This one is annoying – I have to download the meter readings from the diabetic meter for my father. The connection is serial. It’s using some fricking wierd ass connection (looks like a headphone jack) to connect it to the meter. The problem was it was missing. My brother, being a pharmacist has several meter connectors. Every one of them are different. Granted there is an age variation between the hardware, but it’s now cheaper to make a USB connection rather than a plain serial connection and as an added bonus you can use the same connector for all of them! Think of those of us who have to keep one of each effing connection around the shop. What’s worse is that some of them look similar, but don’t work with the meter.
Then let’s not start talking about the reporting software. It’s some ancient thing. It can’t print to a network printer, so I have to print to a pdf and then print the PDF. Granted, there is the if it’s not broke don’t fix it, but I had to rearrange the serial port configuration on the machine – the USB adaptor assigned COM18 for the serial connection, and the software goes to 4. Yes, you read correctly; 4.
Probably something written with visual basic too (cheap shot).
Let’s not talk about power connectors. Most nokia chargers are compatible – but beware of chargers from other countries. Sony-Ericcson have this wierd connection which regulary does not work because of grit in the connector. Motorola change their connectors regularly. I’ve not seen a panasonic phone in a while, but I would not be surprised. That’s just the phones. Then there’s the camera, the PDA, the external hard drive, the iPod, the other PDA.
If it wasn't for carbon-14, I wouldn't date at all