Tragic tale of the motherboard death

ENTER the mind of a 'Gale nerd' determined to revive lost tech after it whirred to life for the last time.

The Gales were determined to rescue the computer from the brink of death. Picture: Alberto Bogo

LIFE'S been tough here at the Gale house for the past three weeks, something died.

No, it wasn't a person, or a pet, either. Something bad, though - my computer.

I knew it had been struggling and on the way out.

But I persevered. Then one day it just died.

The smoke was released, as they say.

Now, most people in this scenario would be off to the computer store to either buy a new computer, or to attempt to revive the charred remains, but as you may have gathered from previous columns and even the previous paragraphs, I exist in a family of computer nerds.

Gale nerds custom-build their tech and that's just the way it's always been.

Research was conducted.

Parts were tested, replacement parts were ordered and we sat back and waited for our daily deliveries to bring the parts to fix the computer.

Yeah, you read that right - daily.

We know every delivery-driver around here by name and they know us.

So much so that if a day or two goes by without a delivery, they just drop in and check we haven't died.

Anyway, after about a week, the parts finally arrived.

The parts were duly assembled but to our surprise, the machine failed to go "ping”. It didn't come to life.

A quick "mind-meld” of the available nerds ensued, and it was determined that a special adapter was required.

We rang around town looking for one without success and even contemplated custom-making the part, but in the end ordered it from a place in Melbourne that stocked the requisite part.

We once again waited for the delivery person.

By this stage things were starting to get a bit frazzled.

I needed my computer to write. Now, it's not as though we are short of computers.

We have five that are in constant use.

We also have tablets and phones that will suffice if needed.

In fact, we have so much tech that when we chose our NBN plan recently, we just said "Give us the biggest and fastest you have.”

Makes life easier that way. Expensive, but easier.

I like my little space in the sun on the veranda where my computer is.

It's where I do my best work. So, I settled in for another week of typing my column and so on, on my trusty smart-phone. Yes, my phone.

After a few days the cable finally turned up.

You guessed it. It didn't fix it.

There was another meeting of the minds and this time it was decided that something else was also required.

Lucky, I don't have much hair because by then I'd have been tearing it out.

So, I apologise if my editing, etc, has been a little shoddy the past three weeks, because writing columns on my phone is hard work.

Using the tiny keyboard with my extra-large fingers is just the start.

Today the parts arrived and she's all up and running again. Third time is always the best, they say.

First thing I did was sit down at the computer and write this little story.

I think I'll write a few more columns while I'm in the mood.

Maybe even a couple of complaints. Starting with the people who sent the wrong bits in the first place.