20-20

It is important that employees, from time to time, be provided with upgraded office equipment, such as computer programs, so that the employees can realize that the way they have been carrying out their daily duties for the past few years is completely passé. Also so they can realize that with all the money being spent to upgrade the computers, there is less and less chance of any money being spent to get better coffee. But I digress.

At my particular workplace, big changes are occurring computer-wise. We are in the process of switching from a PC system to a shared PC and Mac system, in preparation for our eventual change to an all-Mac system, at which point we will forget about wanting better coffee and start lobbying for a company-sponsored aspirin-dispensing machine.

There are many features of our new computer system, the biggest being that now that we each have essentially two computers, something going wrong is not only possible, but a guarantee. But the new system is undeniably faster. For example, in just one day of operation, my new computer has lost connection with the printer AND all the network files. With the old system, it would have taken at LEAST two weeks to accomplish this.

There is also a comprehensive system for personalizing the look of the computer screen. For example, there is a whole process that enables you to tweak the clarity of the font to your liking. This is not unlike a vision exam at the eye doctor's. You are presented with two sentences of dummy type, and the following ensues:

Computer: Which is clearer, 1 or 2?

Me: [Straining to see any difference whatsoever, after an exhaustive scrutiny of both texts I make my selection by playing eeny meeny miny moe.]

Computer [showing a new screen]: Which is clearer, 1, 2, 3, or 4?

Me [promptly]: Eeny meeny miny moe -- 1.

Computer [showing another new screen]: Which is better 1, or 2, or 347?

Me: Aaaggghhh!

Computer: Ha ha! They're all the same anyway. 

Personally I would like to have a computer system that includes a little donut dispenser. This would GREATLY improve my productivity, and my mood, which are highly interdependent. I'm sure that if someone were to begin now on designing such a system, it could be ready just in time for my next computer upgrade.