I successfully downloaded iTunes using my neighbor's wireless (with their permission and with the password, and this was not sticking it to The Man, since my house does have its own fully paid for wireless). This brought up a new problem, which is that iTunes wants to maintain a music library identical to the iPod on your computer, which is actually just what I wanted to avoid since my computer is a bit venerable and has some trouble with its memory anyhow (but then again, don't we all?) This problem can be avoided by choosing not to automatically "sync" your iPod to iTunes. You can then delete CDs from iTunes without removing them from your iPod (application of information I'd already discovered, courtesy of Guy Crouchback). So that's all looking pretty good. The next problem is that the first CD I add goes fine, but then when I try to switch to a second, iTunes freezes up and the entire computer has to be rebooted. At Mrs. Bear's advice, I used Housecall to do a free scan and found there were no viruses. (I'd previously deleted all old programs, including my out of date Norton Antivirus, and then defragmented the harddrive in hopes that that would clear up the problem. You don't have to waste disk space on Housecall, but you do have to visit your neighbors to use their internet.)
I was at a loss for what to do next, so I tidied up my music files, and discovered that Windows Media Player actually works just fine for files that are already on my computer. So now I have located one of my problems: the CD driver needs to be fixed. I don't think it's a mechanical problem, as DVDs still work. I have to wait to go next door (to download updates for the device driver) to put my theory into action, but I'm pretty pleased with myself for figuring this out. I love this little laptop, and like imagining myself capable of taking care of it independently.
In other news, my jokes about The Man have Not Gone Over Big around here. I wish I could say that this has kept me from making them.
