Boss demands employee use very slow company computer, employee waits 15 hours while editing 2 files: 'I headed to the break room'

Author image for Remy Millisky
Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Nov 11, 2025 3:00 PM EST

Slow computers can drive anyone to madness, so this worker decided to chill out in the break room while their assigned dinosaur of a computer took hours to do a single task. 

These days, you might not deal with slow technology with much frequency. Gone are the days of waiting for dial-up internet to download a single song for you over a span of 15 hours. You don't have to watch a webpage load from the top down, taking maybe 3-5 minutes per click. The internet works faster and faster all the time, so when it is slow, it can feel incredibly disruptive. We aren't used to waiting around for our technology anymore — things just happen instantly, and if they don't, we find ourselves refreshing the pages over and over to make them load like they should. 

For this person, though, offering to bring their own laptop to work was met with a solid "no". They were told they had to use the dinosaur of a computer at the office, so… they did. They realized something that we all should take to heart: no matter what your bosses ask you to do, and how ridiculous of an idea it is, you're still getting paid each hour that you're there. Don't get your heart rate up arguing with higher-ups when you could let them learn valuable lessons from their own mistakes! This person got many hours of downtime while the ancient computer slowly processed, and their bosses certainly learned a lesson. 

Up next, read about these HOAs with totally ridiculous rules that left local home owners baffled: "[They're] not allowing vehicles... to be parked in the driveway for more than 24 hours."

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    Cheezburger Image 10574615552
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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    I got voluntold for the job of switching a paper-based corporate learning to computer-based, including web based training. I did not have a desk or a computer, so I
    via u/Working_Patience_261
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    brought in my personal laptop. The boss objected and stated I needed to write a business case for a computer.
    via u/Working_Patience_261
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    A week later I got the absolute minimum system that met the minimum requirements on the box. I started the painful process of converting a
    via u/Working_Patience_261
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    Powerpoint into an Adobe Captivate file. When it came time to compile the first file, the computer stated it would be three hours before it finished, maybe, so I headed to the
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    breakroom. The executive director for the project happened to walk in and asked me what I was doing there. "I'm staying not frustrated while
    via u/Working_Patience_261
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    waiting for the first draft to compile, should be about another two hours sir." It was five hours. When I showed up the next day, my
    via u/Working_Patience_261
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    computer had been upgraded to the then top model with dual monitors. The next day, my fancy unit was on the boss' desk, and I had his even older,
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    slower computer. This time compiling was over ten hours. Back to the breakroom. Same executive walks in, I just smile, nod, and go back to my lunch.
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    The next day, I had two computers on my desk, the still compiling boss' unit and my previously issued fancy one. The boss was cleaning out his desk having been
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    sent back to frontline, non-boss work. It felt so good to give that company the boot once the project completed.
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    lapsteelguitar Sometimes compliance is the way to go, not raising a fuss. Time wins.
    via u/lapsteelguitar
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    steppedinhairball One time, IT thought these brand of laptops were awesome and cost effective. A year later, someone asked me why I walk around for the first 20 minutes of every day. I replied honestly "These IT issued laptops are slow. Mine takes an average of 17 minutes to boot up.
    via u/steppedinhairball
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    Want to see the spreadsheet with all the documented times?" IT apologized and took a year to swap them out. How much productivity was lost with hundreds of those POS computers taking an average of 20 minutes to boot up each day.
    via u/steppedinhairball
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    xMcRaemanx That was a great exec. Knew what was going on. Knew the cost to the company to have you literally do nothing for half the day. And knew how shit your boss was when he stole your computer.
    via u/xMcRaemanx
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    Cheezburger Image 10574615808
    via Getty Images For Unsplash+

    The image does not depict the actual subjects of the story. Subjects are models.

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