June 29 My dilemma

Wednesday:  A few days ago I started having problems with my Canon printer. I tried everything to fix it but it would NOT fix. My Jesse is a computer (almost) genius, but people bug him all the time to "fix" this and that electronic device, and I don't want to add to his list of annoying folk. BUT ... I just HAD to be able to print Kaity's birthday card in time for her party on Friday night over at Jesse's--so I called Jesse and asked him to come and fix my printer.

That's where all of this began ... this dilemma I will try to describe for you:

It happened to be Kaity's birthday (!!) and since I held her off on opening her present from ME until the exact date of her birthday, she came with Jesse to fix my printer and open her gift (see prior post). I had decorated the kitchen with balloons and had decorated cupcakes to help us have a mini-celebration for her.

Jesse had the printer fixed in about two minutes. We decided to print a TEST document.

SIGH.

Do you think my I-MAC would open even a dinky document for us to print? Nada!

To be fair, my I-MAC has given me issues for months now ... many long and patience-trying months! My internet out here is also a problem ... you would have to invent a new word for S-L-O-W to even begin to understand what I am talking about. I've called APPLE 2-3x but now that my I-MAC is "old" (over 5 years), they support it less and less and really haven't been able to help me.

Jesse found the waiting and the slowness completely unacceptable! Look at his face!

 In no time flat, he whisked Kaity and I off to Comprenew to purchase a different computer. I had never been in this shop before, but I have to say I was super impressed with how much stuff they had for sale, what nice condition it was in, and the knowledge they had about computers in general. They know Jesse well, because he frequents the place quite regularly. 

We ended up purchasing a super BEAUTIFUL monitor and a DELL computer that Jesse says is "seventh generation" whatever on earth that means! Jesse runs his computer on a system called "UBUNTU" from Africa. He's used it since 2014 and has been virus-free and all programs are FREE. Jesse took my I-MAC to his place, transferred files (endless ones) and over 100,000 pictures and brought the "new" used computer over on Monday to teach me how to get it hooked up and give me instruction. He also bought a really great set of speakers to go with it. 

I am really touched by this kindness shown to me by Jesse. He has spent HOURS on this project and mostly his $$ as well. He also re-vamped my internet and it is SO MUCH FASTER. Wonderful.

BUT ...

Ubuntu does not handle PhotoscapeX. You might ask: Who gives a rip? Trust me--I DO! PhotoscapeX is my photo editing program that I have used for almost 20 years now. I began using it with Windows years ago--it's a free program--and then I paid for the upgrade to "X". It has really enhanced my ability to do just about everything with a photograph--and I use it almost EVERY day. Seriously. 

I make my own cards--not that they are giftshop quality or anything--but I LOVE the process of making them and I love that I can personalize them to each person I make one for. I LOVE to edit photographs. I spend hours and hours per week doing it--it is my therapy and half of my sanity.

SIGH.

So there's this thing called GIMP, which Ubuntu handles--so we've loaded it. It works with LAYERS, like Photoshop does. It's NOT an easy learn. I am NOT a genius (understatement of the century) and have zero technical inclinations. 

If I cannot learn this GIMP program without taking hours and hours per photograph, I am truly better off to trade in my I-MAC for a new one (which is very expensive, and I am not taking that lightly) and then just get back to my much-loved hobby of ... photography.