The Tri-County Journal
& Chattahoochee Chronicle
PO Box 850, 71 Webb Lane
Buena Vista, GA 31803
229-649-6397
tjournal@alltel.net

   I am composing this column on a little old iMac. For fellow Mac-heads, I'll note that it's a "Ruby" running OS-9. For readers who operate PC's and aren't used to Mac jargon, I'll note that its memory is measured with terms like "mega" rather than "giga." ... For folks who don't know much about computers, I'll just say it's fine for typing and checking email, but you wouldn't want to rely on it for a whole lot else.
   I used to operate this newspaper business on machines that were even inferior, but through the years have learned the lesson that it pays to invest in good equipment. I now I have two very nice machines. One with all the bells, and one with all the bells AND most of the whistles. Giga-gargantuan, you might say.
   However, they're both in the shop and I'm left with a mega headache. So, I'm now learning a lesson I should have had sense enough to already know. I'm learning the importance of terms like "external hard drive" and "backing up data."
   Those are things that should be second nature to folks like me in the information and graphics business. They are also much more effective and safe than punching the filing cabinet and taking apart computers with a phone tucked to your ear with your shoulder as a guy from tech support tells you to remove and fiddle with computer components you know nothing about and are just hopefull you'll be able to put back where they go when you're done.
   When you get them put back and your computer still won't work, having a back-up system would also probably prevent you from saying things like *&$%##@! (Of course I'm working on theory with that one, as your friendly hometown newspaper publisher would never lose his cool nor religion with a minor computer crash. ... And I've got a really good, slightly used logic board to sell you, too!)
   I've also learned that replacing a computer part isn't as easy as running to the store and purchasing said part. It's not like when the mower won't start and you can run up to Tyler Automotive or Miller Home & Auto, get a new spark plug, pop the sucker in and start cutting grass. No, I was informed that such parts must be ordered then the repair would take place the next day -- if all went well. That's not a very pleasant thing to learn when you were suppossed to have a paper rolling through the press a couple of hours ago.
   I was preparing to drive to Atlanta to the actual "Apple Store" to purchase the needed part and personally drive it back to the repairman the same day. No good. Even they have to order it for the next day!
   My repair man (Larry of Graphicom in Columbus) knows about the newspaper business and was very sypathetic and wanted to help me avoid the unpleasant situation of putting a paper out two, maybe three days late. So, we put our heads together and decided to mix and match parts from two computers to hopefully come up