There's an interesting definition of insanity: doing the same, expecting different results. And to that, I ask this: what is same?


Same can be focused and descript, but it can also be vague and general. Obviously, the simpler the task the easier it is to be same when repeated. But what if the task is overly complex with several moving variables, the order in which it's completed, and the unidentifiable things outside the realm of our control? Are we still branded "insane" for having tried the same thing twice, hoping the second time through it's going to be different? I don't think so, because it wasn't the same. Here's a concrete example, and one, that shouldn't come as a surprise.


Simple: i installed Leopard on my Powerbook and it didn't work. I tried it twice more, and twice more it didn't work. I shouldn't be surprised.


Complex: the first time I installed it, I replaced the hard drive with a faster spinning one, and I tried to carry over my 5 year old profile. The profile was from Jaguar and the hard drive's power consumption made the computer run much hotter. When this didn't work, I went back to the drawing board and tried to isolate variables.


My next attempt started with a clean profile. No old files and settings, and nothing pre-Leopard. NEW NEW NEW and let's see how well my OLD OLD OLD powerbook likes it. It didn't. The exact same errors I got the first time through were present this time as well.


I gave in and tried a third time. This attempt was now with the old slower hard drive, one I knew had worked in this exact laptop for 5 years without a glitch. Leopard installed and... no change; still getting the faulty playback in iTunes, and the DVD player would play at 2x.


Three attempts to get it to work and thrice failed. Am I insane for trying three times? I say it depends how closely one was watching me.


I'm not happy it didn't work, but I am happy that I was able to reclaim the Tiger. I know now that for whatever reason, Leopard does not work on this Powerbook, contrary to what everyone has told me. I won't try it again, because that would make me insane for there is nothing else technical that I can alter that could justify another failed attempt without thinking "DUH"