Gotta love an Apple ..... but

It's a funny thing back in the day.... late 80's ( Sinclair ZX81 and Spectrum ) and early 90's I was a computer nerd  - still am but less so now  - see later for why. I worked for the University of Derby - then Derbyshire College of Higher Education and I was employed to set up and run an 'Inplant Print Unit' which I did with the support and help of a top fella Mr David Bush, lots of stories to tell for another day but Dave was the graphic designer  - a very good talented one and I was the fella who put the ink on the paper etc.

Anyhow computers were in the workplace then - just, all PC's 286's 386's 486's nothing like what we use today but they were DOS based then windows 3 (1990) a real learning curve with floppy disks no cd's no internet ! Dave being a graphic designer and the graphic design teaching school down the corridor were picking up some of the very early Macintosh computers  - eye bleedingly expensive with diddy screens but a revelation to the graphic designers of the day - and in my estimation even then the early start of the demise of the craft of lithographic printing of which I had completed a four year apprenticeship ! 

Anyhow the story is about our friendly rivalry of me being a PC fanboy and Dave being a Mac fanboy. There was very much a competition between the two systems as the PC was just into WIMP ( Windows Icons Menu's and pointers) from the old command line operating systems that were the old DOS ( Disk Operating Systems ) of the fledgling PC world. We had many friendly arguments about which would triumph  and which would not - as we know there is space for both and both doing well. The PC was a fiddlers delight always something to add in and set or adjust.... the Mac turned on and worked. So in my estimation I learned more from the operation of the PC but Dave learned more of his craft from the delivery of the Mac.

So why the post, well I've been watching a Youtuber for many years now Carey Holzman who is entertaining and educational on building and troubleshooting PC's (I did say I was a computer nerd). One of his recent vlogs was decommissioning some old early PC's that brought back memories for me of what I used to build and fettle. Click here for the video So taken have I been I've dusted off my old Windows PC in the loft and got it fired up ( did not start straight away only giving me 3 beeps on the POST  - diagnosed as a graphics card issue.) Taking out the graphics card and reseating it sorted it and we got it booted, then overnight for the windows updates ! Not sure what to do with it as I've a Mac Mini that boots into windows as well as Mac - might remove the hard drive and offer it to the community hopefully some youngster will find a use for it.

I got keen then and focussed on my Apple devices. I love Apple stuff - it just works so well. I've recently upgraded the M.2 drive in my lovely and still very relevant Macbook Pro 15 inch laptop. I also recently upgraded the ram and the M.2 drive in my Windows gaming laptop  - the old 120gb drive - who puts such a small drive in a laptop.... got put into a USB caddy so I have a decent very fast spare 120gb drive very portable. The M.2 drive I removed from my 15 inch macbook is properiatory and can only go into another similar model Macbook so as it's  a decent drive size I may clear it and offer it for sale.

Now I got adventurous  - just before christmas I was charging my Macbook up and there was a pop from the charger  as the cable into the transformer was broken and it was arcing. I have a spare so this one went into a draw. Today I was looking at buying another but on my economy drive - see later post for info on that, I decided to see if it was repairable. Now here comes the 'Gotta Love Apple... but' .... the transformer was sealed so seemingly unrepairable  - bad stuff Apple but all too common with some  ( not all) of their stuff. I've replaced the screen ( warranty) battery and hard drive  - latter two myself on my Macbook. My Mac mini has more ram and a larger HD. I've repaired Rachels Iphone but not my Ipad(s) I've also had a new screen on my Iphone. However the power supply seemed unrepairable. But Youtube came good and there were a couple of vlogs about cracking open the case using bull nose pliers that worked a treat. Some soldering heat shrinking super glue clamps and hot glue and I have a repaired working 60w power supply. Money still in my pocket, one less item to landfill and one less item off the new product inventory - result.

Not the prettiest but effective 

So Apple great kit, some easy to upgrade but some designed obsolescence. All in all I still would take Apple stuff over windows and IOS over Android. So Dave ultimately was right. I should catch up with Mr Bush ...... 

Postscript - I've just realised Apple have updated their Mac OS to Monterey. All very nice apart from the fact my I7 15 Inch Macbook is now 'too old' to be part of their ongoing OS roll outs so the clock is ticking a bit louder  on its demise. I've engaged myself this evening upgrading a 2009 Macbook that belonged to Callum to take Monterey... so it's doable when needed. Just a shame the ongoing technology march takes such decent kit out of the race far too early.