Experiences with non-techies

[Darkman]

I did use Norton (paid version) for about 6 months (about a year ago). It wasn't awful for the first month or so I owned it. I then started to realize that, whenever I did a scan with Malwarebytes, it would ALWAYS find crap on there. Ever since I started using Avast free, I haven't had such an issue.

It's just sad to me that a free antivirus had better (personal) results for me than an expensive antivirus solution. I've also used Kaspersky (while I had my old iMac running W7 alongside Mountain Lion) and that was superb. Still money wasted cuz I could've been fine with just Avast but still, it goes to show that Norton is, well, terrible.

 

However, their customer service is the best of any company I've ever had to deal with. Call em up on Twitter and they can fix any problems you might have with their software. Can't get that from anybody else so far.

My grandma used a virus filled virus scanner and McAfee.. Thank god I removed those atrocious things on her computer.. It wouldn't let me install Adblock, Avast, AVG, but let me install MalwareBytes. Now she doesn't have IE (I replaced it with Firefox having Adblock), reinstalled her Chrome and put Adblock on that too. I wonder why the older ones are always clicking ads left and right..

[STRMfrmXMN]

My grandma used a virus filled virus scanner and McAfee.. Thank god I removed those atrocious things on her computer.. It wouldn't let me install Adblock, Avast, AVG, but let me install MalwareBytes. Now she doesn't have IE (I replaced it with Firefox having Adblock), reinstalled her Chrome and put Adblock on that too. I wonder why the older ones are always clicking ads left and right..

Adblock - although I'm not a fan of it - does have it's purposes especially for old people and little ones who click on everything they see.

[Darkman]

Adblock - although I'm not a fan of it - does have it's purposes especially for old people and little ones who click on everything they see.

Yeah.. I only have it installed in case I ever let a friend or anyone go on my computer.. Really helpful for that too.

[sulairris]

i was sitting in math class on my tablet (2013 nexus 7) when class was done i put it in my pack when the guy in front of my got up and asked
"were you on your Ipad the whole time?"

i said

"i dont have an ipad"

mind = blown.

[STRMfrmXMN]

When people see the micro ATX case my semi prebuilt uses and they're like DUDE UR COMPOOTER IS HUGE!

Somebody's never seen an ATX case before.... I can only imagine that they would faint.

[miyabwah]

so today in school i turned a monitor in the computer room to portrait and everybody thought i was a wizard

[Darkman]

so today in school i turned a monitor in the computer room to portrait and everybody thought i was a wizard

Or when you get bored and mess with the resolution or a web page with inspect element.

[FuzzyYellow]

Yesterday, my grandparents wanted to pay me for installing flash and helping my grandma to clean out her downloads folder. She did must of it herself, but I was there if anything went wrong

[Mistersprinkles]

Yesterday, my grandparents wanted to pay me for installing flash and helping my grandma to clean out her downloads folder. She did must of it herself, but I was there if anything went wrong

 

You're lucky. My grandfather never payed me for organizing, cleaning and maintaining his office and computers. 

[Mistersprinkles]

My ex girlfriend's mom bought a new computer from best buy (facepalm) in 2003. I go

"what's in it?"

"It's loaded"

"With what?"
"You can hook 2 monitors up to it"

"What parts are in it though?"

"It can burn CDs!"

"I know but what parts are in it?"
"It has 7.1 sound!"

"No but like Intel? AMD? How much RAM?"

"It can read SD cards!"

(I gave up)

 

In 2000 I went computer shopping with my aunt to buy my cousins their first computer

"Where do you want to go?"

"Well there's a computer parts store in Toronto called..."

"I'm not driving that far. Let's go to Future Shop"

"I don't know if that's really a good idea..."

"No Future shop has lots of computers let's go there"

 

we get to future shop. We're looking at various towers, we get to the laptops. She looks puzzled...

"Where's the computer?"

"Right there." (I point to the laptop)

"That's just a screen and a keyboard"

"No that's a whole computer"

"I thought computers were big rectangles"

"That's called a desktop this is a laptop"

"Let's get one of those then"

"No you get less performance for your dollar with those"

 

an hour or so later, I've been explaining the basics of what goes on inside a computer so she can help pick one out, as she won't give me a maximum budget to work with so I can just pick out the best system for the money. She finally points at one and says

"This is the one"

"Why that one?"

"It can play DVDs"

"Why don't you get a DVD player?"

"Why do I need a DVD player when the computer can do it?"

"DVD drives are expensive right now, that's cutting into the budget where you could get a better CPU or a bigger hard drive instead"

"Will it still play DVDs?"

"No"

"Ok then let's get this one"

 

And that was the one we got. Humorously enough, it didn't list the graphics card (integrated graphics were a rarity in 2000) so it was "mystery GPU" time. We get it home, install Unreal Tournament, and low and behold, it flies like the wind. Opened the case up and there was a GeForce 2 in the thing. Sometimes you win. 

[VMaxMuffin]

~snip~

 

And that was the one we got. Humorously enough, it didn't list the graphics card (integrated graphics were a rarity in 2000) so it was "mystery GPU" time. We get it home, install Unreal Tournament, and low and behold, it flies like the wind. Opened the case up and there was a GeForce 2 in the thing. Sometimes you win. 

 

Man that was lucky. You'd think that they'd list the GPU though if it was a 'high end' model though? (I'm assuming from your writing it was at least reasonably high end... my computer knowledge in 2000 was limited to playing crappy kids games that came on CDs that, as a little kid, I thought were the best thing ever).

[Wano97]

My ex girlfriend's mom bought a new computer from best buy (facepalm) in 2003. I go

"what's in it?"

"It's loaded"

"With what?"

"You can hook 2 monitors up to it"

"What parts are in it though?"

"It can burn CDs!"

"I know but what parts are in it?"

"It has 7.1 sound!"

"No but like Intel? AMD? How much RAM?"

"It can read SD cards!"

(I gave up)

 

In 2000 I went computer shopping with my aunt to buy my cousins their first computer

"Where do you want to go?"

"Well there's a computer parts store in Toronto called..."

"I'm not driving that far. Let's go to Future Shop"

"I don't know if that's really a good idea..."

"No Future shop has lots of computers let's go there"

 

we get to future shop. We're looking at various towers, we get to the laptops. She looks puzzled...

"Where's the computer?"

"Right there." (I point to the laptop)

"That's just a screen and a keyboard"

"No that's a whole computer"

"I thought computers were big rectangles"

"That's called a desktop this is a laptop"

"Let's get one of those then"

"No you get less performance for your dollar with those"

 

an hour or so later, I've been explaining the basics of what goes on inside a computer so she can help pick one out, as she won't give me a maximum budget to work with so I can just pick out the best system for the money. She finally points at one and says

"This is the one"

"Why that one?"

"It can play DVDs"

"Why don't you get a DVD player?"

"Why do I need a DVD player when the computer can do it?"

"DVD drives are expensive right now, that's cutting into the budget where you could get a better CPU or a bigger hard drive instead"

"Will it still play DVDs?"

"No"

"Ok then let's get this one"

 

And that was the one we got. Humorously enough, it didn't list the graphics card (integrated graphics were a rarity in 2000) so it was "mystery GPU" time. We get it home, install Unreal Tournament, and low and behold, it flies like the wind. Opened the case up and there was a GeForce 2 in the thing. Sometimes you win. 

You can't expect for them to answer that question though. Do you see your grandma saying 'It's using the x99 platform with an 5820k and 16Gigs of ram clocked at 2600MHz with 2-way SLI Gtx xxx'

[Zombater]

 

Do not want!

[Ruostunut kokis]

Do not want!

This will suit your needs a little more than that video:

 

http://www.nooooooooooooooo.com/

[STRMfrmXMN]

Today I tried to explain how an SSD works to my mom and how they were faster and all that jazz.

Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

[Darkman]

Today I tried to explain how an SSD works to my mom and how they were faster and all that jazz.

Wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

My mom calls it a Windows box and my CPU Cooler a fan cooler... I try to teach them.. But something in their minds doesn't let them listen correctly..

Today I saw someone hitting "Enter" for extra lines in Google Documents so they didn't run out of space when typing.. She is not the brightest and has no idea why it always has an extra blank page or two..

[STRMfrmXMN]

My mom calls it a Windows box and my CPU Cooler a fan cooler... I try to teach them.. But something in their minds doesn't let them listen correctly..

Today I saw someone hitting "Enter" for extra lines in Google Documents so they didn't run out of space when typing.. She is not the brightest and has no idea why it always has an extra blank page or two..

I also tried to explain how .exe files and .dmg files work (Windows and OSX's native running commands for programs) and why her Mac isn't immune to viruses - it just physically can't run them (without Wine or something the like).

 

Also tried to explain to her why her 10 year old (mobile) phone gets absolutely crap reception everywhere, yet she keeps on saying "No, mine gets BETTER reception than those smartphones" or "No, I don't want to have the latest gadget to get reception - I want AT&T to fix the problem." 

 

Life of living with parents who are 57 years old.....

[STRMfrmXMN]

Oof, another story.

 

So a couple years ago my mom had bought a new camera after her old (really high end) camera died (used old fashioned film). She actually managed the camera pretty well - something I'm not even sure I could do since I know nothing about cameras and all that stuff.

 

That's where the good stuff ends.

 

She decided after buying the camera that she wanted to Photoshop the pictures she took. She took a bunch of pictures of our family at a recent gathering and started to get to work.

Now, words cannot POSSIBLY convey how her face looked when all of the tools for Photoshop. She looked like a person who witnessed 9/11 live-in-person... She needed help. This is kind of the conversation when I'm showing her how PS works.

 

Me: So (takes mouse), you open the picture through the F..

Mom: Don't touch anything, just tell me how to do it!

Me: (sigh) Ok, press file (she does so) and click Open Image. 

BREAK - as most people know, when you export lots of photos, the default names given to photos are something long like JPG IMG-000000001 or something like that. She proceeds to type the name of the person in the picture she wants to edit.

Mom: I typed Greg, why isn't it coming up?!

Me: (sigh) Mom, it's called OSX Mavericks, not OSX Magicians. Apple hasn't gotten quite that far with on-the-fly face recognition stuff like that.

Mom: THIS IS SO COMPLICATED!
 

I need younger parents....

[VMaxMuffin]

Oof, another story.

 

So a couple years ago my mom had bought a new camera after her old (really high end) camera died (used old fashioned film). She actually managed the camera pretty well - something I'm not even sure I could do since I know nothing about cameras and all that stuff.

 

That's where the good stuff ends.

 

She decided after buying the camera that she wanted to Photoshop the pictures she took. She took a bunch of pictures of our family at a recent gathering and started to get to work.

Now, words cannot POSSIBLY convey how her face looked when all of the tools for Photoshop. She looked like a person who witnessed 9/11 live-in-person... She needed help. This is kind of the conversation when I'm showing her how PS works.

 

Me: So (takes mouse), you open the picture through the F..

Mom: Don't touch anything, just tell me how to do it!

Me: (sigh) Ok, press file (she does so) and click Open Image. 

BREAK - as most people know, when you export lots of photos, the default names given to photos are something long like JPG IMG-000000001 or something like that. She proceeds to type the name of the person in the picture she wants to edit.

Mom: I typed Greg, why isn't it coming up?!

Me: (sigh) Mom, it's called OSX Mavericks, not OSX Magicians. Apple hasn't gotten quite that far with on-the-fly face recognition stuff like that.

Mom: THIS IS SO COMPLICATED!

 

I need younger parents....

 

Side note - if you import all the photos into iPhoto, that has facial recognition. Don't know how good it is though. You can then find out from iPhoto the file name for that particular photo.

[STRMfrmXMN]

Side note - if you import all the photos into iPhoto, that has facial recognition. Don't know how good it is though. You can then find out from iPhoto the file name for that particular photo.

Like, it can go on the internet, find a picture of the person, tie a name to it and figure out who it is, rename the file and be done with it?

Apple - where have you been for me

[VMaxMuffin]

Like, it can go on the internet, find a picture of the person, tie a name to it and figure out who it is, rename the file and be done with it?

Apple - where have you been for me

 

No it's more like it detects faces on photos you've imported, asks you to name who the person is, then tags that person in all the photos where it detects the same face. Not quite that simple but it's not too bad. However I haven't actually used it myself (well I've put some names in but not everyone, nor have I actually tried searching for people with it).

 

EDIT: And no it doesn't rename the file. So you'd have to find the photo in iPhoto, work out which file that is, then search for that file in Photoshop's import dialogue box.

[Mistersprinkles]

My younger cousin asks me to fix his computer one day about 17 years ago (in the days of dial-up internet). He says he isn't getting good "internet reception". I look at his setup and he's using a USB modem. I ask him what's up with that? He says he got it at Future Shop (Canadian Best Buy) and that he chose a USB modem because the associate at the store told him that installing a modem "inside the computer" could break the computer and cause all kinds of problems. I rolled my eyes, went and got a proper 56K modem, installed it "inside the computer" and problem solved. 

[DigitalHermit]

My younger cousin asks me to fix his computer one day about 17 years ago (in the days of dial-up internet). He says he isn't getting good "internet reception". I look at his setup and he's using a USB modem. I ask him what's up with that? He says he got it at Future Shop (Canadian Best Buy) and that he chose a USB modem because the associate at the store told him that installing a modem "inside the computer" could break the computer and cause all kinds of problems. I rolled my eyes, went and got a proper 56K modem, installed it "inside the computer" and problem solved. 

 

We're talking a USB 1.0 modem or USB 1.1?

[Mistersprinkles]

We're talking a USB 1.0 modem or USB 1.1?

 

1.0

 

Regardless, even USB 1.1 modems were crap IMO.

[Mistersprinkles]

(Just now)

Mom: I'm going to take the USB to my TV in my room so I can watch that show

Me: Do you know how to use the USB on your TV?

Mom: I can figure it out.

 

2 minutes later

 

Mom: I can't get it to go in and I don't want to force it

Me: It only goes in one way make sure its lined up properly

Mom: Does it go in the first one, the second one, or the third one?

Me: There's only 1 USB port, the other 2 are HDMI

Mom: So I have to plug it into USB?