Me and machines!

My son is baling out of the family nest in September, therefore I am trying to 'cram' and my heads in a whirl.
I'm trying to get my head round all this electronic gear and we don't get on. I was put on this earth for diy, gardening, anything household and various hobbies that involve using my hands more than my brain.

So I'm getting a crash course on the more in-depth side of the computer. Also taking on the ins-and-outs of an I-pod (struggling with that) and my hubby has just bought me a kindle, which I know is fairly simple to operate. When you've got a brain that isn't geared to this stuff it's hard work. :wallbang:

I think I'm losing the few marbles I have left!

 

I know how hard it can be when you're faced with a recalcitrant gadget and the responsible young person (3 of 'em in my case) has left home.

Of course, what you don't miss are the frustrated sighs, the 'No Mother ...' (why do they always use the word 'Mother' in circumstances such as this and at no other?! ) and those exasperated, 'Look, all you have to do is ....', usually delivered very slowly and in a tone reserved for foreigners, small children or those of very low intellect (into which category they firmly believe I belong!).

My 3 pooled their resources and bought me a 'BlackBerry' for Christmas a couple of years ago, it would, they assured me, enable me to call, text, e-mail both them and their Father who's in the States for months at a time. They had some idea that I could do any or all of this or surf the net, whilst I was on the train to and from work. Why would I have a sudden and overwhelming urge to surf the net during a 50 minute train journey on a gadget which is so small it almost needs a pair of tweezers to operate it and a screen which practically requires an electron microscope to see it whilst being bumped around by British Rail and fellow commuters . It is, of course, the thought that counts.

I have discovered that I can lead a full, contented and completely happy existence without an iPod or a Wii, that I have absolutely no need to hook my computer up to the TV with a bit of 'electrical string', that I can just as easily watch iPlayer or 4oD on my computer as I can by fiddling with buttons on a TV remote and I can listen to a CD in comfort either in the car or on a CD player without having to stuff bits of plastic in my ears.

And ...... most importantly - when I want it, there is complete and utter silence (I still miss 'em like hell though!!).

 

I sympathise. Usually when I can't figure out how to do something on the computer I yell to my son for help. Generally he sorts everything out in a depressingly short space of time while simultaneously rolling his eyes, tut-tutting at the uselessness of geriatrics, eating junk and watching South Park. I think it's called multi-tasking.

 

i don't use anti-virus software, but then I don't use Windows. My firewall is on the router, it's better that way.

I use the cloud to keep files (which are regularly updated) so that the latest is always available with no old files hanging around.

 

Shiney,
Yes I do enjoy my hobbies, but it's difficult to garden at night. :WINK1: The I-pod is so I can download music from I-Tunes to play through my stereo. Sometimes need some background music as the tv went out the door New Years eve when the licence expired.
The kindle is because I've exhausted my local library of the books I want to read. So I have a good reason for this equipment.

Fidgetsmum,
I also have three children now in their thirties. Two of which are emigrating this year. My youngest daughter to Vancouver in Canada, next Tuesday, and my son is going to Columbus, Ohio, USA in September to marry his American fiancee. I'm heartbroken but I know they have to lead their own lives.
Meanwhile, my son says there is a way of accessing my computer from his, so that he can sort out my problems from a distance.

I don't get called mother, I'm probably going to regret putting this on GC but I'm called Motty as in Mottmeister!

 

Thanks Shiney,

I'm already set up on Skype and we've had a few trial runs. I'm also set up on Windows Live Messenger, my son says this seems to work better than Skype when talking/viewing long distance. E.g. Abroad.

 

I know just how you feel Sheal. I struggle with all the technology. Seems like every day there is a new "Must have" gadget. They leave me cold or at times so angry and frustrated that things get broken. Three computers have been smashed to pieces so far, plus four monitors. One walk about phone ended up in next doors garden.

The latest casualty is my new mobile phone. It was sent to me as an upgrade when the last one fell out of my pocket while I was on a club run going down the M5. This "Upgrade" has been the bane of my life ever since I got it. The sales guy from O2 was very full of himself telling me all about the gadgets and gizmos on this phone. I stopped him dead in his tracks when I asked "Can I phone people with it?". I had to get my teenage daughter to set the damn thing up for me.

Finally lost the plot with it last week. After bouncing off two walls, nearly decapitating the cat, it came to rest near my size 10 Harley boot and was promptly smashed to pieces. Got my daughter to buy me the most basic phone she could find and transfer everything to that.

Unfortunately I have to have a mobile phone so club members can contact me at any time. I hate the damn things. Only just got the hang of email. I have a 50" flat screen TV as I like my movies, and had to get daughter to set that up and show me how to use it. Still have to call her to sort it out for me.

Do people not write letters any more? You can't go to far wrong with a pen or pencil. I have no idea what skype is or how to use it. I am very happy NOT knowing.

Chopper.

 

I'm supposed to be up on all this technology stuff, given my job as a computer programmer/analyst.

Earlier this week, one of my colleagues was literally bursting with excitement having ordered the latest MacBook, which I'm assured is 'well rapid', and boasts an I4 processor apparently. Meanwhile, I'm bursting with excitement because I've just ordered 60 sacks of mushroom compost for my garden.

I wouldn't be too worried about not getting on with the latest kit. According to the brief paperwork that came with me latest contract phone, all my social networking now happens in one convenient place, I can connect seemlessly to wifi as I roam, and revert to 3GS or something if wifi isn't available, I can get GPS navigation with a couple of clicks, I'm apparently constantly in touch with my best friends through messenger, I can do videoconferencing, etc etc etc. Guess what I use my phone for? I phone people, and they phone me.

People managed to keep in touch before the electron was discovered. Machines were built to be our tools, not the other way round.

 

Thanks everyone. Glad I'm not the only one who has problems. :yess:
Shiney, it seems you're the only one 'clued up' around here.

Chopper, I went back to a Nokia phone a couple of months ago, they still seem to be the simplest on the market, if you get the basic one's of course. My problem now is I can't see the blasted thing without my glasses on.

 

It isn't only us (older) persons who shun technology. A friend of my daughter has a mobile 'phone which puts even my somewhat antiquated handset in the shade. Of course, the younger generation laugh when this thing comes out but friend is adamant it does all he wants and he neither wants nor needs to upgrade, preferrring to spend his money on his new pride and joy - his first car. Sadly, his pride and joy got a puncture quite late one night so he was about to use his rather ancient 'phone to inform his parents he'd be late when two youths appeared and demanded he hand it over - which he did. Evidently, they then got out a torch, (in order to take a better look) and then, with the words 'We don't want this cr**' promptly handed it back and made off.

 

When I was employed, in the earlier years as a Lab Colourist in the Plastics Industry We would always use our eyes to do colour corrections . As Things Change we were trained on using a Spectrophotometer Colour Correction Computer. On my shift i had a man who had spent 40 years using his eyes and processing knowledge to establish shade and minimise down time on production. this poor man could not come to terms with computers. he was so terrified,before he pressed the enter button he would stand up ,then press and walk away for a few seconds ,come back and check the screen to see if all was well. one day we had a bet between my shift ( who would be the quickest ,James or Machine ) James won hands down . When the Spectrophotometer went on the blink, James WAS IN BIG DEMAND.