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Chapter 1
Introduction
This book is designed for people who want straightforward instructions in the use of their home computer. There are no unexplained acronyms, such as SCSI, RAM or URL, no unintelligible ācomputerspeakā of megahertz, advanced resource management systems or graphics card drivers, and certainly no meaningless jargon.
The content of the book is directed solely at PC users working with either Windows Vista Home Premium or Windows XP operating systems. Mac users are not catered for - sorry.
You are taken gently from the act of switching the computer on and off, right through to quite sophisticated use of the Internet, email and digital photography. Each chapter is designed to expand and reinforce previous chapters and comes with a question and answer summary. Meanwhile, here are some initial considerations that may have crossed your mind.
Banishing Old Beliefs
Let us get a few preconceived thoughts out of the way before we go any further. Perhaps you are thinking that you are too old to start tinkering around with technology and that it should be left to students and computer geeks. Well, push that thought to one side for a moment and see if you feel the same way having read this chapter.
Knowing age is no barrier
One Texan doctor began his computing career at the age of 86 and now has his own web page ten years later. My oldest client is 91 and happily sending emails to her grandchildren scattered across the globe.
Your mind may be a little slower and your memory a little more elusive but if you can drive a car or use a cash machine you should be able to use a computer. Note that I did not say āunderstandā - few of us understand the finer points of the internal combustion engine but that does not prevent us from using a car. Decreasing vision and slower reflexes may result in a road accident but you will never run anyone over with a computer. As long as your mind is active and enquiring, using a computer can expand your horizons far beyond the comfort of your own home.
You will invariably feel apprehensive at the thought of new technology. My father had a brilliant mathematicianās mind but he insisted on checking the early calculatorsā answers by doing it manually. It took him about three years to admit that they could be faster and occasionally more accurate. (Cash machines are simply basic computers, just like the controls of a microwave.)
Personally, whenever I try to program the video recorder I risk physical damage because it appears to bear a specific grudge against me and insists on recording any television programme other than the one I had intended. My wife has no desire to use a computer and yet the video recorder obeys her every command. This is not to say that she does not recognise the benefits of computers at home - she asks me to organise things on the Internet several times a week - itās just that she has no desire to learn computing skills, and thatās just fine.
Some familiarity with the QWERTY typewriter keyboard is an advantage but touch-typing skills are not called for. I have been computing for 25 years and I still only use about four fingers and even then I get it wrong from time to time. It can be frustrating āhunting and peckingā for letters and symbols but just like riding a bicycle, it comes together after a short while. After all, one thing we older members of society should have, is time.
Modern computers cater for those with restricted vision and arthritic hands. Help is always to hand in the form of this book and via a simple keystroke on the keyboard. Computer screens can be magnified, print can be enlarged, and alternatives to the navigating āmouseā are available that are easier on stiff fingers and wrists (see Chapter 2). There are even sound effects to warn you of impending disaster or incoming mail.
All too often, you may be subjected to a vision of the younger generationsā fingers that seemingly fly across the keyboard while the screen flashes from one image to another, which quite frankly can be a little overwhelming and may be responsible for deterring their elders from ever starting to use a computer. But let us consider this, if the only cyclist you had ever seen was one riding a unicycle in a circus, you would be very hesitant to learn to ride a bike. Remember that every concert pianist initially had to master the basic scales in just the same way that every amateur playing the piano in back of the pub has to practise. It may take a little longer, but every skill demands some practise. If you fall off a bike you may land up in hospital, but if your computer crashes, you simply switch it off and make yourself a cup of tea.
Sorting out gender differences
The male brain is no better than the female brain - in fact, it can be a lot worse. In my experience, it can be much more difficult to teach men about computing as they often want to run before they can walk. Women, on the other hand, tend to take matters one step at a time and like to reinforce their knowledge by repetition. Men may prefer to research military history or check their investments, while women may be more interested in communication with distant families or increase their knowledge of gardening.
No matter what benefits you may want from your computer you still have to master its basic use. The man in his open-top, vintage sports car and the woman in her three-door hatchback both need to have similar driving skills.
Stretching the mind
The main requisites for successful computing are enthusiasm and a desire to learn. If you are retired and lead a full life of social encounters, gardening, travel and engrossing hobbies then you may not have the time or the inclination to use a computer. If this is the case, put this book back on the shelf and continue enjoying yourself. A computer is not essential to a happy life.
If you have the time to expand your mind and the desire to do so then a computer can be your ticket to a vast, new world of knowledge, communication and entertainment. For many older people the greatest reward is the satisfaction of acquiring a new skill. A skill that bridges the age gap between grandparents and grandchildren is one that enables the generations to explore together.
Todayās bus...
