The lighter side of computers

[Bella]

WebTV has always worked for my grandpa Can we consider that a suitable older person's OS, XD (BTW, I do know WebTV isn't an OS...)

For me, I can't imagine an easier OS than Windows (Mac is in a close second). I think most of the problems with computers, for old and young alike, comes from fear that they'll 'mess up' the computer with their inexperience. The irony is, I think a more advanced computer user would have a MUCH better chance of destroying a computer than a more timid, inexperienced user. I always told my grandma there was (aside from downloading some sort of deadly virus) there was really not a lot she could do to the computer. Maybe younger people just have more adventurous attitudes

[Kami-Tux]

Oh no, older people might not be able to use fsck, but their inability to express theselves fully makes up for that. You can spend as much time trying to avoid LARTing and elderly person when the computer 'can not find the pictures!!!!!!!', 'is only showing envelopes!!!!!!' or 'is not starting that netcup!!!!!' Yes, she uses these urgency in speech, yes, she is not able to say Netscape, yes, she still has not understood the concepts of folders, yes, she sometimes f*cks up the settings and then is unable to tell me what she did, yes, she normally 'did nothing', yes, she can destroy hardware by just standing near it, yes, she always wants ME TO LISTEN AND MY BROTHER TO FIX IT!! Y4es, she tells me about her problems and then CAN YOU ASK @@RANDOMNAME@@ TO COME OVER TO HELP ME?

[Bella]

Let me let the words tell the tale:

"What is Linux? Is that like Microsoft?"

[C-Chan]

*rolls eyes*  Â¬Â¬

In fairness, if they said that while looking at a KDE desktop, I'd sorta/kinda/maybe forgive them.  Â¬v¬

(KDE is very Windows-like -- a good way to absorb most of the culture shock for Windows guests.  ^^)

[Kami-Tux]

yeah, unless I configure it

Oh yeah, Linux is hard to grasp for newbies. How many times I have heard that they think it is yet another OS by a company. and ow often they think it's by SuSE...

[Tsubashi]

Once, quite a while ago, I earned myself a reputation for being able to work with and fix old computers (Mostly because I owned a Toshiba T1000 Portable PC at the time (Great Ayahtiaru! Those things are huge!)) So, one day I was approached by someone whom with I was barley acquainted and demanded I fix his computer.I was somewhat dazed, since in a typical day I would talk with few people, all of which I knew. Regaining my composure, I soon began asking routine questions: What model, what OS, how old.... and such. Being a DAU, he didn't comprehend the simplest of questions. All he knew was that when it booted, it told him it needed a start disk or some such. Well, with such vague descriptions and his obvious lack of tech skills, I assumed he was using some version of DOS and handed him a bootable floppy I had in my bag (I know, Tsubashi is very weird).
The next day he confronted me angrily and accused me of making fun of him by giving him a blank disk! I stammered out some sort of apology, pulling out a duplicate disk and offering it to him. He was quite adamant that I come personally and fix it. Feeling rather abashed, I scheduled to meet him at the next opportunity. The day came, and suddenly I found myself facing a computer type I'd never seen before. Hesitantly, I switched it on to see what the error was. To my eternal shame, I didn't recognize it. I stared perplexingly at the image: a hand holding a blue edged disk labeled "Kickstart"
Looking back, I was quite the DAU myself, having never seen a miggy before. After rebooting a few times, I asked him what he wanted to do with it.
"Microsoft Word, duh!" He said, "My brother's always using the upstairs one"

Heaven help us

[Bella]

*rolls eyes* ¬¬

In fairness, if they said that while looking at a KDE desktop, I'd sorta/kinda/maybe forgive them. ¬v¬

(KDE is very Windows-like -- a good way to absorb most of the culture shock for Windows guests. ^^)

Nope, we were just having a discussion about what Linux is exactly. He thought it was a company, but I soon corrected that notion, heehee...

[Alex Stankevitch]

Hmmm, a funny story.....

Once while working in our shop I was talking to this completely stupid woman about networking in her house. She kept saying she wanted wireless though her house was think walled and couldnt get a good signal. So I was explaining to her about using cables instead as it would be cheaper. I told her that an RJ45 wire is "Wireless in a cable"

[Bella]

Once while working in our shop I was talking to this completely stupid woman about networking in her house. She kept saying she wanted wireless though her house was think walled and couldnt get a good signal. So I was explaining to her about using cables instead as it would be cheaper. I told her that an RJ45 wire is "Wireless in a cable"

Well, if they can get away with "Jumbo Shrimp", "Wireless in a cable" could work...BTW, has anyone ever told you that you have the best siggy/avatar?  ;010

Names not included to protect the identity of the DAU, XD

"You mean, I could run Puppy Linux on my computer?"
Apparently, he thought Puppy was only for really old computers.

Added after 35 seconds:

Whoa, I'm at Windows 2000 rank! The XP-tan's very close (and cute!) sister system!

[C-Chan]

Well in fairness, it looks like it would work only on old systems.  Which is why a lot of the user-generated Puppies tend to come prepackaged with fancier window managers.  ^__^

(Still, ya gotta love that retro Hacchanish look.... ^.^)

Now I have to admit I had a self-DAU moment recently,.... -.-'

I was SO convinced my PC had a black AGP slot (the baka C-chan being as old-fashioned as he is), that it was only after my new graphics card came in and didn't fit that I realized it was a PCI expresss slot.  ^__________^'

Damn whoever decided to make them look similar.  \__/

*sighs*

*goes off to Return department*

[Alex Stankevitch]

BTW, has anyone ever told you that you have the best siggy/avatar?  ;010

Whoa, I'm at Windows 2000 rank! The XP-tan's very close (and cute!) sister system!

I made that sig myself, when I get round to it I might take some requests from some people. Its all help towards my Graphic Dsign course for college.

Also, as far as computers go, I only use Windows XP for general use and Knoppix (Linux) for diagnostics and other work. Its great as its bootable from a CD.

Added after 1 minutes:

I was SO convinced my PC had a black AGP slot (the baka C-chan being as old-fashioned as he is), that it was only after my new graphics card came in and didn't fit that I realized it was a PCI expresss slot.  ^__________^'

They are too similar arnt they. I nearly done it with an SLI board, though only stopped because I thought "Wait a minute, AGP doesnt come in SLI..."

[C-Chan]

They are too similar arnt they. I nearly done it with an SLI board, though only stopped because I thought "Wait a minute, AGP doesnt come in SLI..."

Lucky that you stopped beforehand... guess the only DAU around here in that respect is me.  ^^;

Knoppix, in my opinion, has hands-down the best hardware detection of all the Linux Distros and certainly has enough apps to keep you going while your fixing your machine.  Unfortunately the default KDE environment is a bit too top-heavy for very old systems,... now while I COULD load up Knoppix using a different window manager, I usually just end up using Puppy Linux in jobs like those.  -v-

[Bella]

I think this qualifies as funny...

As you know, I got K8 my laptop back from Best Buy where they sent her to be repaired. All seemed well, but recently, I noticed something...
The keyboard had to be replaced because of some key problems. But get this...the left and right arrow keys are BACKWARD XD
The one of the left is pointing > and the one on the right is <

heehee

[Icelilly]

I think this qualifies as funny...

As you know, I got K8 my laptop back from Best Buy where they sent her to be repaired. All seemed well, but recently, I noticed something...
The keyboard had to be replaced because of some key problems. But get this...the left and right arrow keys are BACKWARD XD
The one of the left is pointing > and the one on the right is <

heehee

That sounds like a similar story of mine!

I took a programming course for my second semester in school. When I went in my class for the first time, my keyboard was missing the escape buttion and an arrow key. It had some broken buttons and two of arrow keys were backwards. It took my school a month to give me a new keyboard. XD

[C-Chan]

As you know, I got K8 my laptop back from Best Buy where they sent her to be repaired. All seemed well, but recently, I noticed something...
The keyboard had to be replaced because of some key problems. But get this...the left and right arrow keys are BACKWARD XD
The one of the left is pointing > and the one on the right is <

I knew it!  I knew it!  Live proof that those Worst Buy bastards ravage poor K8!  Fiends!!  Scoundrels!!!  Scallywags!!  ^0^

Where are they?!  I'll give 'em a piece of my mind!  And a knuckle sandwich,... or make that a whole panini!  `0'

I took a programming course for my second semester in school. When I went in my class for the first time, my keyboard was missing the escape buttion and an arrow key. It had some broken buttons and two of arrow keys were backwards. It took my school a month to give me a new keyboard. XD

Dang, and I have keyboards up the wazoo here....  ;___;

*hears mountain of keyboards collapsing*

Maybe I'm donating stuff to the wrong schools...?  -v-;