[SOLVED] PC's 21st Century-Rant

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CalScot

Commendable
Nov 16, 2021
70
4
1,535
<Mod Edit>
It's the 21st century. Everything should communicate and work integrated..
Everything should be modules!
Why after 20-30 years are we still discussing 'options'?
The PC is a tool, like a DeWalt Hammer drill, or hammer.
Why do MS 'troubleshooters' never work.?
Why after all this time does my printers say 'error when printing'? but doesn't tell me what's wrong.
Or Network not found....

Why are these exactly the same issues from 30 years ago?
Can't these systems self diagnose and fix?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Solution
Just tried to copy a screenshot off my phone, absolutely failed.

  1. Had to reboot my phone to get the USB file transfer working (no idea on that one)
  2. Screenshot automatically pops up with sharing options, cool, but I plugged my phone into the laptop so I could do a direct copy
  3. Transferring the screenshot to the photo gallery folder did not work, at all.
  4. Opening the screenshot in the photo gallery worked, but then no options from there
  5. Opening the file from the screenshot folder on the PC, no, that just makes the photo viewer crash
  6. Moving the file to the PC, no that just fails with "no value found"
  7. Eventually just e-mailed it to myself, same file magically opens with the photo viewer

Sometimes the software...

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
All in all, quite a timely thread.

Over the holiday I had to set my iPhone alarm for wake up purposes. And I have done so before.

However, this time the iPhone insisted that I establish a sleep schedule beforehand and apparently that I grant Apple access to my sleep patterns.

I decided to "go with the flow" because I needed a functioning alarm clock.

Slept, woke up (without any alarm), and hopefully deleted any further monitoring of my sleep habits.

Point being that I also have rant - but apparently no private iPhone alarm clock.

Certainly everything should communicate and work integrated.

That is not currently viable or practical in the greed/profit driven world we live in.
 

Eximo

Titan
Ambassador
Just tried to copy a screenshot off my phone, absolutely failed.

  1. Had to reboot my phone to get the USB file transfer working (no idea on that one)
  2. Screenshot automatically pops up with sharing options, cool, but I plugged my phone into the laptop so I could do a direct copy
  3. Transferring the screenshot to the photo gallery folder did not work, at all.
  4. Opening the screenshot in the photo gallery worked, but then no options from there
  5. Opening the file from the screenshot folder on the PC, no, that just makes the photo viewer crash
  6. Moving the file to the PC, no that just fails with "no value found"
  7. Eventually just e-mailed it to myself, same file magically opens with the photo viewer

Sometimes the software world just conspires against you.
 
Solution

kanewolf

Titan
Moderator
Just tried to copy a screenshot off my phone, absolutely failed.

  1. Had to reboot my phone to get the USB file transfer working (no idea on that one)
  2. Screenshot automatically pops up with sharing options, cool, but I plugged my phone into the laptop so I could do a direct copy
  3. Transferring the screenshot to the photo gallery folder did not work, at all.
  4. Opening the screenshot in the photo gallery worked, but then no options from there
  5. Opening the file from the screenshot folder on the PC, no, that just makes the photo viewer crash
  6. Moving the file to the PC, no that just fails with "no value found"
  7. Eventually just e-mailed it to myself, same file magically opens with the photo viewer
Sometimes the software world just conspires against you.
I find e-mailing things to myself to be as foolproof as anything.
 
When I go to AutoZone I can buy a part that is guaranteed to work in my car.
No, you can't.

What you CAN do, is buy a part that is "SUPPOSEDLY" compatible with your car, and has a warranty in the event there is a manufacturing defect.

You CANNOT buy ANY PART, ever, that is "guaranteed to work in your car" from any aftermarket part store. They don't ever offer any such guarantee. Yes, that's splitting hairs, but it's a fact, because they CANNOT guarantee that you'll install it properly, or that you even gave them the correct make, model, year and engine size, or even if you did, that you knew the correct production date and anybody who knows anything at all about vehicles knows that every manufacturer pretty much begins a new production year in September, so even if you THINK it's a 2008, it might be a 2009, depending on the production date, and that date might result in VAST differences in compatibility based on design changes, emissions laws, country of origin, changes in engine size options or designs, etc.

They also, OFTEN, have problems with manufacturer's (And their own) parts catalogs being wrong by application. Add to that the fact that sometimes a part is superceded by a newer part that will work in place of the older part in a certain application, but will NOT work in place of that part in a different application, because some aspect of the superceded part design didn't account for the fact that in the older or different application something that was changed was required to have been that way for fitment purposes and now won't work.

Further, we have situations like the Ford F-150 spark plug situation that existed for years where the plugs came apart in two pieces, leaving half of it stuck in the cylinder head, for years, before a tool and method were designed to get around having to pull the cylinder head. In that case, obviously even the dealer couldn't guarantee much of anything even after the parts were redesigned to not do that, since most buyers were taking the newly designed part home and discovering it couldn't be installed because the old part couldn't be removed.

Therefore, there are NO guarantees, as such, in the way you put it. Not even to guarantee that fitment will be accurate. Of course, on the other hand, they WILL guarantee, usually, to take the part back if it doesn't fit or isn't the right part, so long as you haven't attempted to install it but equating that to PC components now you're in a situation where the chances are good you would have no idea whether it was compatible or would even fit until after having attempted or actually installed it and technically in most cases, that voids the warranty for most electronics, even and especially in cars.

Go buy a computer for your car at the part store, and install it, and then try taking it back to the store and telling them it doesn't work. You know what they will do? They tell you, well, either you ordered the wrong part or you need to take it to the dealer to be programmed for your vehicle, and in either case, it won't be warranted. Install a throttle position sensor and take it back. Nope. It was installed. See the marks showing the connector was plugged in? No refunds. Again, technically, based on most part stores corporate guidelines. Now, we know often they still will because many employees don't follow rules well or even look in the box, but it still points to the flaws in the statement that the part will be guaranteed to work in any given vehicle.

To more pointedly address your initial complaint, in addition to what else has been said here, the fact is that if you were around and building systems 30 years ago you would know, without a doubt, that despite the modern computer being VASTLY more complicated and capable than what was around then, they are still incomprehensibly easier to find and install compatible parts for as you don't need to figure out things like (In MOST cases) some custom driver, or the proper serial port or I/O channel, which jumpers must go where, and so on.

30 years ago, a viable network troubleshooter that would automatically tell you what was wrong with the network configuration didn't even realistically EXIST (They did, but they were almost entirely useless in any meaningful way), much less work properly, and now they can and will tell you if it's a DNS problem, if it's a network adapter problem, if it's a routing issue, and so on, which is immensely helpful in narrowing down what part (Or no part) of the network is likely to blame so you at least have somewhere to begin looking AND in many cases can automatically fix the problem itself by self resetting the network adapter, or other hardware, or by requesting a reset of IP adresses etc.

So, things have gotten much better, and a lot more automatic, but things have also become universally more complex in terms of capability, so it might not SEEM that way. Seem being the key here.
 
Dec 14, 2021
6
0
10
All in all, quite a timely thread.

Over the holiday I had to set my iPhone alarm for wake up purposes. And I have done so before.

However, this time the iPhone insisted that I establish a sleep schedule beforehand and apparently that I grant Apple access to my sleep patterns.

I decided to "go with the flow" because I needed a functioning alarm clock.

Slept, woke up (without any alarm), and hopefully deleted any further monitoring of my sleep habits.

Point being that I also have rant - but apparently no private iPhone alarm clock.

Certainly everything should communicate and work integrated.

That is not currently viable or practical in the greed/profit driven world we live in.

Setting an alarm is still almost as easy as before Apple started worrying about my health.

Tap the Clock app icon. Window opens up with the Da**ed Apple telling you they moved things : Sleep is now in Health"!

Now Just because I want to set an alarm doesn't mean I'm thinking about sleep!! But I digress.. All you have to do to bypass this intrusion by Apple is to tap cancel in the upper left corner

New window opens named Alarm. Offer you the option of tapping "set up" or a + symbol in the upper right corner. Ignore "set up" 'cause it will only take you back to Apple's da*med Health screen.

Do tap the + symbol in the upper right corner. This takes you to the real alarm setup screen. Set any alarm time you desire and be sure to tap "Save" when finished. Viola, you have an alarm and scre* Apple!

The next time you tap the Clock icon you will be taken directly to the real alarm screen, bypassing Apple's intrusion!

Happy sleeping - or whatever. . . . .
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Agreed.

Currently considering other options is among the reasons that I/we are still using an aging iPhone 6s via AARP/Consumer Cellular.

(Actually we have two - just for the sake of family consistency.... Phones are set up identically - at least in theory.)

Still if someone has faltering eyesight, arthritis, failing sense of touch etc., those little screens/icons are almost impossible to control.

Then things get changed and that is no help at all.....

Thinking about and looking into other options when the 6s is no longer viable or acceptable.

Primary use is simply Facetime, taking occasional photographs, rare text messages. Phones primarily a "911" tool for within the family and for real if needed.

Need a phone that is simpler, User Friendly (larger icons) with "Less" and not cumbersome, confusing (to some) with "More" that gets in the way.

Hmmm..... "The devil I know (?) vs. the devil I don't".

Hopefully there are some really smart developers out there working on a Senior OS that provides basic cell phone functions presented using larger, intuitive icons, simple shallow menus, configurations that stay configured, and where "privacy" does not demand that you provide more information every time around.

I doubt I would have any hesitancy to select that product/option.