# Alas - Poor me. I had an equipment failure. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 12, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902 "2005-04-12T02:07:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/1 "2005-04-12T02:07:48Z")
My CRT monitor had a color gun (red I think) go intermittant. The screen started suddenly switching to green and then back to normal and then back to green, etc. I told my wife that I simply **had** to run down to Staples to get a new LCD monitor, which I did. How sad. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/2 "2005-04-12T02:23:17Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > **Alas - Poor me. I had an equipment failure.** Erm… I’ve heard that happens to _lots_ of guys! 😛 I got tired of whacking my monitor upside the case when it would turn off at random intervals, so I replaced it with an LCD monitor a couple of years ago. Much better. There’s more room for trash on my desk now! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anonymous\_Coward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/94ad74/32.png) [@Anonymous\_Coward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anonymous_Coward)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/3 "2005-04-12T02:27:44Z")
I hate it when that happens. So, how much metal shavings did you need to pour down the vent before it “malfunctioned”? 😉 BTW, my next monitor will be a Dell 2405FPW. _drool_ > [@](#): > > The Dell™ UltraSharp™ 2405FPW 24-inch Flat Panel LCD Monitor is a wide aspect desktop display that redefines the performance of LCD displays with a stylish new design and advanced functionality. Watch DVDs in natural format and run multiple applications simultaneously. Improve productivity with less scrolling and toggling. The 2405FPW wide aspect LCD also provides 12 ms response time to enable crisp clear images when using the display for fast motion video such as gaming or video editing. With 4 USB 2.0 ports, 2 located on the side, the 2405FPW gives users convenient access points to plug in devices such as keyboards, digital cameras, secondary hard drives and printers. Integrated 9-in-1 flash card reader allows easy access to download photos or files. It also supports advanced features such as PIP (picture in picture) and PBP (picture by picture). With 3.93 inches (100 mm) of height adjustment virtually every user can adjust the display to their exact comfort level and help reduce eye and neck strain. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/4 "2005-04-12T11:54:46Z")
Oh. poor…pooor…man. [insert applicable Viagara joke] ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/5 "2005-04-12T15:49:55Z")
At your age these things are bound to happen now and again. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/6 "2005-04-12T16:00:27Z")
At your age these things are bound to happen now and again. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/7 "2005-04-12T17:01:45Z")
Metal shavings, eh? 50" plasmas are slipping slowly into the “if I brown-bag my lunches for the next decade, I can afford this!” realm and are even being sold at Costco. Problem is that my current TV still works. “Honey, the TV blew up! I need to go get a new one!” ---
**Author:** ![Unintentionally\_Blank](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/unintentionally_blank/32/5418_2.png) [@Unintentionally\_Blank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unintentionally_Blank)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/8 "2005-04-12T18:26:51Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > My CRT monitor had a color gun (red I think) go intermittant. The screen started suddenly switching to green and then back to normal and then back to green, etc. > > I told my wife that I simply **had** to run down to Staples to get a new LCD monitor, which I did. How sad. {crotchety old man voice} I remember paying $750 for my 19" Sony Trinitron and thinking I got an EXCEPTIONAL deal as they were normally $1150. {/crotchety old man voice} (This was at a Sony outlet Shop.) I just reciently saw the same monior going for $120. And now, with kids, I look longingly at that 19" LCD monitor at $499 and think how EXTRAVIGANT it would be. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/9 "2005-04-12T21:33:45Z")
> [@Unintentionally Blank](#): > > {crotchety old man voice} I remember paying $750 for my 19" Sony Trinitron and thinking I got an EXCEPTIONAL deal as they were normally $1150. {/crotchety old man voice} (This was at a Sony outlet Shop.) > > I just reciently saw the same monior going for $120. Don’t you hate it when that happens? Long story follows. In the early days of WWII I read an article about the wonderful new pens that would be available just as soon as wartime material restrictions came off. The were ‘ball point’ pens that used ink similar to printer’s ink and a little ball to spread it. Fast forward to Belgium, post WWII. A friend of mine got the Sunday New York Times every week and one week there was a full page ad for the ‘miraculous’ new Reynolds Ball Point Pen. The ad probably would have said ‘new age’ if the term had been invented then. Anyway, we both sent for one at a cost of $12.50 (a number burned in my memory) plus shipping. They were simply awful. They skipped and occasionally even smudged. On the trip from Le Havre to New York on the good ship _Haverford Victory_ I read a notice on the bulletin board that the next day at noon we would be 5 miles from land - straight down. So, at noon the next day I stepped to the starboard rail and dropped my Reynolds ball point in one of the deepest parts of the Atlantic Ocean. Within a year or so ball points that actually worked sold for a buck and were heading lower. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/10 "2005-04-12T22:12:55Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Erm… I’ve heard that happens to _lots_ of guys! 😛 > [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > At your age these things are bound to happen now and again. > [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Oh. poor…pooor…man. > > [insert applicable Viagara joke] I’ll thank you all to never refer to this subject again. I can understand a woman being so heartless. But for you guys just remember. YOUR TURN IS COMING. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/11 "2005-04-12T22:16:09Z")
> [@Johnny L.A.](#): > > Erm… I’ve heard that happens to _lots_ of guys! 😛 > [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > At your age these things are bound to happen now and again. > [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Oh. poor…pooor…man. > > [insert applicable Viagara joke] I’ll thank you all to never refer to this subject again. A woman can be excused, but for you guys just remember … YOUR TURN IS COMING. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/12 "2005-04-12T22:27:13Z")
> [@David Simmons](#): > > YOUR TURN IS COMING. \ \ or not coming, as the case may be \<… sorry I said that, the set-up was just too strong\> 😃 ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2005, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/13 "2005-04-12T22:33:24Z")
> [@Bippy the Beardless](#): > > \ > \ > > or not coming, as the case may be > > \<… sorry I said that, the set-up was just too strong\> > > 😃 Yes, I probably should have said your turn is coming if you’re lucky(?). ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/alas-poor-me-i-had-an-equipment-failure/298902/14 "2005-04-13T00:38:43Z")
I’m wierd about parting with stuff that can still be repaired. Only when buying new (or getting a righteous eBay deal) costs less than fixing, will I not fix.