earth to squarepants

(or the new story behind the name of this website)

last tuesday i was working and as always, i had my ibook on one of the desks i use at work. on the other one there’s a big desktop pc, with lots of software… all in dutch. that was the main reason i was using the ibook, it made it easier for me to work if i understand where the tools and functions are.
then, in the same table of the ibook, there was a cup of coffee and milk (what we ironically call a “meia de leite”). can you guess where this is going already?
that was basically it. i knocked the coffe down, close enough to bath the ibook with about half of it (we’re talking about dutch coffee here, the full cup kind, not the short mediterranean expresso variety).
fast forward the images of ana running to the kleenex box, almost screaming “ohnãonãonãonãonão”, force shutting the computer, removing the battery, the keyboard, the airport, the memory and cleaning as much liquid as she could off the soaked logic board, while secretly praying the apple god for a little miracle.
15 minutes later, having cleaned what i thought was the most of it, i tried to start it again. and it worked. for about 3 minutes. after that, the screen started to flicker a bit and then the whole thing just died.

that was it. i took it to the nearest apple center and, though i still dont have a definitive answer on what caused the problem, they seem to think i damaged the motherboard.

can you see where i went wrong there?
besides the whole leaving-a-full-cup-of-coffee-by-the-computer thing. :| (and yes, i do realise how stupid* that was…)
well, impacient and atheist, i didnt really wait for a miracle, did i? i read afterwards that i should have waited at least a full day before turning it back on again, to allow it to dry and not cause any short circuits in the board. i guess i panicked.

if it happens to you, at least i hope now you know what to do. i wish i had read it somewhere before. :| it’s one of those things…

* stupidity is a clause a simple warranty wont cover. i checked.

6 comments to “earth to squarepants”

  • Tiago Farrajota says:

    acontece aos melhores.. :/ foi um bocado de azar junto com aflição e vontade de ver se estava +- funcional.

    eu já derramei água em cima de alguns componentes (uma fuga num dos conectores pneumáticos do watercooling) mas felizmente nada se danificou.. andei com um secador uma meia hora há volta da gráfica e board.. :P

  • dinis says:

    oh :-/ que ele volte depressa.

  • ups says:

    Eu tambem ja apanhei uma inundacao em casa e choveu (literalmente) para cima do portatil. Uma das coisas que reparei e que a agua demorou mais do que um dia a sair de dentro do portatil. (2 dias depois ainda havia 2 ou 3 ‘focos’ de humidade)
    Felizmente foi so o teclado que se danificou, no entanto o portatil e tao antigo que ja nao se encontram teclados para ele.

  • Ghostboy says:

    Epa… :/ Foi um acidente. Não acho anormal ter café ao pé do portátil. Computador e café até combinam bem…acho que fazia o mesmo…don’t feel stupid :)

  • sonia says:

    ups.. e ja agora parabens atrasados!

  • rita says:

    Ouch, so sorry to hear about this …

    I was trying so hard to remember, 18th is ana’s bday, 18th is ana’s bday and then i completely forgot. So happy belated birthday :) As my gift to you i’ll use my fairy powers, put some forces at work so that you get your ibook is recovered.
    *crosses fingers for you* ****

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