A few things I'd like to say to Bill Gates or How to have a breakdown 2 weeks before the bar exam or how attractive a plain old pen looks about now

Slightly more than 2 weeks prior to the bar exam is not a good time to be having laptop problems.

I've known for a little while now that I need to get a new battery, as mine refuses to hold a charge for more than an hour and a half, which won't get me through the exam. However, last week, my computer decided to ramp up my stress level by not recognizing it was plugged it when it was plugged in. This is a problem.

I went to Best Buy and they don't know if it's my power adaptor or where it connects into my computer. They are getting me a new battery & a new power adaptor ('cuz it's still under warranty, thank goodness!), but they won't know until it gets here. When will it get here? Don't know. Because I'm getting it under the warranty, I can't pay for expedited shipping. It should be sent out on Monday, and should get here around Thursday.

If the power adaptor doesn't fix the problem, they'll have to SEND AWAY MY COMPUTER, which would probably leave me WITHOUT a computer for the exam...which I am supposed to be TYPING.

So, what do I do, what do I do. I mean, aside from cry in the middle of Best Buy. I decide perhaps I should get a backup computer - not open it or anything until I find out of my computer is okay, but have it for peace of mind. Because that is pricess at this stage in the game.

That would be very fine and well (aside from the fact I'd be out quite a bit of money), except every SINGLE LAPTOP FOR SALE IN A STORE comes with VISTA OPERATING SYSTEM. Does Examsoft work on Vista? NO, BECAUSE THAT WOULD MAKE SENSE. Examsoft only works on Windows 2000 or XP. Best Buy still sells XP, but in order for that to be an option, I'd have to buy the computer with Vista, buy XP, and pay the Geek Squad to install it. Then if my computer turned out to be totally fine with just a new power adaptor, I'd be out the money I spent on the software & the Geek Squad, not to mention the restocking fee Best Buy would charge me if I returned the laptop.

Best Buy can order specialized laptop with XP on it, but I COULDN'T RETURN IT. No really. They told me if I did that I would not be able to return it. I laughed a little hysterically and told them "THAT'S NOT EVEN COMMERCIALLY REASONABLE!!!"

I came home, and there are only two computer companies that even offer XP as the operating system anymore - Gateway and Sony. The Dell salesperson laughed at me over the phone when I asked about XP instead of Vista.

And if I were to order a Gateway or Sony laptop, there's still the issue of getting it time. Not to mention the fact that I haven't been able to get in touch with Examsoft people about re-downloading it, which I'm not even slightly prepared to deal with at this point.

Here's what I'd like to say to Mr. Bill Gates: WHO'S BRILLIANT IDEA WAS IT TO RELEASE VISTA 2 MONTHS BEFORE THE BAR EXAM?!??? Seriously! If you could have waited until March I'd have no problem with you. None. It's obvious you and your marketing team (or whomever decided January was a good release month) have no thought for the fact that there are thousands of bar takers depending on your keeping us supplied with XP through this exam, at least until Examsoft gets on board with your operating system.

I could use Husband's mac laptop (if the WSBA allows mac usage), but his adaptor is currently being held together with tape. No, I'm not kidding.

As it turns out, in a very anti-climactic but seriously relieving solution, my mother-in-law is sending me one of her many extra laptops - the newest one. It has XP on it. She is a fucking lifesaver! Seriously. When she told Husband she'd send me one of her laptops to use, I cried hot tears of relief - I didn't even realize how stressed out I was about it until I was able to be relieved! (I mean, aside from my little "episodic" breakdown in Best Buy.) Still, however, this has brought to light how ridiculous this really is. Using my laptop was supposed to make this whole process easier, not make me want to tear out my eyebrows and run back to the hand cramps of pens.