Am I going to get a new PC? If you read my posts about my slow PC or videos about my slow PC, then you know I have a really old, slow PC. Therefore, I will get another one, eventually. Read on. Note: This is a long story so if you don’t have the time, try again some other time. This is about a constant war between me and my dad in technology. During the Boxing Day or Boxing Week Sale, I came upon an Acer AX1800-E9232 PC which was slim and it was only $399.99 in Future Shop. The specs were an Intel Core 2 Quad Processor Q8200 @ 2.6GHz or something like that, 4GB RAM, 640GB HHD, Windows 7 and NVIDIA GeForce something that had 512 video RAM. To get any PC with that specification (or something like that) would be around $600 and up. To me, I didn’t really care about the brand because it was a lot better than my old, slow, crappy PC that had 256MB of RAM; AMD Athlon XP 1800+ @ 1.53GHz, 40GB HHD, NVIDIA GEFORCE4 440 MX and the case was from an IBM PC! My PC is the slowest in the house! Realistically, the Acer was a lot better than my slow PC. If I got it, it would be the fastest PC in the house. It would replace the highest which was a SONY VAIO laptop with 4GB RAM, Intel Centrino 2, 320GB HHD and a Intel graphics card with 256MB and Wireless A/B/G/N. But I didn’t and I got mad that I didn’t get a new PC (that will boot-up faster, therefore speeding up my working delay and speed up my productivity!). Then I asked my dad, when he will get me a new PC. He said, “In June, at the end of the school year.” I did remember my mom saying that they will get me a “new” computer when I get to grade 9. So I showed by dad this: My absolute minimum PC specs: 2GB RAM, Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.3GHz or AMD Athlon X2 @ 2.3GHZ, 120GB HHD, Windows XP, 128MB video memory, simple case. Price: $400-$500 My suggested PC specs: 4GB RAM, Intel Core 2 Duo (it can be Core 2 Quad) @ 2.6GHz or AMD X2 or X4 @ 2.4 GHz, 240GB HHD (or more), 256-512MB video memory, nice looking case. Price: $800-$900 My Dream Machine PC specs: 8GB RAM (or more), Intel Core i7 @ 2.6GHz and up, 500GB HHD or more, 512MB-1GB video memory, cool looking case. $1500 and up. Before I wrote to get ALIENWARE. Based on recent experience with my dad, he is on Some Day island! Some Day Island is an island that many people went on and it’s a place where people do something (such as chores, homework, projects, etc.) on some other day or some other time. Everybody in the world has been on the island. But we have to be able to get out of that island and into the real world. Anyways over a year ago, I was able to use my slow PC for the first time which was September 2008. The computer was faster that time because it had 768MB of RAM. My 512 DDR RAM stick broke down in June 2009 for some reason. At that time, I didn’t really know much about computers and I didn’t really know what to do on it. It did not have Internet yet. So I asked dad when I can get Internet on my computer and he said that I’ll get it at the end of the year as in Christmas. Christmas came and I waited and I reminded him a few times and he said later. Was it affected by my report card? No, my average was 78% which is above my class average. So I waited and at the end of Christmas Break, I asked him and he said March Break. March Break came and I asked him on a Saturday. He said summer because I was in school and such. At March, it was when my mom bought a laptop because she teaches kids! Finally! I can actually use a faster computer now! My dad’s computer is better than mine. At the last day of school (June 2009, on the day that the King of Pop died, R.I.P. MJ) I asked him and he said later. Every week on a Saturday or Sunday, I asked him about getting Internet on my computer and he said later. By then, I knew a lot about computers and I was like one of the Top Computer Geeks in my school! Oh wow, what an honor! It was kind of good because I get my hands on MIDIs, speakers, Mixers and more! In August, I went to China which is a good thing because I no longer have chores (washing the dishes and vacuuming) and I can probably get my hands on a faster computer with Internet Access. I went there with my friend, James and his mom. It was a nice experience for me because it’s my first time going on a plane, eating plane food, using their washrooms, and leaving the country for once (I don’t hate my country! CANADA HOSTS THE WINTER OLYMPICS!) Soon enough, I did and I played on my uncle’s (my mom’s brothers) girlfriend to bring her laptop to our hotel. Soon enough she did and I connected it to the Internet and started to surf the net. YES! I can now play games! But hey, I went to China for a reason! To see stuff and almost get run over! It’s true! Drivers there are absolutely crazy! They run you over, they keep on driving. End of story. Moving on, I took a ton of pictures and videos on my old camera but I didn’t care about getting a new camera. I cared about getting a camcorder! A nice SONY HDV, the one with Full HD, 12.1MP picture taking and a 120 or 240G HHD. I checked it out, it the lowest quality; you can take like a lot of days of video! It costs around $1100-$1500. But yet again, I would rather get a new PC. Anyways, I cannot go on YouTube because of the Great Firewall followed by a few other sites. After 2 weeks in China, we went to Hong Kong and went to Disney World. Then we came back to Canada. There is such a big difference in so many ways in China and Canada! You won’t get run over! So then I asked my dad if I can get Internet now and he said no, it’s almost back-to-school! Oh wow, he said he will give it to me in the summer. That’s over two months! I got really mad. Then the back-to-school sale came along and I asked my dad if I can get a new computer. He started to criticize about everything I do. He said that I had too much crap on my computer. Actually, I have like nothing on it. I have XP, Office 2007, and a bunch of other programs that I know I need. Then I told him how much RAM I had, he still criticized me. He did that when I get an award for being to top student of the month and he said, “Now you get the award? How about before? Why didn’t you get it before?” Oh wow, at least I got it. Then I proved to everyone that he criticizes on everything I do. From running to talking to eating. Oh wow, what an ass hole. Moving on, based on all of that, I am pretty sure that he will not get me a PC at June 2010 and he will delay it to my Birthday, the Back-to-school sale or Christmas. That is 6-12 or more months from now! Oh my god, that is really long! I am stuck with my slow, crappy PC for another 6-12 months! So I know he will delay everything I want! I wanted a Game Boy Advanced (that was like 5 years ago) for years and I never got it. I wanted a simple MP3 player that was like $20 for 3 years, never got it. I wanted an iPod for my Birthday, never got it. So far, I have no GAMING SYSTEM or anything that will keep my busy and not die of boredom! An iPod Touch, listen to music, watch videos and play games. Something that will keep my busy. An MP3 player, something that will keep me occupied by listening to music. I have no XBOX, PSP, PS#, MP3, iPod or even an old Game Boy! Oh wow, my life sucks. My parents won’t even let me hang out, go to the park where there is like 10 people that I know are there. They won’t even allow me to go to band (an after school extra curricular club) to do something that I am good at. (Long Exhale) Let’s recap, my computer is slow as hell, my dad is an ass, I’m stuck with my slow PC for another 6-12 months, even though they wouldn’t buy me a simple PC that was $399, I have no game system what so ever and I am unable to “go places in life” My dad (and partially my mom) is technically destroying my life. How can I have a life if I cannot socialize or hang out? It’s the little things in like that makes you a better person. Same with friendship. I would know people and people that hate me won’t hate me anymore (most of the people that hate me, dislike me because I have no game system). The other day, I was watching EP Daily; a show on G4 Tech TV about all the latest games, movies, shows, music, books and more. And my dad asks me why I watch this? He also said that it was only about games and it’s useless. I told him that it was not just about games, it’s about movies, DVDs, music and other technology stuff. Then he said to me, “So what if you’re smart in computers or in games? It’s USELESS!” I said to him right away all of the jobs that I can do in the future. Computer programmer, game programmer/designer/player, website maker/developer/designer/moderator, video editing and all things with video, a photographer with all things in photography, a PC builder/consultant, dealer, etc. There are so many jobs that I can do in the future yet he says that it’s useless? I can work for Microsoft, THQ, Ubisoft, game developers, technical crew for whatever it is, there is so many companies that I can work for. I am quite good in computers and I can many a living on it. He is such an idiot. Everybody should say that you should follow your dreams, stay golden (as in never change), do what you want to do. How can I do that without support? My friends support me, teachers so, people I don’t know do. But not my dad. Yet again, he is such an ass hole (followed by so many swear combinations). Often, I think about my slow computer and how I should prove to my dad that I am smart, I am good in computer, that I am not an idiot that will be pushed around by a bully. If I don’t get me PC (by September 2010) or I do get one but I am not satisfied it, I am going to be so pissed. It’s not going to be pretty. I am going to buy my own. Something that I should have done a long time ago (if it get’s to that point) and buy my own. Or customize it. I won’t build my own because I don’t know how to but I’m pretty sure I will learn it some day (oh wow, I’m on some day island on that!) and build PCs for people. I suffer from something I call, “Really Slow, Crappy PC but is unable to get a new one Syndrome.” Something that I just made up. I am going to play so many games that I’ve missed (from GTA 3 to Modern Warfare 2 to even Mafia!) and prove to my dad that I am not a dumb ass. Thank you everyone for reading this partially or the whole thing and I’m just telling everyone what I know. I tell everyone at school about how crappy my PC is and how I can be so useful on a computer. Now, I don’t use my PC because the boot time is like 6 minutes, when I use it, my dad comes downstairs to ask me what I am doing. When I said school work, he says, “SCHOOL WORK?” Then he demands what I am working on. Then he criticizes about me using the computer too much. I only used 20 minutes and half of it was waiting my PC to boot up and re-booting up after the PC has crashed. (Long exhale)I know that some people have slower PCs than me and I feel your pain. I know that some people are less fortunate than me and I understand. I know how you feel too. Like the people in Haiti, donate to save them and help them re-build. I have donated, roughly $20 or so which goes a long way there. NOTE: This is a true story, I even made a video about my slow, crappy PC and yes, I still don’t have a new PC. I will update you guys when I get it and any new problems that my have happened later on. I’ve thanked everyone for reading this. Thanks again for bothering and spending some of your time on this. I am not greedy, I just feel that I’ve earned it and I should be able to spend my own money on something that I want. I help so many people, not in computers but my classmates in a variety of things. I’ve also helped the world in some way. I don’t watch the news, I read them on the newspapers and whenever I do watch TV, I keep it productive. I try to stay as productive as I can in my work and whenever I use my crappy PC. As I said before, I don’t use it much anymore but I might as well use it (to play ROMs) so boredom won’t kill me. So it won’t make me so messed up things, so I won’t choose wrong choices. I missed so much in life that that will probably be a problem later on in my life. I am a smart kid and I know what to do. I like who I am and I will never change! Thank you again for reading this!
...I've never been to ssomeday island, I've been to "I'll never do it" land though. Wow long story...um...parent's get annoying like that, but it's understandable. It's a hit or miss...no clear chance unless he get's good encouragement.
Making your dream PC an Alienware is setting the bar pretty low. : Perhaps instead of begging to your parents for a computer, game console, and camcorder, get a job, make some money, and buy those things yourself.
If you want a fast pc, reinstall with TinyXP or lower (meaning Win2k). You will get so much more out of it than you will in the period before you hit that $400+t barrier with begging. Big Hint: Your dad is trying to get you to see a certain attitude so that you can see it in people claiming to be your friends as an adult (the ones who freeload on your successes without ever paying you back, essentially).
@Moderasian (reply, aparently, I was unable to retrieve the quote) "Perhaps instead of begging to your parents for a computer, game console, and camcorder, get a job, make some money, and buy those things yourself." Well like duh, I'm making money right now! Well, it's somewhat in direct but I still earn money. I have like five grand and I'm unable to use the money! Oh wow!
This should probably in the rant section. Yeah, Alienware PCs are all show, don't bother. How old are you? Save that money, once you graduate from school, assuming you didn't already of course, get a full time job, get an apartment, get all the necessaries to live, keep working until you get the PC and stuff that you want. Your parents do have something right going on, making you not spend your money, that money is your ticket into university/college and so they can kick your ass straight out of their house.
I'm in grade 8, todAy we took your grad pictures! First time wearing a tie! LOL! anyway there is only 6-12 more months so being stuck with my slow, old PC!!! LOL, typed from an ipod touch! Yet again, i want an ipod touch!
I said get a job, not a trust fund from your parents. And no, allowance doesn't count. And to be honest, a huge chunk of the world's population does not even own a computer, so stop complaining about your slow one and wanting every expensive consumer electronic on the market.
yes i got a job : delivering newspapers on my street/area. Who said i wanted EVERY expensive electronic? And yes i know that there is a large amount of the worlds population with out a pc! I'm just telling my story. I go on romulation often anyways (whenever i can). There is like a ton of people in poverty and i know that. And i have seen people take this to a whole new level! Some guy killed his parents over not being able to play a game of some sort! I just eant to express it on the internet and i know that people are way less fortunte thst me and you and other people and i know that. I like to complain about stuff because i am dieing due to epic boredom! When i get older, i will work my ass off for what i wish to buy! Thats what I'm doijg in school!!
I didn't have my own computer until I was about 15, and then it was an outdated cast off from school. My IT teacher encouraged me to mess around with it, find out what happened when I did things, and gradually I learnt to build PCs by myself, helped by an almost endless supply of crap computers from school. My IT teacher would ask me to take old machines out to the skip, knowing full well that they'd go to my room first and be stripped of all salvagable parts. I got some really nice hardware this way, such as a full size ISA soundblaster 16, a rare and experimental 3D accelerator card (incidentally using similar hardware to what would later be used in the DreamCast), and a working 1986 laptop. It was all horribly outdated, but it served as a platform for me to learn on. I got my first real computer in my last year of school (when I was 17), but by this point I had learnt enough from fiddling with school cast offs to build my own.
