Computer and Me　 (2003.12.24)

 

 I use my personal computer almost every day. It is FM V- BIBLO LOOX T7 produced by Fujitsu. I bought it in 2001. The operating system is Windows Me. I use it for work, for daily life and also for fun.

The computer is a mobile-type one so I can easily take it anywhere. I often carry it when I go out. It is very convenient.

One of the most wonderful points of my computer is that it has the wireless communication system (H’’IN) in it and I can connect it to the Internet without using codes. This means I can enjoy the Internet or e-mailing with my computer in any place I like.

Now, the LOOX is one of my BEST FRIENDs.

 

 At the end of this August, a TRAGEDY occurred. My computer suddenly GOT OUT OF ORDER. I could not start it normally by any means. I could not use any application software.

It was a BIG TROUBLE for me, because I had put a lot of IMPORTANT DATA in the computer. My personal data, precious pictures and variety of information related to my job. To make the matter worse, I had not made any back-up copies. I turned PALE. I tried and tried to start up my computer, but in vain. Finally I decided to take it to the shop where I bought it, and to ask them to repair it.

A few days later, in the evening, I brought it to the shop in Nagakute town, where I bought it. A clerk checked it and said, “This is definitely malfunctioning. OK. We will send this to the repair center tomorrow. It would come back in a few weeks. Don’t worry. It is going to be all right. But please remember that the data in your computer MAY DISAPPEAR.”

No kidding! I shouted in my mind.

I said to him,” The data are so important for me. If they disappeared, I would be in a big trouble.”

He said, “I understand that. But we still have to say that there is such a possibility. If you don’t accept that condition, we can’t look after your computer, I am sorry to say.”

Well, then, I have no choice.

 I asked them to repair it after all. All I could do was just to believe in them and to pray that my data would be safe.

No problem. They will do a great job!  I TRIED TO BELIEVE.

 On the night, I went to eat out with my brother to a nearby restaurant. He is six years younger than me and is a graduate school student. In his university days, his major was electronic information and technology, so he knows very well about computers. While eating, I told him that I had taken my computer to the shop and I explained to him about the state of my computer.

He said, “Mmm... In that case, your data WILL PROBABLY VANISH.”

I surprised. “Really? Then I HAVE TO stop it! Isn’t there any way to protect my data? “

“Mmm… First, you have to stop the shop clerk to send your computer to the repair center. If they sended it there, it would be THE END. I may be able to find some way to fix your computer. Anyway, you have to tell them to give it back to you as soon as possible.”

But at that time, the shop had already closed. We telephoned to the shop, but just recorded voice answered and told us that they had wound up the business of the day. Unfortunately, we couldn’t leave a message because it didn’t change into recording mode.

I said, “Jesus! I have to phone the shop tomorrow morning…BUT I CAN’T! I am working tomorrow. How about you? Can you phone them tomorrow morning? “

My brother said, “Sorry. I will be taking a lecture tomorrow morning so I will not be able to phone, either."

Now, the situation was pretty difficult. I had to tell the shop clerk not to send my computer to the repair center, but we couldn’t go to the shop, nor could we phone them the next morning. What should I do? I thought and thought and eventually I thought up an idea to tell our message to the shop clerks. A little bit absurd idea, though…

I went home, and on a BIG sheet of paper, I wrote down a message as follows in BIG letters.

“I am Jun Kuribayashi, who brought my computer here yesterday. I had asked you to send my computer to the repair center, but I want to CANCEL it. I would like to get my computer back. Please keep my computer for a while.”

Then I went to the closed shop with my brother and put that BIG paper onto the door for the employees firmly with packaging tape. The message paper was ABNORMALLY standing out on the door.

“OK. They can’t miss this message when they enter from here tomorrow morning.”

The day after, my brother went to the shop and got my computer back. He said that the clerks in the shop STARED him HARD in the face. Poor my brother. Probably the clerks thought in mind, it is HIM who had put that BIG paper on the door! What a nerve!

…Anyway, the LOOX came back safely. All we had to do was repair it ourselves. And after a few weeks, we finally SUCCEEDED in repairing it through trial and error. My brother knew a lot of trouble-shooting methods. My precious data was protected. I thanked him for that VERY MUCH.

 

 Back to ‘90s…

 

 It was about ten years ago. When I was a sophomore in university, we took a lecture titled “Computer Science”. In the course, we learned how to order to computers using “BASIC language”. In other words, we learned how to use so-called CUI (Command User Interface). The floppy disks which we used in the lesson were 5-inches ones. (Bigger than the present ones. Present ones are 3.5-inches.) When I think of it now, I feel that it was an ANCIENT lesson.

And it was in the autumn in 1995. I was a senior in university. One evening I watched TV news and saw a long line of customers waiting to buy a new product. It was the Windows 95. The news told us the Windows 95 was being sold DRAMATICALLY. Yes, it was literally like an EXPLOSION. I think that the day was the anniversary that GUI (Graphical User Interface) spreaded in the world.
　But then, I don’t know much about the Windows. I haven’t even heard of the word “Internet”. I don’t have much money so I couldn’t afford to buy it, anyway. At that time I often used a word processor and it was enough for me. Some of my lab mates used computers when they wrote reports, but I did it with my word processor. Then, I was NOT interested in computers.

 In our lab, there were several Macintosh computers. My lab mates sometimes talked about computers or the Internet, but their discussions were not appealing to me. One day, I remember, we gathered in front of our lab computer and tried to see a picture of a hotel room on a website. That was my FIRST CONTACT of “the Internet”. It took more than 5 minutes for us to see just one picture. Frankly, I was IRRITATED. "The Internet" is not attractive at all!

Several months later, in a class in English school, a foreign teacher uttered the word “e-mail”. I had never heard of that word so I questioned him about it. He explained to me HEARTILY, in PLAIN English. But I could NOT understand the system.

“…These days many people start to have their own e-mail address. When you see magazines, you will often find e-mail addresses, don’t you? E-mail is very useful. Understand?”

“O…oh, y…yes! I got it!”

I PRETENDED to understand in order to conceal my POOR understanding.

 

I graduated the university and enter a company. It was the company which developed contact lens care solution. I was assigned to research and development division. In the office, there were a lot of computers. The OS was Windows 95.

Now I had to learn to use Windows. It was a MUST, because it was a part of our JOB. We had to analyze the data of our experiments by "Excel" and we had to make reports by "Word". I learned how to use those applications from my senior researcher, and I noticed that the Windows and its applications are definitely EPOCKMAKING. So useful!

In 1997, I bought my first Windows computer. It was a note-type one. And then, I came to be eager to connect it to the Internet as soon as possible. There were TWO reasons.

Firstly, a pretty girl whom I liked a lot then was interested in the Internet. She enjoyed seeing homepages. I want to talk with her about the Internet and homepages! …Maybe the motive was IMPURE.   

The second reason was PURE one. In those days, there was a TV program “Love Love I Love You (Japanese title: Love Love Aishiteru) “. It is a talk-show and music program. The MCs were Takuro Yoshida and Kinki Kid’s. It was my favorite program, mainly because I adored Takuro. Since I was a child, Takuro was my No.1 musician. I knew that the program had its homepage, and I really wanted to see it at home.

Eventually, I connected my computer to the Internet and started to enjoy “Net Surfing”.

What I surprised first about the Internet was that I can read English news very easily. Until then, I sometimes bought English newspaper at convenience stores to study reading English. But using the Internet, I could always enjoy reading the latest news almost freely.

Internet is so attractive!

 And maybe you don’t believe this, but thanks to the Internet, I got the chance to see REAL Takuro Yoshida. How? I just answered some quizzes on a homepage and wrote my impression on a TV program on a website. Then, a few weeks later, I got a mail saying “Congratulations! You’ve got the reward that you can come to see the recording of ”Love Love I Love you”. And I really went to see the recording of the program in Tokyo with my female friend. I will not forget the day, for the rest of my life.

 

Back to ‘80s…

 

When I was in junior high, I coaxed my parents into buying a computer. But it was not like recent computers. In those days, almost all the computers had CUI (Command User Interface) and we had to order to the computer by computer language. The computer which I got was called MSX --- the simplest ones in those days. I had to use a TV as a display. It could show only 16 colors. But at least I could enjoy games such as “Xanadu” or “the Castle “using that MSX. Do you know these games? They were MASTERPIECEs, I bet. I deeply admired the staff who created those games.

And I could also enjoy making my own games or other programs by MSX using computer language. Drawing pictures or playing my favorite music freely on TV were so interesting. I made several programs. And I recorded the data of the programs onto MUSIC CASSETTE TAPES. Very old-fashioned, huh?

One of my friends had MSX2, more advanced-type computer. It could show 256 colors. Sometimes my friends and I visited his house and played the variety of games together.  We purely enjoyed playing the games and enjoyed talking endlessly. We were always laughing. Maybe those days were one of the happiest times of my life.

In summer, when I was 14, a new game went on the market. The name of the game was “Super Laydock”. It was what we call “shooting game”, and the graphics were wonderfully beautiful for a MSX software. My friend and I bought the game as soon as it was put on the market. I got absorbed in playing the game. So did my friend. My friend and I finally cooperated in finishing the game. After finishing the game, we sent our records of the game to the maker of the game in order to get the “finishing certificates”. To our surprise, the certificate number of my friend’s was No. 2 in Japan and mine was No.3 in Japan. We were delighted and felt proud of it.

But a few years later, MSX had gone out of fashion. And finally it disappeared in the market. I felt kind of sad.

 

Back to ‘70s…

 

 I was around five years old. Of course I didn’t have computers at that age. But I already KNEW what computers were like. For five-years-old me, “computer” was a big magical machine which can calculate difficult things, predict the future, and even talk. Why did I have such an idea? The TV animation program “Babil the 2nd” had influenced me.

 Do you know the animation Babil the 2^_nd? In the animation, a boy and his three powerful servants fight against evil characters. Maybe you have heard this theme song…

 

♪It is being concealed by the sand storm.
　　In the Babil's tower, there lives a psychic boy, Babil the 2nd.
　　To protect our piece on the earth,
　　　　he gives orders to his three servants.
　　Super bird Roplos! Fly in the sky!
　　The great robot Poseidon! Go in the sea!
　　Rodem! Change your body and dash on the ground!

 …The song was so COOL for me that I often sang it at home.

 

…Anyway, I remember that there was “super computer” in the Babil’s Tower. It was pretty big. In my memory, the computer was so big that it occupied almost the whole room. The recording medium was also very big and the shape of it was like big-size video tape. The reel of the tape was rotating very slowly. (In '70s “hard disk” had not been developed yet!) What an ancient-type computer that was! My LOOX is FAR MORE ADVANCED than that “SUPER COMPUTER”.

 

 And 2003 again…

 

Computers are being improved day by day. As a matter of fact, my computer which I bought 2 and half years ago is already kind of out of date now. I am thinking about buying a new computer next year. Newest ones have DVD-RAM drive, wireless LAN system and TV tuner. I am looking forward to enjoying those latest technologies.

But I will try to use the LOOX as long as possible, because HE is one of my BEST FRIENDs.

 

…And in 2010’s, what will our computer life be like? Can you imagine?