I had not realised how much I have been held back with the development of my blog through having a faulty computer. My MacBook Air has been problematic and for the last year I have relied on my lovely little iPad. However, with the Lockdown and having some spare time, I decided to take a closer look.
Fixing my MacBook Air
It was in 2012 when I got my Apple MacBook; I was the first in the family to take the plunge. Since then Rachel and both daughters have followed by investing on one.
However, not everything has been plain sailing. A few years back I had a faulty battery and got Apple to replace it for me. Then last year there was a sudden problem with turning it on one day; it wouldn’t fire up. So my MacBook sat there, unloved and did nothing for almost a year.
Fixing it was easier than I expected and I’m kicking myself I hadn’t done it earlier. After a bit of Google problem solving, I followed the instructions to start it in safe mode. The solution was clearing a kind of log jam and then downloading the most up to date OS software, restarting it a few times and verifying passwords etc. Then it was much better and totally useable.
There is still a little bit of a fan issue. After using for an hour, a tiny fan comes on and gradually drains the battery. Ordinarily the battery life is good – I remember using it all day without connecting the power lead – something to do with solid state technology inside. So there is some other fault lurking there, I know it is not full of dust, which is an obvious consideration.
So I am feeling like a kid with a new toy now as I type this. Having said that, it is eight years old and knowing nothing lasts for ever, I might replace it.
In the meantime, I know I’ll be able to type faster using the traditional keyboard, include links so they don’t take people away from my website, linking internally to other blog posts and a few other things. I am looking forward to updating my list if blogs which I do read from time to time (sorry if you write one of those, some are going and being replaced by others).
If I am feeling really adventurous, I might even change the theme some day, just to ring the changes. All of these things were really tricky, if not impossible, on my iPad.
A few other blog things
I am not convinced my strategy is right. I seem to flit between subjects rather a lot – fitness, health, running – then personal finance – then a review – then family stuff – and so it goes on. At the very least, it is a record of my life these days!
It is pleasing to get traffic from a wide range of sources, and I think this helps in the Google rankings. Additionally I always find it interesting to see some of the search term people use to find my blog. This snapshot was over a 24 hour period and as you can see there are 27 which are unknown.
Interestingly and completely unintentionally on my part, there’s a number of hits each day where people are looking for information on the exercise they can do with a catheter in place. Gosh! If you aren’t familiar with this story of mine, almost two years ago I found myself with an indwelling catheter while I waited for an operation. There was hardly anything on the web about this from a patient’s perspective. Now there is and I get lots of hits in relation to this and often people will use the contact screen to send a message privately.
Even though I have been blogging or ten years (and this is my newest blog), I still find it amazing how I can blog here in Bedfordshire, England, and within minutes someone thousands of miles away is reading my blog post. I believe the world has become a better place through being better connected.
Full of admiration for the fact you’ve managed to keep your blog updated using only an iPad. I have used mine occasionally for that purpose when travelling but have found it so, so frustrating.
Thanks! Mind you, plenty of typos, naff formatting and incorrectly sized photos have crept in over the last year. Haven’t yet decided what to do about the MacBook now it’s working. Onwards and upwards!