a DIY home build project...

[dilwyn]

Likewise, I retired early when I got to 60, hoping it would free me up to enjoy hobbies, my new relationship, support my disabled brother, my Welsh music collection and generally do things I always wanted to but never really got the time to.

Needless to say, it didn't quite work out like that. Some local associations took advantage - in the nicest way - and "drafted" me onto their committees, e.g. organising local craft fairs in memory of my late wife, who loved her crafts dearly, and helping with running a local group for widowed people like myself.

End result, like you I suspect, is that it feels like I actually have less time now than I did when I was working.

The pile of unfinished QL software grows and grows...

[NormanDunbar]

Oh well, if we are reminiscing ....

I retired a couple of years ago after a contract at Hermes finished. I was told to "keep the works laptop as you'll be back soon!", so I did, and my passes, access tokens etc. As it turned out, there were many changes at Hermes, they got taken over by a Czech company and renamed to "Evri", my old boss moved away, but I got a message "We still want you back". After even more changes, I never went back. I phoned in one day to organise returning the laptop and I was told to "keep it! " so I have done. One day I'll get around to sorting out the BIOS passowrd that prevents me from using the damned thing though - whenever it switches on, it tries to run Windows and connect to a long gone network at Hermes. I believe I need to remove the BIOS battery, but having got hold of the service manual, that's a complete stripdown -- changing the BIOS battery is the final thing on the dismantling list. Whet the hell were Dell thinking of?

Anyway, I'm also struggling to get any QL stuff done, I mean, how long ago was the last eComic? So, here's to us, the retired folks with so little time now to do all the things we thought we were going to do on retirement, when we were still working!

Cheers,
Norm.

[dilwyn]

. I believe I need to remove the BIOS battery, but having got hold of the service manual, that's a complete stripdown -- changing the BIOS battery is the final thing on the dismantling list. Whet the hell were Dell thinking of?
Cheers,
Norm.

I keep meaning to do this with my late wife's old Windoze XP laptop - just put a QL emulator on it and use it as a QL laptop. In its days, it was a neat little laptop. I did download the instructions on how to replace the BIOS battery, but as you found, Norm, it's basically reduce the laptop to kit form to get at the battery, then rebuild it, and my fingers ain't that nimble these days. Probably done as built in obsolescence.

[Pr0f]

That's one job I get from many friends - to "fix their laptops" - as apparently if you work in any IT job - you know all IT !

I've spent literally days to get a laptop updated to a supported Windows patch level - then they went and bought a tablet. Still - I got 3 bottles of Rioja for the job

[XorA]

Whet the hell were Dell thinking of?

Making it hard to steal your work laptop

[NormanDunbar]

... but as you found, Norm, it's basically reduce the laptop to kit form to get at the battery...

Indeed. My old Dell laptop has a little hatch underneath to access the BIOS battery. A two minute job to replace it.


Cheers,
Norm.