It would appear I dodged a bullet with my computer issues.
It will hopefully end up being a $400 fix and not a $4000 replacement. Of course that doesn't factor in the Mac guy's exorbitant fees. The culprit was a bad video card and I ordered a new one on Sunday and let me tell you, that little video card sure gets around. I just checked the tracking and it started out in Palatine, IL., then went to Davenport, IA, on to Des Moines, IA, then to Sylmar, CA, next to Van Nuys, back to Sylmar and finally on to Bako. It says it's currently out for delivery and I expect I'll hear a knock on the door any minute. I should be back in business later today.
I have to say it's been a pretty scary experience realizing for the first time just how dependent I am on this stupid little box for my livelihood.
I've also realized that this profession is now one for the pretty well off. It used to be that if you had the talent all you needed was a T-square, and X-acto knife and some markers. Now you need a $4000 computer and $3000 worth of software, not to mention scanners and printers and back-up drives and... the list goes on and on.
I got an inkling of that when I first found myself unemployed. I knew I probably had to update my skillset and would ask around for recommendations as to what new software I should learn. A lot of people recommended MAYA, a program used in motion graphics and CGI rendering. I looked into it and the basic software package costs $6500! And classes to actually learn it cost several thousand more. That was an extreme example, but the others weren't all that much better. The bottom line was I simply couldn't afford to learn anything new. Especially since I had already spent a fortune learning other programs that are now obsolete. It certainly makes for a very cloudy future.
I was surprised how understanding my LA clients were with my predicament. I wish I could say the same thing about my Bako ones. What a bunch of whiny little babies. Fuck 'em. I'm counting the days until I can just tell them to pound sand.
