My Computer Falls Ill

Back in the 1970s (if memory serves) one of the TV networks ran a program on America's love affair with the automobile.  What I remember from that show is the presenter's comment about car repair.  He said, "When your car breaks down, it's like being jilted by your girlfriend."  "Or boyfriend" would be obligatory today.  And one is far more likely to make such a statement about one's computer than one's car.  When your car is in the shop, you can get a loaner.  But to be without your computer is to be cut off from the universe.

This weekend my Mac Mini took to its bed.  Symptoms of illness were evident several days earlier.  I would start up the Mini and then stare at a black monitor.  After a couple minutes, without prompting, the monitor would light up.  This lag between start and display gradually lengthened.  On Saturday afternoon I waited almost half an hour.  As soon as the rig was functional I revised and printed my sermon for yesterday's supply gig (my first since retiring) at St. Barnabas, Portage.  Mini has been incommunicado ever since; the monitor sulks.

The Mini is Apple's entry-level computer, and probably the most popular computer the company ever developed.  Apple introduced it in 2005.  I bought my third generation Mini in late 2007.  This "Core 2 Duo" machine, with its 2.0 GHz processor, has served faithfully as my "home" computer.  (My MacBook, on which I am writing this blog entry, was a most thoughtful gift from the folks at St. Michael's, and has been in near daily use as my "office" computer.)  It's on the Mini that I compose sermons, do my personal accounting, and wallow in e-mail.  My data should be secure — Time Machine has been backing up to a separate hard drive for the past couple years.  But my Mini needs healing!  Or maybe an exorcism!

I mentioned the initial symptoms to Brian, my Angel of Technology at St. Michael's, when he, Karen, and I met for coffee last week.  Brian wisely suggested a trip to the Genius Bar.  I have an appointment for 2:00 tomorrow afternoon at the Woodland Apple Store in Grand Rapids.  Perhaps one of the Geniuses can shake his or her tech-support rattle and sort this out.  It could be a monitor issue, but I suspect the Mini is the problem.

Meanwhile, my ancient-of-days Blue iMac, the Mini's predecessor, purrs quietly in its corner.  I use it from time to time, and while it tends to dawdle, it never fails to respond. •••