Posts Tagged ‘Posten’

Even closer to the upgrade…

28.10.2011 01:55

So I was able to pick up my package today, although it was a little smaller than I imagined. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever replaced a harddrive in a laptop before, so the fact that this was considerably smaller than what I’m used to when thinking about “harddrives” probably had something to do with it.

Also, by the time I got to the office, I had received an e-mail from my boss with the license keys I had requested. The upgrade is on for this weekend!

When I left the office today, I made sure to make a print-out of the license keys and take the installation DVDs/CDs with me home, just in case I had the time and the urge to perform the upgrade already today. Needless to say, I never got the time to do something about it today.

I did, however, do a test disassembly of my laptop after I got home, just to get a complete overview of where the components were located, and what screws to unscrew when the time finally comes (and, of course, to be even more sure that I had the right components and equipment to get through the upgrade).

Then again, I was able to perform a backup of all the games and software I can’t get anywhere else before I went to bed, just to be even more prepared.

I’m looking even more forward to get started on Saturday.

Almost upgrade time!

27.10.2011 00:46

Last week, I decided to go through with upgrading my laptop. The laptop is a 3 years old Dell Studio 1535, with 250 GB hard drive space and 3 GB RAM. After some research, I found that it currently has two RAM modules installed (one 2 GB and one 1 GB), and supports a maximum of 4 GB, meaning, I’ll be replacing the 1 GB module with a 2 GB one, maxing out what the laptop can handle. I also went with a new 500 GB hard drive, doubling the total capacity it can handle. Last, but not least, I threw in a 8 GB USB memory stick for good measure. It will come in handy when transferring somewhat large amount of data.

I finally got a message from the postal service that it was almost here:

Meaning, the package is ready to be picked up tomorrow. And since I just found out that the downtown post office had spent the last few days moving to another location, which would become just a few minutes away from where I work, it won’t even be a detour during my lunch break.

I might even get brand new software for my upgrade from my workplace, too. Today, the laptop has Windows Vista Ultimate and Microsoft Office 2007 Ultimate, amongst other things, and through my office, I have access to Windows 7 and Microsoft Office 2010. I just have to ask my boss for the license keys, and it looks like I’ll go for the Windows 7 Professional and Office Professional Plus 2010 editions, since our company’s subscription package includes more than one license for these two. Our company only has one single license for the Ultimate edition of Windows 7, and I don’t want to be the one hogging this particular one. Besides, the differences between “Professional” and “Ultimate” aren’t that much of a deal anyway.

If I get the license keys secured before the weekend, I’ll be spending the weekend upgrading and reinstalling software, and start next week with a renewed laptop.

I’ll keep you updated on my progress. Or, at least somewhat, since my laptop won’t exactly be online while I’m doing this.

 

How late is late?

03.09.2011 06:12

I've censored out the identifying parts of the address to protect the innocent.

I had an interesting piece of mail land in my mailbox earlier today (Friday). I’ve scanned it for your viewing pleasure.

I don’t know how much you can actually tell from the scanned envelope, but it’s a letter that was returned to the sender (me). I instantly recognized what it was, considering the odd format of the envelope, but I began to wonder why the hell this was arriving in my mail now.

You see, I recognized it as one of the Christmas cards I sent out to friends and associates, and as I examined the date stamped on top of the postage stamps to confirm, it was indeed sent at the beginning of December last year. The perceptive of you will also notice that the date printed on the “return to sender” label at the bottom of the envelope is August 22. This year.

Since it was posted and stamped December 3, it took the various postal services exactly nine months from the time I sent the letter to the time it was returned back to me. About eight and a half of these months was apparently spent figuring out that the destination address didn’t exist. Letters and post cards between Norway and the United States usually takes one or two weeks, or up to a full month if you’re unlucky.

What boggles my mind is, what kind of postal limbo has this Christmas card been in for the last 8 months? Has some joker had it on their desk for their own amusement? Did the P.O. box facility drop it under some piece of furniture, and found it during a more extensive office cleaning? I guess I will never know.

And the person I tried to send this to received one less Christmas card last year.

As a side note, I’d like to explain the three postage stamps attached to the envelope; the one on the far right is a non-denominated postage stamp (“valørløst frimerke”). This type of stamp was introduced by the Norwegian postal service in 2005, and is comparable to so-called “forever stamps” in the U.S. The design used on the stamp on this particular envelope is from a series of Norwegian rock pioneers (this one is about Per “Elvis” Granberg – a Norwegian artist who lived from 1941-1980 and was heavily influenced by Elvis Presley). The other two stamps (green and red/orange) have been added for additional postage to the U.S. (that is, in addition to the value of the “forever stamp”).

In any case, and to repeat myself, I’m about as baffled as you are as to why it was returned to me now.