Computer Woes = Communications Restricted

My primary computer system has suffered a major failure. For that reason, I am attempting to limp along using my secondary machine. The net effect of this is that I have some limited capacity to directly answer new e-mail, working directly on the web site of my ISP.

I have been a loyal (fanatical?) user of Macintosh since the mid 1980's. The first computer here was a second hand Mac 512. For the wee ones reading, thats 512 K as the processing speed!
Since those early days (well before there was any form of public internet) I have owned a progression of ever faster and more complex Macs. The easy use and quick learning curve has been the main reason. Only one machine, the first of the all in one Performa, was purchased new. Vandy and I were lucky that for the years she was working for a major advertising agency in Toronto, machines were regularly replaced and sold at scrap prices. The art department was all Mac (of course!) and usually upgraded every 6 months or so.

My current (now broken) machine is a G5 1.8 Ghz (PCI-X). This was the last of the Mac series to run effectively on OS 10.3.9. This is important, as this OS and machine allows for the use of the earlier system 9.2 to run in parallel. This means that all my older software, which still is the backbone of my web, imaging, business accounting and writing, still functions. I had considered purchasing a brand new Mac about a year and a half ago. Problem was that none of my softwares would transfer to the new machine. It was the cost of replacing software, and more important the loss of time and possible data that caused me to purchase used.

The problem with the G5 appears to be a faulty video card. I'm hoping to arrange for a replacement over the next week. If this does not easily fix the problem (as a self install), then I will have to cart the machine up to Owen Sound to the closest authorized repair shop. Hopefully I will not be forced into a new machine purchase.

The bad news is that a large number of working projects are tied up inside the G5. The data is all there, and other than not being able to easily read an attached monitor, the machine appears to be working correctly.

So if you are wondering why I'm not getting back to you on YOUR project, or why there is suddenly a void in research based postings - thats the reason!