 
Salute		Wille R in Scandinavia

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http://www.veloce.nu
The Alfa Romeo Roundtail Spider sites. Now more than 950 roundtails in the register. This 
probably makes it the biggest Alfa Romeo register on the web.

Old enough to remember when girls were girls, Alfa Romeo had Weber carburetors and Jerry Lee 
Lewis was "the Killer".

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