So did you hear the one…

…about the elf stuck in Imprudence? It goes a little something like this.

I have OSX 10.5. For those of you who don’t speak Mac, think of it like running an older operating system like Vista (only mostly functional). In order for the latest MANDATORY UPDATE ERMAGERD SL viewer to work, I need 10.6 (which is, what, like needing Windows 7 or something. I’m trying here, you guys).

In order to get Firestorm to run, I need 10.6.

In fact, in order to get any type of viewer that will show me mesh, you guessed it, 10.6.

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. What about that one (can’t think of the name) that has a Version 1 interface, like Imprudence, and yet has mesh enabled?

Ten. Point. Fucking. Six.

So I’ve been SLing on the only viewer that works for me anymore: Imprudence. Imprudence doesn’t have mesh, doesn’t have prims over 10m, doesn’t have multiple attachments, doesn’t have a Merchant Out Box, but got damn it, it’s the only thing that gets me in world anymore.

Well I try (unsuccessfully) to be one who solves problems rather than bitch about them, so I ordered the upgrade software to 10.6 (or Snow Leopard, as the big kids call it). It arrived Monday (yesterday). I made three attempts to install it when at last I had to call up Apple Support.

Long story not quite as long, the problem appears to be the DVD drive. As it is an older machine, it may be that the lens needs cleaning, the nice lady tells me; she says to get a cleaning kit for it and if that doesn’t work, here’s a ticket number.

Have I ever mentioned that I’m in Boogers, Maine, population 1000 people and 5000 cows? The nearest place to find one such kit turns out to be about 45 minutes drive one-way from here. To afford it, we rolled up change. I’m not fucking exaggerating here, except perhaps the number of people. It may in fact be lower.

So… I go, I get the thing, I come back. Run the cleaner kit.

NOPE. Doesn’t make any bit of difference.

So it looks to be a hardware situation with the disk drive. By this point I’m just starting to think either a few things. Either it’s been a fun five years but time to hang it up, or, it’s time to just get a new fucking computer.

I’d REALLY prefer option B. Option A, while more affordable, is much less enjoyable. Between now and one or the other, Imprudence it is. Not like I was teaching myself mesh modeling or wanting to upload anything to Marketplace anyway (grumble grumble).