My Own Computer Stupidities 

Well... I've been reading through some more Computer Stupidities... and decided to share one of my own that has recently happened to me. I've been working on my home brew media set top box... which I'm currently calling Amphion. Anyway, I needed to get a round IDE cable for inside the box, because the standard ribbon cables are hard to route in confined spaces, and don't provide for good air circulation. Since round IDE cables are super common, and since I really hate chain computer stores, I decided to stop by the local Milwaukee PC, figuring they'd have them. Sure enough, on a shelf they had a whole bunch of them.

So I grabbed one, and went over to the checkout area. For those of you who don't know, Milwaukee PC not only sells parts and supplies, but also builds and repairs computers for people. The sales clerk first started typing on one computer to scan in my cable. Then he took my credit card and walked over to another computer to swipe it. Then after about 2 minutes of trying to swipe my card, he finally went over to a third computer to print out a receipt.

I looked at him with a somewhat surprised look on my face (I'm repeating the following conversation from the best of my recollection):

Me: "You need three computers to complete a sale?"
Clerk: "Well, this computer is the only one where I can get the scanner to work. That one is the only one with a working card reader, and that is the only one where we have the printer working right now."
Me: (Looking dumbfounded) "You do realize it doesn't look good for a computer repair shop to have all it's computers not working right don't you?"
Clerk: (Blank stare) "Sign on the x please."