I have a five-year-old MacBook which replaced another MacBook, and let's just go ahead and say it, I am a MacBook lover. I feel like this particular MacBook and I have been through a lot together, at times I've felt like she's been my best friend, as melodramatic as that may sound. We wrote a book together, we travelled, we watched whole series of old TV shows together.
In the last month my trusty friend has grown less trusty. She's been slowing down. When unplugged, she tires quickly. She stopped waking up whenever she fell asleep. I actually took her in a couple of weeks ago and they couldn't find anything wrong with her. She passed all her cursory diagnoses, and it was going to cost me $50 to do a more thorough one, and much as I love her, I just brought her home and switched her to "never sleep" and pretended that wasn't a problem.
It nagged at me - who doesn't need to sleep? Sure, I turned her totally off at night, but not so much as a nap for my girl? Really? Then Tuesday morning my mail wouldn't load, and that was the deal breaker. This girl has to get her mail. This time I got all official, I even made an appointment and reconciled myself with the fact it may cost me $50 and we might have to part for a few days. I was ready. I packed her up, took her in, and the Macologist, Nick, that helped me last time (because there are no accidents), totally remembered me and my laptop, and "our" problems. He held her in his arms, felt her all over, then he said, "Feel right here? See how this bulges slightly?" I had noticed that her battery wasn't flush with the rest of the bottom of the computer, but didn't think too much about it. "Maybe you just need a new battery."
I know you're all dying to hear about all the tests we ran and conversations we had about said battery, but suffice it to say that yes, my girl needed a new battery. That was all. E-mail is now working beautifully, she is even sleeping soundly and awakening refreshed and rarin' to go upon being disturbed from her naps. St. Nick even cleaned up my hard drive and now everything is running faster and better. I think I was in there less than 30 minutes total, and got out for under $150.
Much as I'd like to think recharging old batteries is the way to go, the fact remains, sometimes we need to do more than recharge. Sometimes we need to replace. Start new. It's not fair to put anything, or anyone, in a "never sleep" mode.
Never.
6 comments:
I would like my own batteries refreshed. Think your Mac friend might help me?
Great analogy! :-) Usually a ten-hour-sleep is my "Refresh" and this happens every month at least.
Mmmm, yes. We forget our batteries, too. Sometimes we think we are broken, done, washed up... And really we just need a change or a charge. Or a nap.
:)
I'm not sure where my 'battery' is, but I know sleep is vital for me. I love that you were able to keep your old friend. I'm struggling with whether or not to replace my MacBook (actually, Bubba's hand-me-down that I've had for three years), but it's hard to think about it given all the writing we've been through.
Maybe it is that simple.
Had that happen with my car recently! Replacing batteries (of any kind) regularly is a total necessity.
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