Hey after you're done with that turkey leg, you mind throwin' up a wall in the basement for me?<br><br>(sorry, couldn't resist)<br><br>John<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jul 1, 2008 at 1:42 PM, Nate Duehr <<a href="mailto:nate@natetech.com">nate@natetech.com</a>> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">David L. Willson wrote:<br>
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On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:35:56 -0600, Michael Fierro wrote<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;"><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
But, all of that expense must no longer be necessary with Hardy Heron.<br>
There is so much hand-holding in it, and it runs smoothly on 512MB of RAM.<br>
They just need to be shown how to use the menus and google for help, and<br>
how to use synaptic and they are off and running.<br>
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I think there's still a big usability difference between OS X and Gnome or KDE. I would still recommend a Mac over a machine running linux for most newbs.<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
Bah! Why not Windows, then?<br>
</blockquote>
<br>
Lack of clue on updates and virus scanners, and people not keeping good backups, mostly. Show 'em those things, and XP is fine. I won't support Vista.<br>
<br>
(Speaking of backups, Time Machine on the Mac takes care of *finally* a consumer OS having a built in, easy-to-use backup system that works. They plug an external drive in and point Time Machine at it, and the user interface is simple enough for end-users to recover from their own screwups, but the underlying tech is powerful enough a pro might stand a chance in Hades of helping them recover if they REALLY screw something up.)<br>
<br>
If they've specifically mentioned some piece of Windows-only software they're already running that they need... sure, let 'em run Windows. My dad, for example -- worked in Sales for a couple of decades, and lives in "Act!"... he'll never leave Windows. Running it in a VM isn't gonna happen, either.<br>
<br>
But mostly -- my answer to family is: I don't work on Windows machines.<br>
<br>
Reality sometimes kicks in, though: Once in a while a non-extended family member still gets me to look at something.<br>
<br>
Those family members running XP don't really call much anymore, either. Whether this is because they've found another "techie", or they've gotten better about handling their own "PERSONAL" computers, I don't know.<br>
<br>
I figure it's no worse than half the family asking my wife (who's a nurse), really stupid medical questions they're not willing to ask their Doctor. She doesn't get paid for those "sessions", any more than I get paid to look at family PC's. She gets calls from REAL patients who can't figure out where to draw the line between waiting until the next nurse's visit, and dialing 911... people can be really stupid, sometimes.<br>
<br>
"I am having severe chest pains, should I wait until my appointment with the Doctor on Wednesday, or call 911?" Yes... I have HEARD this phone call MORE THAN ONCE. (And then I think to myself that our industry thinks these people should have, and can properly operate, personal computers?)<br>
<br>
The most "support" I've had to do in the last few years is straightening out odd-ball things family members have done to their home networking gear. Usually while "multitasking" and trying to eat Thanksgiving dinner. That sucks, but they don't get it. And I wouldn't expect them to. They don't ask the construction worker cousin to do his job during dinner though... I've noticed over the years.<br>
<br>
I'd hand out GeekSquad gift certificates at Christmas if I thought a) GeekSquad could fix anything, or b) that they weren't out to rip off most people, selling them things they don't need.<br>
<br>
Nate WY0X<br>
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