Gadgets Achievements of A Lifetime (part 1)

Some people collect stamps, collect shoes, shirts, vintage bags, vintage cassette and whatsoever.. Well I collect my gadgets, from the first predecessor of 486Dx until current.

The post is not actually for posing my gadget, it is the story behind every gadget that i would really like to share. The first ever so called gadget i would say is my first Scanner UMAX something which i bought from the money i collect of the band function that i played. For three four month i collect my money i have enuff to buy a scanner that will enable my school editorial department to have a lil bit faster and improve image quality of scanning.

Next, the Lide 20 Scanner, In between applying my university i try my best to explore my graphic knowledge by doing some freelance job, unfortunately, my scanner broke down, and in this era of graphic, the visual image was everything, so again i save up some money plus some of duit raya which in my family it is not so much (couldn't even reach hundred even if i roam every siblings.) so on a PC fair i bought the scanner. At that time the scanner was so beautiful(it is still is) a scanner without any power support(only using USB), scanning a A4 picture less than a minute(believe me it was a relief), colour and quality was enhance by a milestones. The scanner contributed its life for a long time... back when i was doing my portfolio for my university , portfolio for diploma, portfolio for my degree, portfolio for my current permenant job until now serving my needs for visual at my office.

Then came the story of PC... The first PC i had was actually a scrap from the older PC that i have at my home which is a compilation of 485/DX. Month by months upgrading it, one by one unit, then I had one fully functional Pentium 3, (I say it functional because it can atleast run a photoshop). As being a PC, the technology was vast, i was catching up slow to the technology progression, So i decided to spent a lil of my loan to buy a new Pentium 4. In that time it was fuyyooo walllaweh... gile gempak pc... but it was not long... as Windows progress from Me to Xp it sent any PC from gempak to upgrade lah weih.. for 2-3 months at time.

As i progress through my education, i noticed that all of the designers that i've encountered, ask, they have all suggested me into a new system (well new to me), Macintosh system, a system of stability, a system for designer, a home for all that is creative. After months of months hearing about it, being poison by the words of apple. I set my mark, I stop my monthly upgrading. I research countless of softmod, hardmod to try to turn my pc into a macintosh system but it was a failure, so i've decided to buy an apple, I must BUY an apple. So it was Sept 2003, I trade-in my Pc and loan some money in order to achieve the apple system, there it was, a 3999 price tag hanging from the side of the monitor. So I bought it, and use the Mac for gladfully a lot of freelance to pay of my debts. Sadly, I bought the last edition of eMac, it was the end of its generation, because few months after the new iMac G5 came out with all its glory. I wasn't disappointed, my eMac has served me then until today while i'm writing this blog, so i would say i am thankfully that it has been with me for years and hopefully years to come.

Then it come to the story of the printer, the monopoly of my life. The entrepreneurship of my life. The first printer i bought was this refurbish printer from a UM senior. The printer cost RM40 for a Canon A4 printer without ink, The ink itself cost RM100+. I bought it in purpose to solve my assignments and projects, but as being a student in a dorm, lending to your roommates was not an option, it is an obligation. At first i was being stubborn for not letting anyone to print ever at my printer (even if they want to pay) because the ink was so expensive and the dismobility that i had to get a new ink streghthens my priority. But then came that night, a night to remember. It was the last week of exam, most of my friends from other faculties already had gone, left my friends and my seniors in the dorm. A senior/My neighbour came to my room requesting an aid, requesting to print an project for him. At first I was thinking, damn if i tell this guy its ok to print then another bunch wanna ask me the same thing. But thinking of that it was my neighbour and he has been my brother since we were playing bicycle. Oklah... print... Feeling obligated, my neighbour offer me a sum to pay of the ink, as i counted through the pages.. it was OMG a 40 full pages printing... feeling a lil dizzy i just simply say " bantailah singgit satu' (at that time a full page A4 will cost around 1.50 to 1.80 depending on printer). There it was then RM40, (I thought then, Its the end of semester I'm not going to use the printer anymore). Then tomorrow comes, my neighbour tells a friend and a friend and so on... that night i secure almost Rm200 until my ink was dry. That night made me think... So as the next day come, since a lot more senior was coming and i was running dry on ink, having all the paper done, i rush up to kl for awhile search for an altenative ink and come back to serve. In my suprise an alternative ink only cost RM60 (half price of original) for 2 set of ink. I bought 4 set and when back and secure RM600 for the following nights. It was a thrill. But then the semester is over.

Then came another semester, as i had some of the money, with a lil more from my freelance during semester break, i invest into a A3 printer for almost a thousand riggit. But it was worth it, worth every cent. The printer serve and serve, i have a monthly allowance of RM300 (bersih tolak abes modal) with at least RM250 loan every month (for people in need of finishing their assignment but dont have money i loan them to print). The loan was also worth it, even thought it setback a few rolling but in the end of semester i was gladfully coming home with cash. Ka-ching... There it was the story of my entrepreneurship climax until the business goes down as the library and front store printing (they call it e-point) a piece of full laser A3 printing with the cost of only Rm1.50. Business was going bad, then i encountered my business by doing some flyers, punch a line into those in-desperate need. The line goes "last-minute assignment... go to 000 room for 24 hours of printing service".Then the business grow from my awaking times to 24 hours business. My room was so busy that at times i couldnt shut my doors for a week even if i went to my classes. It was like a lobby for the dorm. Since a lot of people at my floor depending on my printing service and discounts, my room was automatically guarded... the seniors that i was fierced was also coming begging on discounts and loans. The were seeing my room as a saviour for their work and so it was guarded with its purpose.

The next semester as the business grew, and the words were spread out, i expand my printing from printing to a store, selling mounting boards, tranperancy paper, binding, art card, u name it it was a one stop centre for the art student. This time my pc was so busy that i cant even do my work. The printer is printing on every minute of the hour. I tried so hard to at least gap a night but it the business worst because competitor were starting to grow. In the middle of the hassle of helping my friend to print, i bought myself a notebook, just in order to do my work, and my friends could use the pc to print. (the story of the notebook)

The business grow wild, until i finally reliaze that i wanted to learn not to do business. so i ponder my self on how to advance through my education, so i push myself and luckily my friends are all onboard to live at the studio, to live in a creative environment of sharing knowledge.

Thinking of not having a monthly allowance was a down at times, but then when it was at the studio, my printer was not only being use by student, it expand for lecturers and staff. Even though the traffic was not as heavy as being in a dorm, but i had now a different level of customers, customers that requires receipt,invoice and so on (At times, I was thinking that i can even open my print shop even after i graduated....)

It was weird thinking that i could have a lot more cash as i was before but i was happy that i could just help my friends on the day before the diploma show was done, and how my 1k investment serves as the production of half of the diploma show. Thats the story of my printer.