6
$\begingroup$

This is weird!
I recently bought a brand new (but very cheap) computer, and there's something wrong with it.
I downloaded some MP3s onto it, and now every time I open my music program and try to create a playlist, the music program closes itself and my browser opens and displays the following lines:

  1. $14_{10}13_{10}12_{10}13_{10}14_{10}14_{10}14_{10}/13_{10}13_{10}13_{10}/14_{10}(*)(*)/14_{10}13_{10}12_{10}13_{10}14_{10}14_{10}14_{10}14_{10}13_{10}13_{10}14_{10}13_{10}12_{10}$

  2. $13_{10}$#$/13_{10}$#$/(*)(*)/(*)15_{10}15_{10}13_{10}10_{10}$#$12_{10}$

  3. $15_{10}15_{10}13_{10}(*)15_{10}/13_{10}/15_{10}15_{10}13_{10}(*)15_{10}/13_{10}$

  4. $13_{10}$#$ (*) 15_{10}13_{10}$#$12_{10}/10_{10}$#$/12_{10}/10_{10}$#$/12_{10}/13_{10}/13_{10}$#$(*)15_{10}13_{10}$#$12_{10}/10_{10}$#$/12_{10}/13_{10}/13_{10}$#

  5. $(∗)/(∗)/(∗)10_{10}11_{10}/11_{10}10_{10}11_{10}12_{10}13_{10}/(∗)/13_{10}/11_{10}/(∗)/13_{10}12_{10}11_{10}10_{10}(∗)$

  6. $(∗)(∗)13_{10}13_{10}14_{10}14_{10}13_{10}/12_{10}12_{10}11_{10}11_{10}{10_{10}10_{10}10_{10}10_{10}}(∗)$

  7. $10_{10}$#$(∗)15_{10}13_{10}$#$15_{10}13_{10}$#$12_{10}10_{10}$#$(*)/10_{10}$#$(*)15_{10}13_{10}$#$13_{10}$#$13_{10}13_{10}$#$15_{10}$

(* = NaN)

Is this some sort of an error code or warning message?
What should I do?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
2
  • $\begingroup$ Are the two dollar signs on line 4 supposed to be there? $\endgroup$
    – KoA
    Commented May 28, 2016 at 14:32
  • $\begingroup$ @KoA Thank you, no, they're not. I've removed them. $\endgroup$
    – Chowzen
    Commented May 28, 2016 at 14:42

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
6
$\begingroup$

Your computer is asking for:

MORE RAM

If you

Convert the numbers to their hex representation, you get what appear to be well-known melodies. Additionally, the asterisks are placeholders for G, which would make sense, as a 'G' would be $16_{10} = 10_{16}$ and not actually a 'G' symbol.

For example:

The first line translates to EDCDEEE/DDD/E??/EDCDEEEEDDEDC which is the tune of Mary Had a Little Lamb, missing two notes (GG).

The full conversion: 1.

EDCDEEE/DDD/E??/EDCDEEEEDDEDC - Mary Had a Little Lamb

2.

D#/D#/??/?FFDA#C - Oh Susanna (the last A should be A#) (Dan Russell) EDIT(Chowzen): fixed A# error (thanks Dan Russell!)

3.

FFD?F/D/FFD?F/D - Ring Around the Rosie (ahorn and Dan Russell)

4.

D#?FD#C/A#/C/A#/D/D#?FD#C/A#/C/D/D# EDIT(Chowzen): Song is Everybody do this

5.

?/?/?AB/BABCD/?/D/B/?/DCBA? - Row Your Boat

6.

??DDEED/CCBBAAAA? - The A.B.C.

7.

A#?FD#FD#CA#?/A#?FD#DD#F - My Bonnie Lies over the Ocean

Now if we

Take the first letter of every song, we get MOR? RAM. Back solving, we can guess the 4th song is supposed to start with an E.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
6
  • $\begingroup$ Very useful information! Does my stupid computer want me to play those songs or something? $\endgroup$
    – Chowzen
    Commented May 28, 2016 at 14:47
  • $\begingroup$ Maybe it's mocking your taste in music or calling you a child :P $\endgroup$
    – KoA
    Commented May 28, 2016 at 14:55
  • $\begingroup$ Certainly not! The computer, being logical to the extreme, would recognize that my taste in music is impeccable. :) $\endgroup$
    – Chowzen
    Commented May 28, 2016 at 16:27
  • $\begingroup$ How is number 6 any of those songs suggested? $\endgroup$
    – ahorn
    Commented May 28, 2016 at 17:16
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Number 2 looks like Oh Susanna, though the "A" should be "A#". Agree with @ahorn about number 3, Ring Around the Rosie. The four As in number 6 point to the Alphabet Song specifically. Not sure about #4... $\endgroup$
    – Dan Russell
    Commented May 29, 2016 at 3:58

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.