Eye Candy

Last week's Wordless Wednesday aroused curiosity about how I created those mosaics.

Mazaika is a plug-in for PhotoShop, and it's available here. Although they do have a trial version, I bought the commercial version many years ago. According to documentation, the program requires at least 1,000 photos to generate acceptable mosaics. I never had a problem with how many photos I have available to create mosaics. My problem was trying to run this complex software on a very hold computer with insufficient RAM.

My 2005 dinosaur laptop required an overhaul in about 2008. A refurbished motherboard was transplanted. We were told the laptop would last only a year, if we were lucky, and new motherboards for that particular computer were no longer available, even refurbished. We knew the day would come we'd have no choice but to buy a new computer.

What we didn't know at the time was that we'd get another four years out of the crippled, arthritic, limping laptop. However, after surgery, it would no longer take CDs or DVDS, and we had to purchase an external burner, which still runs great and from which we expect to get many more years of use. The laptop also would no longer run many of the programs I use to manipulate photos and create videos.

The 2005 laptop finally gave up the ghost while I was creating this year's MS-150 snowflake pattern booklet. The aging non-human best friend just didn't have the power to edit such a large document. During the last four years, I saved about half the money I needed for a new computer. When the time came, The Lizard made up the difference. The new computer is hooked up, running, sometimes keeping me on my toes, and sometimes seemingly faster than the speed of light.

I'm not so fond of some of the features of my newfangled laptop; I'm old-fashioned, and I like my word processing the old way. I want to decide whether I want changes made to my documents; I don't want the computer to decide what I should or shouldn't do, what formatting I need or what I might have meant. Quit changing everything I type, dagnabit!!! (Control Z, Control Z, Control Z...) (Yes, I located and terminated the auto formatting button.)

I also didn't like having to reinstall all my software, and I especially did not like having to purchase some programs over again because the original license was for one computer, not a replacement computer when the original computer died. Dang. Some stuff from the old computer won't run on the new computer. Double dang.

Hate "The Ribbon." 'Nuff said.

We thought we might be able to squeeze faster internet into the budget, which was extremely exciting because the new computer is wireless enabled. After checking high-speed prices, we decided we can live with dial-up. Who knew new computers don't have modems?!?

When I stopped back in at the computer store to pick up an external modem so we could have dial-up internet access at home again, the employees recognized this Bag Lady. Laughter ensued. In response, my co-workers have dubbed me the Thread Bomber.

Modernization and slightly pink cheeks aside, I'm lovin' the power of the new 'puter! I can run my old image-editing software again!

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