Number 239 - April 2003

Perils Of A Newbie
By Colleen Otterstrom, Utah Computer Society via Coastal Computer News, February 2003
So You Finally "Bit the Bullet" (?)    I know exactly how you feel. You have been putting off and putting off getting involved with computers. You have wanted to for a long time and even though you could afford one you didn't really have the courage to get involved and show your ignorance.    Like many people, you felt that computers were so smart and complicated that they were beyond your capabilities. However, it would be nice to send and receive E-mail as many of your friends do. You could join the chat room crowd!    If only you could keep track of your checking account with a computer and print out your checks and even print envelopes to mail them in. Suzie does, and resolves her account each month in 5 minutes while you spend hours tracking down a 33-cent error. You learned to drive a car didn't you? But cars aren't complicated like computers. However, it would also be nice to be able to write letters on a computer and keep a record of what you wrote.    Your friend George sent out a real long and important business letter that got lost either with the postal system or at the destination. Since he did it on his computer, he was able to send it a second time without the pains of composing it again from scratch. Shirley not only keeps her checkbook on her computer but she even uses it to keep track of her credit cards and her investments. That would be great! Cousin Bill uses his computer at Christmas time to write out a Christmas letter to include with his Christmas cards. He even prints out self-designed Christmas looking address and return address labels for the cards - say bye bye to writers' cramp. You know you're at least as smart, if not smarter, than Suzy, George and Shirley. Even that dumb blonde down the street can use a computer. If these people can learn to use a computer so can you!    OK, so you finally decided to bite the bullet and buy a computer. What do you do now? You buy a computer, of course. I know it isn't as simple as I make it sound. You see an add in a magazine that looks good to you. You dial the 800 number and you get a nerd on the line that tries to impress you by talking to you in bits, bytes and other words you never heard of before. Some nerds find it impossible to get their speech down to the level of a novice (1 think they hire the same people to write the technical manuals.) Hang up and dial that number again. More than likely you	will get a different sales person and, hopefully, one that can understand and make sense to a novice.    I maintain, however, that a novice is better off shopping in a local computer store. Local stores will be there for you long after your purchase when you need help or have questions. Believe me, when I say that getting long distance technical help is no fun. First you dial a toll-free number -more and more are changing to toll numbers. After you dial the number an, oh so sweet, voice asks you if you want x press 1, if you want y press 2 etc. for 5 or 6 often confusing choices. After you press what you think is the right choice, you are then asked to make one of 4 or 5 more choices.    Finally a charming voice tells you how important you call is to them and please hold for the next available technician (if your call were so darn important to them they would have more people working to eliminate any wait.) Finally after too long a wait you get a technician on the line. After you explain your problem, the technician informs you that it is not his area of expertise and please redial the original number and select choice 3 instead of choice 4. This really tries your patience and, if it is also a toll call, it bends your wallet too.    Take my advice and buy your first computer locally. Walk into your friendly computer store and ask to speak with the manager. Be frank and tell him or her that you are a beginner interested in purchasing a computer and need to talk to someone who won't overwhelm you with unfamiliar jargon. Chances are the manager, who doesn't work for a commission, will spend time with you to see that you get started in the right direction at a reasonable price. Your best bet, without doubt, is in locating a local computer users' group like the Blue Chips, asking a member or a fellow worker who knows computers to go shopping with you (paying for a lunch for two after your purchase might be one of your better investments). As a beginner you do not need a computer with all of the bells and whistles. One in the $600 to $900 range will do fine as long as it is expandable when experience shows a need to add some of those bells and whistles.    Don't waste money on a super speaker system. If you want great music get a radio for your computer room. It will give you the news as well as music. Personally, I don't like either, as music and news disturbs the concentration I need to work on my computer projects.
Number 239 - April 2003