SWMBO wants her own computer
Posted by: Dungassin on 14 August 2010
My technophobic, technologically illiterate wife suddenly announced today that "I want my own computer so I can email and order things on line myself.
This has several potential drawbacks, then main one of which is that I shall have to make sure she can't get at my contributions to this forum
Don't know how it's going to work out, as she can't open directories, and has never got her head round the concept of right/left click, double-click etc.
I tried to suggest that a netbook would be ideal for her, but she "wants a screen at least as big as my laptop". Perhaps I ought to get her something like an iPad, but that really seems like a big expense for something that will almost certainly be a 5 minute wonder .... sigh ....
I've already decided that other than installing antivirus software, she's going to have to figure out whatever she gets for herself. It's the only way she'll ever learn. Just have to get her a book for total computer novices. Wonder if she'd actually read it?
This has several potential drawbacks, then main one of which is that I shall have to make sure she can't get at my contributions to this forum
Don't know how it's going to work out, as she can't open directories, and has never got her head round the concept of right/left click, double-click etc.
I tried to suggest that a netbook would be ideal for her, but she "wants a screen at least as big as my laptop". Perhaps I ought to get her something like an iPad, but that really seems like a big expense for something that will almost certainly be a 5 minute wonder .... sigh ....
I've already decided that other than installing antivirus software, she's going to have to figure out whatever she gets for herself. It's the only way she'll ever learn. Just have to get her a book for total computer novices. Wonder if she'd actually read it?
quote:Originally posted by TomK:
So she'd rather use a touchpad than bother with a real mouse?
Good luck.
Well, she finally got round to switching her laptop on again today, after a gap of 2 weeks! She says she's been reading the book I gave her, but I doubt it, myself.
I fired up her laptop myself a couple of days ago to install NASNavigator and set her up on the Homegroup (for access to photos on the NAS). Took the opportunity to install all necessary Windoze and Norton updates while I had it on.
Anyway, first moan was "why do I have to type in a password to use it now?" (because otherwise the NAS wouldn't work)
Then she wanted to look at her email. Took her 2 minutes to find the "envelope" icon on the BTYahoo homepage, then she couldn't remember her email password. Lucky I made a note of it for her!
Multiple requests to be "friends" from Facebook. My eldest had set her up with a Facebook account a couple of weeks ago when she was visiting. SWMBO, of course, couldn't remember her Facebook login password, so I had to guess a few times before I got it right. I've made her write it down now. Then we went through the rigmarole of how to open/close windows and "what is a cursor", how to use the SHIFT key etc etc. Refreshing a window in Internet Explorer threw her completely.
Gave up on the Facebook requests after a while and decided she wanted to reply to and email from one of our nieces in Malta (whence SWMBO hails). Went through how to REPLY with her, and left her typing very slowly (one finger, then hunt for the next letter). After watching her for 5 minutes, I got fed up and went elsewhere. Soon got a shouted command, and went back to find her demanding to know why what she was typing had suddenly started appearing other than where she wanted it. Needless to say, she'd managed to move the cursor inadvertently. Almost came to fisticuffs while I was trying to explain to her how to move the cursor (again "what's a cursor?"), and how to cut and paste. Explained about touching the mouse pad sometimes being equivalent to LEFT-CLICK, and to avoid the scrolling bit of the mousepad. Offered to buy her a USB mouse - declined, as she wants the laptop on her lap in her armchair.
Eventually she decided she wanted to watch some dross on morning TV, and closed her laptop.
Ah, the joys of a technophobe wife ...
