Ode to Vista

The time came....

I really didn't want to replace my computer yet...not now

But when computers are 7 years old and they start doing odd things AND the DVD drives haven't worked properly in  some time AND ..AND

The Newsletter that I edit for adoptive families depends on a working computer....

So the computer expert that I feed every Tuesday night said he will get me a new one..

I told him I don't want any bells or whistles...just lots of RAM

He informed me that with new computers comes a new Operating System...now in the old days (back in the days of DOS prompts) I looked forward to Windows 3.1 and Windows 95. My young heart got a bit excited to see what new and exciting thing the computer gurus would come up with...after all...my first computer had TWO colors!  256 colors was AMAZING!

But now?  All I wanted was a  new computer that did not make funny noises when it started...but no- my young computer expert informed me "you might as well learn it now rather than a few years from now- when you're 50"

OK

It's colorful...it starts in 30 seconds!  It is so quiet I have to feel it to see if it is 'awake'!

It doesn't have x's in the corners for me to use to close my screens- unless of course I access Explorer from my desktop instead of - what is that screen called with all the pretty pictures?

Now I use the "Start" button on the keyboard --all these years it just sat there taking up room.

Now when I don't remember where to find the "control panel" I just start typing it and viola the "control panel" button shows up...but what if I can't remember what it is called?

Now I have little "clickables" that appear and disappear Cheshire cat-like as I move my mouse around the edges of the screen. Even a cute little hand that I can use to 'throw away' my screen when I'm finished with it.

It is sort of fun

BUT

I have a problem with OUTLOOK (the email program)

I got a new e-mail address before I left for that foreign country with the big firewall. I liked the Hotmail account...all the buttons were sitting there for me to see, they were in logical order "send" "delete"  The bestest thing about it was the "attach photos"  when I wanted to send a whole bunch of pictures to grandma-who-still-uses-dial-up  (not the other one, she doesn't have a computer) I could choose to send original, large, or small photo files all with the click of a button.

NOW
I am faced with this almost blank screen  "To" looks familiar...then post card style I go to the right and type in my 'subject'   But where do I put the message?  Start typing? Oh OK
But try as I might, I could NOT find a way to attach a picture....I scooted my mouse all around the screen and no little paperclip
OK
Do I slide the picture straight from my camera card to my e-mail?
AH-Ha  That brought the paperclip out of the wood work!  But I still did not find a way to easily downsize the pics, so I sent them anyway, hoping grandma's computer doesn't choke.

Next morning grandma sends an e-mail "sure would be nice to see the pictures"
Checked the sent file...it's not there...Hmm 2 messages in the draft folder?  Yup!
Try to send it again...it still goes to the draft folder

Well there are more than one way to skin a cat (figuratively of course)  I went online
typed in Hotmail   .   com   and guess what Explorer brings up

OUTLOOK!  I will figure this out!

For now I will just fire up my little netbook that provokes much hilarity among the pro's and escape the net that is M  I  C  R  O  S  O  F  T    and maybe one day they will just fix what is broken and not try to re-invent everything.