TOPIC: IBM PS/2
A very silly mishap
15th April 2009Last night, something idiotic happened to me: I tripped up in my main PC's cables and brought the behemoth crashing about the place. There was some resulting damage, with the keyboard PS/2 socket being put out of action and a busted USB port and mouse. When this happens, thoughts take on the form of a runaway train and the prospect of acquiring a new motherboard and assorted expensive paraphernalia trot into your mind; there are other things that more need my cash. Of course, the last time to be making such big decisions on computer components is when a mental maelstrom has descended upon you.
Eventually, I got myself away from the brink and lateral thinking began to take over. What helped was that most of the system is unaffected, enabling me to write this post with it. While a spare will work for now, a new ergonomic mouse is on order, cheaper alternatives to the keyboard conundrum have come into play. If PS/2 wasn't an option, then USB remains one, and that was the line of attack that was taken.
It involved a visit to the nearest branch of PC World after work, from where I came away with a new USB hub and a USB-compatible keyboard for less than the price of a new AM2+ Gigabyte motherboard that would have served my needs. Though an otherwise functional Trust keyboard may have been retired, that was a less expensive option than a full PC rebuild, which I may still need to do, albeit with far less immediacy than what flashed before my eyes within the last 24 hours. In fact, acquiring some cable ties should be higher on the acquisition wish list to avoid cable-induced tumbles in the future. It really does pay to be able to step back and see things from a wider perspective.