The Plan:

Today was to be *such* an awesome day. Today was the day I was going to pick up my software. I'd ordered it through MagnumMac, and although it was ready to pick up on Monday, today was the first time I had the time to get over to their store and get my hands on all my new software boxes and their delicious insides.

I'm not sure I like shopping for anything more than I like shopping for computer related stuff. Buying fully licensed, boxed sets of software is something I really enjoy. To celebrate, I had breakfast afterwards up at the Atomic Cafe (at 121 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby) and read the new New Scientist magazine, and then went to Magazino to look at the design mags I refuse to pay $49.95 for. (managed to find a primo car park right outside too) <voice="ericcartman">sweet!</voice>

The Implementation:

Upon arriving back home, I put on the Jazz CD I've been listening to lately - a 2-disk compilation of female jazz vocalists - and settled down to install my lovely new software. I took great delight in deleting all the old software. My new stuff was all full versions, not upgrades, (with the exception of the Word for Mac software) so I cleaned out that Harddrive like a crazy woman, dragging folders of Photoshop and Illustrator and Flash into the elasticated dock trash can and then emptied the trash. The great thing about Macintosh computers is that when you delete something, it's really deleted.

First up, Windows Office for Mac. That went relatively smoothly being an upgrade of software I had purchased year-before-last.

Next I decided to install the Macromedia MX 2004 suite. Putting in the disk, double clicking the "install suite" icon, my computer told me I needed MacOS X 10.2.3 or newer, and I didn't have that on my computer. I checked and sure enough, I only had MacOS X 10.2! <voice="ericcartman">you're breaking mah balls here</voice>

I exhaled and thought, "That's okay. I have Panther ordered, and can pick it up at the end of the month when I was planning to pick up the laptop. I can wait, I'm patient."

Reaching for the Adobe Creative Suite Premium Edition I decided to be happy enough with installing this delicious set of tools. Opening the lovely new branded Adobe box, and putting the CD into the drive - the same message appeared "You need MacOS X 10.2.3 or newer to run this software" <voice="ericcartman">goddammit!</voice>

The Conclusion

All of which would be perfectly okay if I hadn't DELETED the software I already *had* on the computer in a Random Act of Blondeness. And no, I can't find my Photoshop6 CD to reinstall it so stop asking. Now I have a computer, devoid of software I need to work-from-home unless I need to type something like, Oh, I don't know.. my resignation which I've already done so grrr.. I have NOTHING to WORK with!

Lesson Learned:

Number One Rule of Software Installation: Never attempt software installation while you have your period.

There was a prior incident while installing the new office stuff - I thought I'd deleted all my email and email addresses that caused a minor panic attack/self mutilation session but of course, I hadn't done any such thing. It was all a storm-in-a-teacup, but it set the mood for the entire session.

I'll get Panther on Monday. Its sitting at Magnummac with my iBook. I'm just half-pie-mad at myself for being a dilbrain and half-way mad at Magnummac. When I bought the stuff I said "I have mac os x, is that compatible?" and they said "YES" and they should've been smart enough to ask, "which version" because they're mac people and all, and it's their *job* and stuff.

THIS is the trouble, in my opinion, between marketing using version numbers, and marketing using cute names for software.

THIS would also *never* have happened if the Electric Box Company kept more customer-friendly hours-of-work.