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Last night I gathered up the tattered shreds of my courage, dug out my startup disks and owner's manual, and prepared to change the passwords on Yamadori, my MacBookPro. I have been avoiding this for some time because I was able to use it just fine without knowing them, but in order to update the software that came preloaded in it I had to have it. (I'd like to take a moment to point out how weird this is. I have downloaded and installed multiple applications in this time with no trouble at all, but in order to update Apple software, from the Apple site, using Apple's own update function, I needed a password. Does this make sense to you? This does not make sense to me.)
Before starting I took the precaution of burning my Documents folder to a CD, just in case. In the end, the music is replaceable, the programs are replaceable, the youtube clips are replaceable--my writing, especially my drafts-in-progress, ARE NOT replaceable. In the process I seemed at one point to misplace the Documents entirely (and now have a copy of it in my Applications folder), but I finally got things worked out.
Then I put the disk in, followed the directions, and reset the passwords. This went well until I finished and wanted to get out, which was somehow omitted from the instructions. You would think that Apple, of all companies, would respect the idea that their customers want things like this spelled out IN EXQUISITE DETAIL. Anyway. I managed to get out of setup and ejected the disk without causing (so far as I can tell) permanent damage to Yamadori.
Updating the software waited until today, for the simple reason I had to do it at work. Downloading two years of software updates is not the kind of thing one wants to do over dial-up. At lunch, after downloading huge updates for all of my native Apple software, I got two dialog boxes informing me that now I had to update two firmware things. Previous to today, I had no idea firmware even existed. I showed the messages to Cat, our IT person, who was unable to identify what the firmware in question did. She did a quick Google search and said, in That Tone of Voice, "Ah, Nancy, you really want to update that firmware.". So I did, after brute-forcing the problem of my computer refusing to talk to any of the office's printers, which made printing out the instructions (which was step one of the update instructions!) more complicated than it should have been.
OK. Now, I need to tell you that the Apple engineers were clearly dropping acid when they came up with the method of updating the EFI firmware. I know this because the instructions are, "Hold down the power button until its sleep light flashes wildly and it makes a hideous noise. If it doesn't work the first time, keep doing this." Who in their right mind could consider this a good idea? I managed to get it done (consuming a large amount of dark chocolate was required).
All of this was done because I had decided to buy myself an iPod nano. My Gencon expenses were somewhat lower than I expected, and after paying for the rental car so I could go to my aunt's funeral I still had a small sum left over. As it happens, the Apple store has refurbished nanos with full warranty for only $99. iPod nanos need iTunes 9. Last night I had iTunes 7. There was no point in ordering the nano if I didn't have the software to support it, and I wasn't going to order it until I knew I could get the software. Tonight I have iTunes 9, and a shiny blue nano is now on its way.
I am hoping it was worth it.
Before starting I took the precaution of burning my Documents folder to a CD, just in case. In the end, the music is replaceable, the programs are replaceable, the youtube clips are replaceable--my writing, especially my drafts-in-progress, ARE NOT replaceable. In the process I seemed at one point to misplace the Documents entirely (and now have a copy of it in my Applications folder), but I finally got things worked out.
Then I put the disk in, followed the directions, and reset the passwords. This went well until I finished and wanted to get out, which was somehow omitted from the instructions. You would think that Apple, of all companies, would respect the idea that their customers want things like this spelled out IN EXQUISITE DETAIL. Anyway. I managed to get out of setup and ejected the disk without causing (so far as I can tell) permanent damage to Yamadori.
Updating the software waited until today, for the simple reason I had to do it at work. Downloading two years of software updates is not the kind of thing one wants to do over dial-up. At lunch, after downloading huge updates for all of my native Apple software, I got two dialog boxes informing me that now I had to update two firmware things. Previous to today, I had no idea firmware even existed. I showed the messages to Cat, our IT person, who was unable to identify what the firmware in question did. She did a quick Google search and said, in That Tone of Voice, "Ah, Nancy, you really want to update that firmware.". So I did, after brute-forcing the problem of my computer refusing to talk to any of the office's printers, which made printing out the instructions (which was step one of the update instructions!) more complicated than it should have been.
OK. Now, I need to tell you that the Apple engineers were clearly dropping acid when they came up with the method of updating the EFI firmware. I know this because the instructions are, "Hold down the power button until its sleep light flashes wildly and it makes a hideous noise. If it doesn't work the first time, keep doing this." Who in their right mind could consider this a good idea? I managed to get it done (consuming a large amount of dark chocolate was required).
All of this was done because I had decided to buy myself an iPod nano. My Gencon expenses were somewhat lower than I expected, and after paying for the rental car so I could go to my aunt's funeral I still had a small sum left over. As it happens, the Apple store has refurbished nanos with full warranty for only $99. iPod nanos need iTunes 9. Last night I had iTunes 7. There was no point in ordering the nano if I didn't have the software to support it, and I wasn't going to order it until I knew I could get the software. Tonight I have iTunes 9, and a shiny blue nano is now on its way.
I am hoping it was worth it.
