I guess almost everyone has problems with their computers.  They are very simple if you adopt their linear and single step operation one at a time format.  If you try to do shortcuts and don’t read messages that pop up, you can get into trouble.  My troubles involve a slow machine for I have too much on it and could use an additional memory card. I have the impulse to install it myself – after getting some advice of what to purchase and what steps to go through to install it.

But, it was in the quest of simplifying a complex problem of having so many programs on the computer that brought me to go to Mr. Dell and his company spread out through the world dedicated to solving problems.  I discovered that one part of his company deals with hardware.  The people there (in Manila) checked out the innards of my Dimension 2400 that is four years old.  They found no malfunction.  Like much of life, the people in the hardware section said I was in the wrong department.  I should go to the software people and I was shifted easily and quickly over to a department that connected me to Jason in Bombay, India.

We got along famously.  He listened and then began to do magic by taking over control of my computer from his desk in a busy place which I could hear in the background.  He had a “golden” mouse or the gadget that controls the cursor on my screen from his screen far away while we talked a long time this morning on the phone.

I learned a lot.  Most of the five columns of logos on my start screen are actually needed.  But I had a great many “things” that could be compacted or just deleted.  I compared Jason to the original mythical Greek hero who found out the secret of fishing for gold in streams flowing down from mountains.  What the Greek original did was to use a sheepskin or goatskin and attach it to the bottom of the stream.  The gold in detritus loosened from the mountain above would be caught up in the skin and that was the source of wealth that Jason went on a quest seeking.

Now, the Jason in Bombay used his cursor to go through my accumulation of programs and gathered up a lot of “space” that could be used as memory that would speed up my machine.  He consulted with me and together we agreed to eliminate a great deal.  But, I think I will have to get that additional memory card rather than go out and buy new computer at this time. I had hoped to find Mr. Dell having traveling local technicians, one of whom would be assigned to come to my house and sit down at my machine.  But times change and they don’t do that anymore.  A Jason in a far distant place can bring your problems to a screen he sits in front of and have golden cursors do the work sweeping up metaphorical bits of gold.