Jonathan & Denise:

… by difficulties. Worn down. Stressed out. Drained.

It’s been a week of struggles with technology, struggles which we’ve certainly been on the losing side of.

First one laptop, then the other. Both gradually fell into a zombie state: fan running at full speed – though with nothing else moving any faster than a crawl ; the wifi apparently connected to the Internet – but in reality wired up to a black hole that, bit by byte, would suck from our computers every last app or bot of intelligence. In the nick of time we realised our only hope was to pull the cables, run backups on battery power, and then press-and-hold the big silver buttons for one last time – before we too disappeared into the oblivion of an Ethernet Unplugged.

Or, to put it more technically, our Windows 7 laptops (identical twins) had had one too many updates from Windows 10. Yes, it is possible to ‘roll back’ the drivers (specifically, the drivers for the network and wireless adaptors), but there’s no way to roll back the years: The laptops are six years old and have been worked long and hard …

So, we’ve bought two new computers. Identical twins again (the disadvantages of which are now apparent, but there’s advantages, too – and throughout their working lives). They’re on their way, already, but by the time all the setting-up is done, it will have been a fortnight or so without properly functioning computers, and there’ll be a lot of catching up to do.

When all’ said and done, though, we’ll have learned something of great value to all mankind. Which is …

… that an iPad and an index finger are not much help with the minutiae of modern life, and certainly not up to the task of running a business!

There was the WordPress disappearing act, too, of course – just in case we needed something to entertain us, whilst waiting for normal service to be resumed. At least that’s fixed – if only until next time.  So, in case you haven’t already seen it (it seems most of our readers haven’t), and before it shuffles away into the archives, and assuming you’re interested anymore, here’s Evocation.