//beconfused

Sometimes I get really annoyed when I make these support calls. There’s always a lag time of like 0.3 milliseconds and I could finish a biscuit in that amount of time. But what really pisses me off is the accent. The accent that make technical support a lot more technical than it supposed to be. Whatever happen to your friendly support people? They’re probably in a bloody call center in India. Anyway, here are some video clips of people’s experience with call centers that might just make you go what-the-ahem.

call center salesman goes insane (REAL RECORDING)

I can believable, like a little girl. As long as this doesn’t happen to me, he’s the funniest call center salesman. The salesman is in Panama.

Here’s one from Microsoft support center. I don’t know what he’s talking about.

Funny Microsoft support center call

The Microsoft support personnel is probably from India. Here’s a video of what call centers do in India.

Indian Call Centre

Well, if you have a computer problem, consider this - unplug it and plug it right back. Sometimes, you don’t really benefit from calling call centers. If you’re a novice computer user, you probably can’t convey your computer problem in the right terms and the support fellow from India tries to tell you to check if your power button is on. He probably is laughing with his colleagues after he puts down your phone call. Should you be an expert computer user, calling support lines is like teaching the call center support personnel something new.

So you know what - forget it. If you have a problem, go to your expert computer friend. Buy him or her lunch of something and ask them for help. No strange accent. No lag.

Picture of iPhone in Sitex 2007:

(iPhone spotted at Sitex 2007.)

It’s got an intuitive interface and I see much value in owning one. Get yours before Sitex ends this evening!

I’m starting to consider, just considering, the possibilities of getting a notebook. It is useful actually. I was looking at my time table and it wasn’t as tight as I hope it would be. Sometimes I’ll just stay in school to do… erm… talking? I don’t know and as much as I love to talk to people, I just can’t stand the 3 hours going to waste by just talking and eating reeeeaaalllllly slooooooooowwwly.

I either be getting a cheap second-hand laptop or getting a laptop that’s less than 2.2 kg.

I’ve been quite busy this week. Mainly with work and trying to get my frigging scanner to work again. Lots of distraction from my new computer too. I bought a new computer with the following statistics:

• Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 - It’s fast
• ASUS P5K motherboard - reasonably priced with innovative features
• 2GB RAM, 800 Mhz (each pair is a gig)
• Western Digital 320GB - I am quite happy with WD so I got another WD)
• Gigabyte GeForce 8600 GT - It’s silent. As in totally silent, cooled with a heatsink. It would be great for my room since I don’t turn off my computer at night sometimes.
• A new Microsoft keyboard…
• A Razer Diamondback - It’s a gaming mouse but it feels good and I just bought it to replace my Microsoft mouse
• LG 18x SATA DVD burner - I kinda trust LG in DVD burners, not in airconditioners though…
• Verudium PSU - It’s pretty quiet I think. Quieter than my old set at least

The whole set up is about SG$1340 excluding my operating system. I bought Windows Vista Business for this computer, it about about SG$240 I think. Bought it for shadow copies and Virtual PC.

I’m quite happy with the buy generally. The computer hasn’t crash on me yet. No hardware failures so far. I installed all the programs back and it all boots nicely now. I just need to get my scanner working and completing my work.

My work’s kinda stuck there a little but well… never mind that.

Okay, I know I mentioned I won’t get another Microsoft keyboard. Fact is that I really like the curving keyboard idea and I got so used to the typing. While paying a visit at Sim Lim and wrecking hard the keyboards there, I realized that I am used to the Microsoft keyboard and I just didn’t really feel like getting a different one.

But the wireless feature gave you hell - I hear you say. Yes it did, I hate the wireless thingy. Look I bought its fraternity twin. Below is a picture of both of them posing together.

(Yes, they’re smiling at my camera!)

I love the well-positioned buttons and it’s volume buttons. The volume buttons are well-placed and large enough for my fingers. The new keyboard looks blacker too which simply delights me. Best of all, it has no wireless! I got a fully wired Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 keyboard. There should be no chance that my keyboard stop working.

I got a wireless on impulse. It did not work well on my table which is basically just glass and metal. I got myself a Razer Diamondback mouse too. I tried several mice and decide that it’s the most comfortable one to me. Got it at 69 bucks, a little expensive but well-spent nevertheless.

With a new set of keyboard and mouse, both wired of course, I’m all set to (finally) open up some files and do some work. Didn’t expect the purchase of computer peripherals to be that exciting, did you? I’m all wired now.

I think I am probably going to shop for a new computer today. My wireless keyboard is screwed up and no matter what I try to do to rectify the problem, it is still just as screwed up. I just change the batteries by the way.

I even upgrade the operating system and it is still not working right for me. The w, fullstops, slash, k, and some capital letters are working periodically. It just wants to screw my day.

And my computer is quite slow to work on. I guess it’s time to go. I’ll give Sim Lim Square a visit to get a custom computer there. I don’t really like the ones that Dell and HP and whatever offers.

They are pushing the lousier processors and you pay a hell lot for the newer processors. Dell doesn’t even have Intel E6750 in their inventory as they’re trying to rid the older stocks. Worse, to get the better processors, you have to pay for those premium amazingly damn good computers which I don’t need anyway.

They’ll stuff things like nVidia’s 8800 cards and some expensive RAM. I don’t want them at all. All I need is a fast processor and a budget graphic card. I occasionally would play a couple of games and spend more time at Spider Solitaire than those 3D games.

I probably be getting E6750, 2 GB worth of RAM at 667 Mhz, 320 GB hard disk, an optical drive and a below SG$200 graphic card. Oh and Windows Vista Business.

No I’m not selling. I’m just thinking of getting a computer soon, preferably on August. Major websites (sorry, no links to source) have been posting news on an Intel chip price drop. I, as a loyal Intel supporter, am pleased.

I’m just wondering if any of my friends are thinking of getting a new system too. I’m looking forward to a Core 2 Duo, probably E6550 (2.33 GHz) or E6750 (2.66 GHz). I’m avoiding quad cores due to cost concerns and I don’t really need quad cores I guess and spending it would probably just be for showing off.

I’m leaning towards the 2.33 Ghz one, probably getting about 2 GB of RAM and a nice graphic card from either nVidia or ATI. I don’t do encording, don’t render 3D, don’t play much games. I just use the computer to browse the internet and do some work, image editing, programming and watching anime.

So is there anyone who plans to buy a computer soon?