Laborious Updates!

Well I'm finally completed my section on Rajasthan. And I've put up new pictures! I know I had grand plans at the beginning to post regularly, but as it turns out, internet access in India is worse than I thought. And I can't stand slow computers anymore. So I don't update as often as I should.

It seems everyone has "broadband" but that means anywhere from "shotgun" dual-56K modems to basic (read: cheap and slow) ADSL. I find that India's patchwork system of everything applies even to internet, but I'm going to bore everyone if I start talking about how much I now hate PPPOE. Of course, that's BEFORE we get to the representation of India's failure to reach the last mile in their computers.

Seems that the major manufacturers have convinced India that all you need is a fast processor. So, as shown here, you can buy computers in India with fast P4's and a measly 128 MB RAM. In the US (and to anybody that really knows computers) that's an atrocity of the highest degree. Then these cafes load up every possible messenger software, antivirus program (not updated, of course), and audio/video player - and they all load on startup. So by the time you hit the desktop (5 minutes for a P4 I used recently!) you're already a few hundred megs in the hole. And then of course, you try to load IE, since most haven't found Firefox, and it's the slowest, most unresponsive computer ever. So even if there's good internet, the computers are so damn slow it feels like dial-up.

That means to update my blog and upload pictures (I shrink them first), is a chore that takes at least 2-3 hours. During most of which I twiddle my thumbs.

The worst ever? That would have to be an internet cafe in Jaisalmer. There were 12 identical computers. Pentium III 400 MHz, 64 MB RAM, onboard video, Windows XP. Jaisalmer has no broadband - all 12 were networked to one 33.6Kbps modem. Indeed, a new low.

By the way, the window said "We have Photoshop!"

So, new pictures are up. Late. Sorry. But you should know what a royal pain it is to make it happen. So thanks avid readers for sticking with me. You have NO idea how ready I am for my computer at home.