This experience of using so many Web 2.0 tools has had many ups and downs. I like trying new things so it was generally a positive one for me but there was also a lot of stress. It is always challenging to try new things even when you are in the perfect learning environment. Of course, my computer environment is far from perfect and that played an important role in my experience.
In hindsight, I should have upgraded the memory in my PC before trying so many Web 2.0 tools. I found that these tools use lots of virtual memory and my 2005 laptop only had 512MB. I didn’t even try the computer that I bought in 2000 since it has trouble creating a simple mailing list these days. If there was ever an industry that knows about planned obsolescence, it is the computer industry.
I finally realized that I needed to upgrade my laptop memory. My fear was upgrading might create more problems. I had never done it before. I might take the PC apart and not be able to put it back together or corrupt something important. Thankfully, I got over my fear and added 1GB of memory. That has made a huge difference in the quality of my Web 2.0 experience. I realize now that it should have been the first thing that I did when my PC started freezing on a regular basis.
If you think that you are having memory issues, you should consider upgrading the memory in your PC. The website that I used to check this out is Crucial. It analyzed the situation on my PC, gave recommendations and even made it easy to buy the upgrade needed. This is an example of a simple solution to a customer’s painful problem. I am sure there are other companies out there but this one worked well for me.
