Forum Overview :: Lemmings
 
Pile of Apples. by Flack 06/21/2011, 2:15pm PDT
Ice Cream Jonsey made reference to a pile of computers I purchased in his OVGE recap, so I decided to tell the entire story here.

I went to OVGE in search of an Apple IIgs computer -- reason being, they're kind of the missing link between Apple II and Macintosh computers. Because of their ability to both connect to the Internet and write Apple II compatible disks, they are uniquely suited to convert virtual Apple II disk images to real, physical floppy disks. If you own an Apple II and wish you had more real floppies to use with it, this is a pretty useful feature.

So I'm walking around the show floor before the doors open, and at an unmanned table I spy an Apple IIgs. I quickly track down the table's owner and tell him, "Hey, I want that Apple IIgs." He says okay, and that he'll mark it sold. So far, if you're me, this story sounds pretty good.

Later when I walk by the guy's table, I don't see the Apple IIgs. Instead, I see a giant pile of Apple computers. I'm going by memory here, but I know there were two Apple IIe machines, two IIgs machines, and at least 8 worthless Macs. ("Worthless" Macs are any one that's newer than a Mac Classic, but old enough that they don't do anything interesting.) There's also a monitor, a printer, a bunch of keyboards, mice, and other odds and ends.

Taped to the front of the pile is a sign that says "$100" on it. The price is marked out; underneath it the word "SOLD" has been written in black pen. Under that, it has my name.

Part of what makes this story funny is that approximately an hour before it happened, I was relaying a story to ICJ in which I accidentally bought 350+ IBM keyboards at an auction. (Yes, accidentally.) So all I could say was, "Jesus Christ, I did it again."

In the 103 degree Oklahoma heat, my friend and I loaded the computers into the back of my truck as a few others stood nearby, constantly reminding me of what a load of crap I had just bought. A few offered helpful advice like, "Don't put it in your truck -- dump that shit right in the dumpster!" I'll show them, I thought to myself. Once I get this stuff home and cleaned up, it'll be worth a mint.

I got the stuff home and soon noticed a cockroach nearby. It would now appear that not only did I grossly overspend on a pile of computer hardware, but that the computers also have cockroaches living in them. Looking for a silver lining, I've decided that if you look solely at the value of the electronics, I did pretty bad, but if you look at it as a "per pound" purchase, I did okay, and if you figure the price per cockroach, I came out way ahead.
NEXT REPLY QUOTE
 
Pile of Apples. by Flack 06/21/2011, 2:15pm PDT NEW
    You cock roaches want to play? OHHHHKAAAAEEE NT by Michael Bolton 06/21/2011, 6:33pm PDT NEW
        Not better. NT by Flack 06/21/2011, 9:28pm PDT NEW
    Whew. No Roaches. by Flack 06/23/2011, 7:09am PDT NEW
        FUMIGATE YOUR KIDS NT by MOOM 06/23/2011, 7:19am PDT NEW
 
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