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Scrolling wheel of death

So yesterday, I promised you all a post about my wedding. Unfortunately, I can’t write that article for you. My macbook decided to stop working yesterday, so I sit here typing on Mrs. Ninja’s computer. It was working just perfectly yesterday, when it got a little slow, so I restarted it. Only problem was, the computer never could start back up. All it does is stay on this screen during bootup….

No matter how many times I try to restart, boot in safe mode, etc, I just can’t seem to get past this stupid screen. That means there may a few changes to PDITF in the meantime.

1) Until I download Photoshop on Mrs. Ninja’s computer, I won’t be able to post up any more cartoons…I know, totally sucky

2) I may or may not be able to blog every night. I’m sure the Misses will let me hop on her computer periodically, but if she needs it, then I’m S.O.L.

3) My email/blog correspondence will be severely limited. I can still get emails via my phone throughout the day, but we all know how frustrating phone typing can get when done a lot. I’ll for sure read all my emails, just may not be resonding.

4) My net worth is probably going to go down. We are gonna try and operate as a “Single computer household” for a month to try it out, but if it doesn’t work out, we will have to buy a new computer. No fun!

5) I can’t show you pictures of the wedding because I don’t have Photoshop and can’t put those special black bars over our faces to remain anonymous. I’m hoping to have them up by the end of the week.

I’m a little bummed I can’t be back in full force, after my two and a half week break, but the Macbook gods must hate me.

I’d love some of your input on how to remedy this computer dilemma I’m facing. Would you…

1) Replace my macbook with a refurbed macbook ($800)

2) Replace my macbook with a refurbed mac mini (roughly $500-$700)

3) Give Apple the middle finger and go back to a PC

4) Go from a 2 computer household to a 1 computer household (my least favorite option)

It makes the most sense to just get by on one computer since we live together now, but honestly, I’ve always had my own computer and to not be able to use it whenever I wanted would be totally weird for me. Besides, Mrs. Ninja is a teacher and plans to bring her laptop to class with her each day. If I do replace my computer, can I use my E-fund to replace it, or is that not really an “emergency”? Any and all advise is greatly welcomed.

p.s. I will tell you this though. Marriage is totally awesome! It’s pretty much the funnest thing ever, well, except for Super Mario Kart on the Nintendo 64.

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35 COMMENTS

  1. Congrats on being married! Woohoo!

    That sucks about your computer. Definitely rule out #4. I live with my fiance now and although I love him I couldn’t imagine not having my own computer. I’d go with one of the first two options because I love Macs. 🙂

  2. I say option one. I love Macs too…am writing on one as we speak. Are you sure yours isn’t fixable? Won’t it have a warranty or something?

    Also – as Fig says, hooray for wedding!!

  3. OPTION 5, where are you? Come on down, Option 5! 5: get macbook repaired. Really, it’s a no-brainer. Set a repair limit (ours was $300) and stick to it. If you pull the plug on the repairs, then go for option 1.

  4. Ninja! This totally sucks. I feel your pain. But are you sure this isn’t fixable? Have you tried booting from the install disk and running the disk utility to find errors and repair them? This kind of problem usually doesn’t mean your computer is toast. If you can’t fix it yourself, make an appointment and take it in to the Genius Bar…

  5. I’d say make sure you have your own computer. I’ve lived with my other half for a couple of years now, and I don’t think we could manage with just one and not kill each other! The thing is, if we’re not online it’s because we’re at work, or doing something else. The something elses are usually done together! This means free doing-nothing-so-play-online time happens at the same time of day for each of us…

  6. You need a computer of your own. Don’t get so hung up on the e-fund. It is to be used in caes where you have an e.

  7. Not being able to blog doesn’t count as an emergency? Get a new one!

    Congratulations to you & the girl!

  8. Yes, two computers=couple bliss! I like the cheaper refurbished ideas..but I do not know how quality they are? I would be interested to know as we are currently a one computer household…partner is sleeping in, and that’s always PDITF time!

  9. Congrats on the wedding! Stick with the 2 computer plan. It will keep the newly weds happy. I’m not a mac user, but any option for repair? As Michelle states set a repair limit. If it can’t be repaired look for replacement.

  10. I vote for an attempt at repair, as well. And I think you’ll have much less trouble, in the long run, sticking with a Mac than switching to PC. As for photos, you could try uploading them to Picnik.com — they have some basic editing tools there for free, and I *think* you’d be able to put the black bars on the photos. It might be more cumbersome than Photoshop (I’ve never used Photoshop, so I don’t really know), but it might work as a short-term solution.

  11. welcome back! try to get your mac repaired! if that doesn’t work, you have to have your own computer. I know a couple who gets 2 copies of the sunday paper bc they don’t love to share. you need your own and so does GN! don’t think twice about using e-fund if you have to replace, you can replinish that.

  12. I bet if you take it to the Apple Store, the kind people there will help you out, at a much cheaper price than buying a new or refurbed computer.

    Also, Super Mario Kart for Nintendo 64 is, by far, the best video game ever!!!

  13. Do you not have a warranty? If not, I would still try taking it to an Apple store. They can at least tell you how much it would cost to fix. Then you can weigh that against buying a refurbished computer.

    Still, I would wait. Don’t use your emergency fund when you don’t NEED another computer, you just WANT one. We can wait.

  14. A one computer household would never work with this generation. Between two of us we have 3 computers and an iphone and we are still looking into a 4th computer. There is just too many demands that require a computer these days. Definitely look for the best option to repair or replace your computer. Especially with you blogging its a necessity.

  15. I had the same exact problem and tried fixing it the same way Laura suggested above. However, it turned out that my HD was fried. I brought it to the genius bar and was expecting to pay for them to fix it, but they ended up replacing it for free and they also replaced the keyboard! Bring it to the genius bar 😉

  16. Congrats on the wedding!
    If your current computer can’t be fixed,I would replace your computer with something you want. There isn’t too much of a price difference between option 1 & 2 and it appears you work on the computer quite a bit.

  17. Take the computer to a genius bar first. They may be able to fix it. I’d also check out the forums on the apple website, sometimes there are random key combinations that reset various parts of the computer and that might fix it.

    When my MacBook’s logic board failed, it only cost $300 to fix, and they fixed a bunch of other random stuff too, like the outer case, which was beginning to crack, and the mousepad, which was dented. Definitely try for the repair first!

  18. I would see if you could get your computer repaired first (but get a quote, don’t pay more than a couple hundred bucks). If you can’t, I would be a one computer household until you’ve saved up enough to buy a second computer. Mrs. Ninja’s is a work computer – so it stands to reason that you would have a personal computer as well.

  19. We just went from a 1 computer to a 2 computer household..my husband was just on it way too much and I didn’t want to use my work computer.

    I’m a PC person. It’s not worth the upcharge for me. I just bought a new ASUS laptop for $500 and it’s got all I need on it. They make the harddrives for most computers and have good reliability ratings. We’ll see how it goes. I like it sofar.

  20. I’m an Apple “geek” — so clearly the PC option is out. However, I would first try to restart in Safe Mode (holding down shift) and see if you can get in and try a disk repair. Second, try booting off an install disk (holding down c on startup). Finally, take it over to the Genius Bar. It could be something super simple.

    I highly recommend NOT being a single computer household.

  21. Mr. BFS and I could not survive as a one computer household…

    I’ve never had a PC die on me out-and-out (slow, lingering deaths of batteries and whatnot, but never a “I will not start” problem), so I’d go back to a PC if your Apple can’t be fixed. I’d recommend a Toshiba (ours is awesome and has had zero problems in 2 1/2 years).

    Good luck!

  22. This just happened to me, no joke. I set up an appointment for the Genius Bar at the Apple retailer; and as I had assumed, the hard drive was dead. My macbook had the same blank screen.
    Anyways, they replaced the hard drive for free (about $150 to buy a new one)! As long as you’ve backed up your data, you should be fine.

  23. We could not be a single computer family. As it is we actually have four computers in our house (tho to be fair, one isn’t currently plugged in) We have my laptop, my husbands desktop that he built and the laptop he has to have for school. All three that are bring used are gaming rigs as well. We could probably cut back to two if we had to since, you know there is only two of us. But there is no way we could cut back to one. We would be fighting over the computer all the time.

  24. Congrats……wishing you two friendship and love always.

    Attempt repair, replace new if needed.

    I concur on Mario Kart with a close second place tie of Donkey Kong Country and Bond Golden Eye.

  25. Ummm, isn’t this what emergency funds are for?

    Try getting it repaired, if it doesn’t work out replace your macbook with a refurbed mac mini. Since Mrs. Ninja has a notebook, you have something mobile you can share.

  26. When that happened to my MacBook I was able to get the hard drive replaced. It was under warranty at the time, but the actual cost would have been around $275. Much better than completely buying a new one I think.

    Congrats on the wedding!

  27. I say get it repaired too.

    If not, then try to find one new but on sale. good luck and congrats on you & mrs. ninja.

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  29. I agree with those above that say you need your own computer. I’m also married to a teacher and sharing a computer with her isn’t the best situation. Since the computer is technically for her work, her stuff always seems to take priority!
    bi
    Seriously, spend the money, its totally worth it. Hopefully you will make it back in the long run anyway through more amazing posts leading to even more awesome ad revenue!

  30. YAY for getting hitched!

    I agree with all the other comments… see what it’ll cost to get it fixed and after that get a Mac! You need your own laptop. 🙂 I don’t know ANY couples who share, married or not!

  31. Ninja! Definitely get it repaired. It sounds like the hard drive has failed, so as posted above if you book in to the Genius Bar at a nearby Apple store they will be able to sort it out. Up to a couple of hundred dollars if you’re out of warranty, free if you’re not.

    Good luck!
    Apple Ninja

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