Computers!!!!!!

[cowboycopus]

Just before Christmas my computer blew up. It was only 18 years old.
A desktop with a tower and square monitor. So now I'm forced to use a smartphone.
Transferring all of my forum talk, banking, email, shopping and bill paying took quite a while. It's hard to get used to but the good part is, a microphone pops up every time I need to type something and I can just say it.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and new year.

 

[WendyZXZ]

One of the nice thing with computer is how they have gotten less expensive. It would drive me crazy using a phone or tablet, but I am spoiled her using a 40 inch monitor. We have four computers here, both my husband I have a Mac for main use, a Windows one as a spare and my husband is a fan of Linux so he bought a fairly nice cheap PC to turn into a Linux PC. Linux is a nice OS.

 

[Mobuck]

Big screen monitor is nice. I used to have to do timesheets and a 24" monitor allowed the entire timesheet to show w/o scrolling. I'd planned to hijack our old TV when the newer/bigger unit arrived but when it did arrive, it was cracked. By the time that got corrected, I'd retired and no longer needed the bigger computer screen. ;)

 

[KIR]

Computers are supposed to save you time and money (?). But, certainly NOT aggravation when one has to update, when it crashes, pop-up ads still appear, full of bloatware, gets too technical, aggravates me...the list goes on and @#$%^&*()_+= Arrrrrgggghhhh :mad:

 

[Kevin]

Just before Christmas my computer blew up. It was only 18 years old.
A desktop with a tower and square monitor. So now I'm forced to use a smartphone.
Transferring all of my forum talk, banking, email, shopping and bill paying took quite a while. It's hard to get used to but the good part is, a microphone pops up every time I need to type something and I can just say it.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and new year.

I browse the internet mostly on my phone. My wife uses her phone to pay some of the bills. I’ve tried on my half of the bills but a computer works better for me in that regard.

My desktop has a giant 42” monitor. It’s very nice. Not a tv, but an actual computer monitor. There is a difference.

I just got a 14” laptop as well. It’s going to take some getting use too. The keyboard is pretty cramped.

 

[epags]

Computers are supposed to save you time and money (?). But, certainly NOT aggravation when one has to update, when it crashes, pop-up ads still appear, full of bloatware, gets too technical, aggravates me...the list goes on and @#$%^&*()_+= Arrrrrgggghhhh :mad:

Ditto for the modern automobiles & trucks.

 

[Hankus]

18 years is a good run! Like Wendy says, laptops and external monitors are pretty inexpensive these days. You can pick up a good rig for less than the price of a new Single-Six! I’m an engineer so I use (and maintain) a whole lot of computers and servers at work. I have a couple computers at home, but mostly use them for work. My six year old iPad Pro 12.9” and iPhone are what I use for most of my social media and web browsing at home.

 

[Hvymax]

Phone has become my sole electronic device pretty much. I can link it with a tablet so I can have a big screen to run Marine Waze when I'm out on the boat.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Well, I'm STILL using my SONY VAIO laptop I bought back in 2009 before we made the trip to England (IT was ON SALE as LAST YEARS MODEL !!!!) I DID install Windows 7 PRO on it and STILL use that too They can stuff win 10 some where stinky !!

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

When I moved back to Alaska we had people come into the house to pack us up. Each box was marked as to the room things were packed. I’m at a total loss as to what happened to my tower.
My son says I need to try a Mac, which also means a new monitor. He hasn’t found time to go shopping with me, and I don’t know anything about Mac’s, so am hesitant to just go buy something.
I’m not all that good with my phone but get by in a pinch.

 

[vlavalle]

Just before Christmas my computer blew up. It was only 18 years old.
A desktop with a tower and square monitor. So now I'm forced to use a smartphone.
Transferring all of my forum talk, banking, email, shopping and bill paying took quite a while. It's hard to get used to but the good part is, a microphone pops up every time I need to type something and I can just say it.

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and new year.

If you are a computer person at all, I would suggest NOT migrating to a phone. The difference in what you can do and SEE, is immense! I have my own business and among other things, I help people buy computers (Windows based ONLY), whether that be laptops or desktops. I look for only 'good deals', and I get about 10 emails daily from computer outlets. For example, I can get a refurb, SSD based desktop from about $200-$450, and new one from about $500-$800. A new laptop from about $450-$800. If interested, message me! Refurb desktops are really a great deal in that they do not have any moving parts in them anymore! I have 2 of them and they have been running for 4-5 years already.

 

[Jeepnik]

Of interesting note, two large organizations I deal with frequently, one medical one entertainment, want you to use their app for everything. They have had websites for years but these days the websites are slow, poorly maintained, and rarely updated. It seems they are putting all of their communication dollars into apps that crash and become over loaded and slow.

 

[gnappi]

My 12 year old PC has 16gig of memory and only 500gigs of HDD. It NEVER crashes, updates when and if I say so, my screen is 32" with a full size keyboard, and a separate mouse. I can edit pics, do a spreadsheet, most all software is free, O/S updates are free. Some have tried to crash it and failed, AFAIK its O/S is running over 90% of the web servers.

I have run Linux for 20+ years and couldn't imagine using anything else.

 

[vito]

Well, I'm STILL using my SONY VAIO laptop I bought back in 2009 before we made the trip to England (IT was ON SALE as LAST YEARS MODEL !!!!) I DID install Windows 7 PRO on it and STILL use that too They can stuff win 10 some where stinky !!

I had a Sony VAIO all in one computer and was very happy with it for years. But then the screen died, and being an all in one could not be repaired. I ended up buying an inexpensive laptop, a Lenovo. Much to my surprise, the 15 inch screen on the laptop seems more than up to the tasks that I do on a computer. I had thought that going smaller after years of a 24 inch screen would be hard but it was a non issue. Not being a video game player, this $600 laptop has more than met my needs. My only regret is that I lost access to much of what I had stored on the Sony. I paid a local computer shop to transfer all of the photos and files on the Sony to my new laptop and thought it was fine. What I ended up with is the folders, properly named, with nothing in the folders. By then my old computer had already been disposed of. Just a heads up to anyone else whose main computer needs replacing. Make sure the stuff you want to save is in the Cloud or otherwise properly saved before trashing the old machine.

 

[buzzm]

Just a couple of thoughts for those who may be thinking about upgrading or replacing their Desktop / Laptop, etc.:
[1] Think solid state hardware - much faster boot-up, more reliable, etc.
[2] Consider a Chromebook - I purchased a Chromebook several years ago and I am very happy with it. I can take it with me and I can connect via WiFi to my desktop at home no matter where I am in the country and it is just like I'm sitting at my desk at home with full control of all programs, etc on the desktop. This can easily be accomplished with free software available to download - ( I use "TeamViewer").
[3] I use "AVG Free" antivirus as well as a VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Take care and God bless....

 

[Hvymax]

My wife told me I needed to take a Computer Class at the Library the Amish People use.

 

[Johnnu2]

Me and my flip-phone are in deep trouble........
I can barely use this lap top beyond the Ruger Forum and an email or two...
:(
J.

 

[GypsmJim]

I still have a working IBM AT. It has kilobytes not megabytes. It has DOS, not windows. I bought it in 1988. It was a used trade-in from a bank. On it are some early DOS ballistics programs that have been invaluable over the years. In all these years it has never had a blip.

We also have several laptops from the 2000's and a desktop or two. None have even been a problem. I believe that most issues are either from viruses or messing with the setup.

 

[gnappi]

I still have a working IBM AT. It has kilobytes not megabytes. It has DOS, not windows. I bought it in 1988. It was a used trade-in from a bank. On it are some early DOS ballistics programs that have been invaluable over the years. In all these years it has never had a blip.

We also have several laptops from the 2000's and a desktop or two. None have even been a problem. I believe that most issues are either from viruses or messing with the setup.

We did it right! I was in the development teams at IBM Boca on evertything from the PC,XT,AT and PS2 and retired from there before it was sold to the Chinese.

 

[epags]

Well, I'm STILL using my SONY VAIO laptop I bought back in 2009 before we made the trip to England (IT was ON SALE as LAST YEARS MODEL !!!!) I DID install Windows 7 PRO on it and STILL use that too They can stuff win 10 some where stinky !!

HaHa! Windows 10 was replaced by Windows 11 which is being replaced by Windows 365 (which has all your personal information in the cloud and charges an annual fee to keep it there) Oh yea like that is going to be secure.

 

[vlavalle]

My wife told me I needed to take a Computer Class at the Library the Amish People use.

If you are interested, I provide a service of PC (Windows based only, no Apple) tutoring/training/problem solving online, and have clients all over the country. I do this by myself, so there is no 'corporation' here! I teachj/tutor according the the client's level of computer knowledge, and desire to learn, so there is nothing canned. If you are interested, check out my website (which I built with the help of a friend, and I have built other websites for clients as well, and provide this as a service as well) Website: elConsulting.org (not '.com'!). Then message me here, or send an email to the address from my website.

I have a lot of testimonials on my website, and just about everyone has loved my service. I have been in the computer business since it started, and have had my own tutoring business for the past 15 years. I provide this service via using a remote access software (via the internet), and Skype for talking or for those that would like to video as well. Just about all laptops have a webcam and mic built-in, and for a desktop, get a USB webcam, which almost always have a mic also. This service is a one to one service, and not a classroom.

 

[vlavalle]

We did it right! I was in the development teams at IBM Boca on evertything from the PC,XT,AT and PS2 and retired from there before it was sold to the Chinese.

It is terrible that the US government allowed such key technology (IBM's PC business) to be sold to ANY Chinese company. Shame on those that allowed it!

 

[vlavalle]

HaHa! Windows 10 was replaced by Windows 11 which is being replaced by Windows 365 (which has all your personal information in the cloud and charges an annual fee to keep it there) Oh yea like that is going to be secure.

While there is a Windows 365, and you can get it online, but my sources say that the next Windows version will be Windows 12, targeted for release in 2024.

 

[Hvymax]

If you are interested, I provide a service of PC (Windows based only, no Apple) tutoring/training/problem solving online, and have clients all over the country. I do this by myself, so there is no 'corporation' here! I teachj/tutor according the the client's level of computer knowledge, and desire to learn, so there is nothing canned. If you are interested, check out my website (which I built with the help of a friend, and I have built other websites for clients as well, and provide this as a service as well) Website: elConsulting.org (not '.com'!). Then message me here, or send an email to the address from my website.

I have a lot of testimonials on my website, and just about everyone has loved my service. I have been in the computer business since it started, and have had my own tutoring business for the past 15 years. I provide this service via using a remote access software (via the internet), and Skype for talking or for those that would like to video as well. Just about all laptops have a webcam and mic built-in, and for a desktop, get a USB webcam, which almost always have a mic also. This service is a one to one service, and not a classroom.

Thanks but I'll stick to motorcycles, boats and guns.

 

[WendyZXZ]

My 12 year old PC has 16gig of memory and only 500gigs of HDD. It NEVER crashes, updates when and if I say so, my screen is 32" with a full size keyboard, and a separate mouse. I can edit pics, do a spreadsheet, most all software is free, O/S updates are free. Some have tried to crash it and failed, AFAIK its O/S is running over 90% of the web servers.

I have run Linux for 20+ years and couldn't imagine using anything else.


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We picked up a Fusion 5 tablet that was Windows 10 a fair number of years ago, mainly because the screen was 10" or so and it had a closeable SD microcard port where we loaded TV, music, books which all worked great for listening and viewing and it with the cover/magnetic keyboard it was like carrying around a thin book. After a Windows update it no longer even detected a network adapter or the SD reader so he decided to give Linux a try. He tried a number of the live USB distros: Mint, Ubuntu, Manjaro, etc and they all went into a wireless authentication loop and would never connect, but Fedora(35 or so) worked so he got to experimenting with it and like it. He likes that he has loaded the various more popular desktop environments along with the native Gnome adding KDE, Cinnamon, XFCE, MATE etc. and loves exploring the various customizing that can be done getting familiar with the Fedora commands and syntax. I finally convinced him to get a laptop that has fairly decent resources and a decent sized screen to play with along with a not too large SSD external drive to Timeshift backup everything. My husband started with PCs back when CP/M and DOS were standard so he is very comfortable with command lines. I believe more people would try and like Linux but for being intimidated by using the terminal portion.

 

[vlavalle]

Thanks but I'll stick to motorcycles, boats and guns.

Guns is good too!

 

[epags]

While there is a Windows 365, and you can get it online, but my sources say that the next Windows version will be Windows 12, targeted for release in 2024.

That is as scary as h....l. I have come to live with Windows 11 (declining the cloud storage). My loving spouse says if I update her computer to Windows 11 she will bring flowers to my grave very shortly after.
BTW. I update all our files with a legacy 'clickfree' device and a solid state portable hard drive weekly. I do not want our financials in the cloud.

 

[NC FNS]

So interesting to see all the different ways folks have grown with technology!
We had a basic tower with Windows in the 90’s while the kids were growing up. When it came time to find a new career, I ended up at an Apple reseller, and intended to get some Apple certifications (eventually got a career doing something totally unrelated). Had a white MacBook at the time. Then the 2nd gen iPad came out. Been using iPads ever since for browsing, forums, and email. Use a Mac desktop for doing the budget and remoting into work when I don’t go in to the office. Have Windows at work, and it’s been okay, but when we had it at home it blew chunks. Can’t stand the update process, or microsoft in general.

 

[gnappi]

>>SNIP<< I believe more people would try and like Linux but for being intimidated by using the terminal portion.

Agreed, I'll go one step further and postulate that I could sit a high percentage of the World's Windows users in front of a fully configured Linux machine with Libre Office, Vivaldi or other browser, a calculator etc and have them productive in a short time.

Now that the various Linux distro GUI's are mature the command line knowledge is not necessary.

 

[wproct]

My wife and I are both about 80 years old and were fortunate to have had jobs that required us to be computer savy. We are fans of Iphone cell phones, but I have to have a laptop to do all of my fun stuff, gun forums etc. I'm a fan of HP computers, I watch a lot of youtube music videos so the laptop has to have decent speakers, sound. I loved my last laptop, lasted about 6 years and still works but is horribly slow. My new one is solid state memory and is so fast, powers up or down in just seconds. I'm used to Apple's IOS system on our Iphones but prefer Window's based systems for my laptop. I just have to force myself to only be on it so long at a time, it's so easy to just sit on your butt on the computer for hours and not good for the body.