Evolving at the Speed of Computers

Someone once complained to me that his computer had gotten really slow and just wasn’t working well anymore. I asked him how old it was.

“It’s only 10 years old,” he exclaimed. “What can I do?”

“Well, you could paint it to match your walls and use it as a door stop,” I replied, not very sympathetically. He didn’t appreciate my answer, noting that he had paid nearly $1,800 for it new. I refrained from laughing out loud.

People don’t realize that the 10 years that computer has been around represents more than 25% of the entire time that personal computers have been marketed to the general public, if you consider the IBM PC, introduced in 1981, as the first.

People tend to think of computers like they do cars. But that 10-year-old computer could likely be replaced by one twice as fast for half the cost. You can’t do that with a car. And computers are expendable items, not heirlooms. They are technologically out of date long before they wear out.

A computer is normally considered to be a desktop, workstation, or laptop. But even a tablet, smart phone, or smart TV is technically a computer because it can compute. Your car probably has between 25 and 50 “computers” in it to make you safer, more comfortable, and save fuel.

I jumped onto the computer geek wagon about the time the PC was introduced and built a career around computers. I focused on supporting computer users – training, documentation, and managing support staff.

One thing my career allowed me to do was observe people’s understanding of computers. I’ve heard everything from “what the heck is a mouse?” to my mother’s amazement that words automatically wrap to the next line when typing a letter. “Hey, I can type all the way across the street!” A common one was “it won’t turn on” and indeed it won’t until you actually plug it in.

I’m sure if I hadn’t gotten into the business, I would be like a lot of others my age – staying away from computers until I realized I was missing out on too many things. And then I would learn only what was absolutely necessary and would plead ignorance so younger people would feel sorry for me and help me.

Does this sound like you?

Owning and being able to use a computer is now pretty much expected. You have to evolve with them. You almost can’t buy or read anything without some computer involvement on your part. This also includes banking, referencing your medical records, even signing legal documents.

Now, as much as I’m a computer enthusiast, I’m also a realist. Computers are not simple. But with some training and a concerted effort on your part, you can manage. Many people are simply content to just “surf the net” looking up information and buying things. A tablet computer and a comfy lounge chair are a perfect combination for that.

If you want to follow your friends and family on Facebook, or send email and text messages, there is more to learn and set up. These are the “apps” (applications) you hear about. You will need some assistance learning to use them so be nice to the neighborhood kids or the strange computer nut down the street. You may need their assistance.

Once you are comfortable with basic apps you can move on to smart devices like the Amazon Echo and talk to Alexa. So far for me it is mostly an expensive shopping list creator. However, I can now tell Alexa when to run my sprinkler system and for how long.

Ask questions and try things. That’s how you learn. Search the internet for answers. You will be surprised how many others are in the same boat as you.

So, why doesn’t someone just make a computer that simplifies everything? They have! Among the many available are The WOW! Computer and the Telikin computer, which are designed to make computing simple. They are basically a tablet computer with big buttons and limited options. But you still need to learn how to run them. They don’t run themselves.

Just know that once you learn the basics and increase your confidence, the fun just never stops. So, if you still haven’t taken the plunge, do it.

Just don’t call me for help. I’m too busy playing with my computers.