Re: I Finally Found Myself a Christmas Present (Better Late Than Never)


"mg" <mgkelson@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:3c23ad59-8a3b-45fa-a631-32f769fe643a@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
On Jan 6, 9:44 am, "Evelyn" <evelyn.r...@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
<emi...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message

news:s9s6m495n8nobujm2nroigjtftjv8mn3k2@xxxxxxxxxx



> On Tue, 6 Jan 2009 07:17:37 -0500, "Evelyn" <evelyn.r...@xxxxxxxxx>
> wrote:

>><emi...@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>news:sds5m4505mrtk55cmol6q2pdnemdi3fjvg@xxxxxxxxxx
>>> On Mon, 05 Jan 2009 21:37:20 -0800, Rita <R...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>>>>On Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:50:11 -0500, emi...@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:

>>>>>I have stayed miles away from my Registry, confident that if I ever
>>>>>mucked around in it, I'd screw something up terminally. What bothers
>>>>>me are all those damned files that mean nothing to me. For example,
>>>>>there's a folder on my C drive called "Brownie". It contains thirteen
>>>>>files, none of them anything I've created, the dates on the files
>>>>>range from 1999 to 2004. I have no idea where this came from or what
>>>>>the hell it is and, more importantly, what might cease to work if I
>>>>>deleted it. And it's just one of many.

>>>>I downloaded and ran a Registry cleaner and it wiped out my ability
>>>>to access the Add and Remove Programs tab in the Control Panel. I
>>>>managed to identify it had deleted an important system file. Luckily
>>>>it occurred to me to use System Restore and I found a restore point
>>>>prior to the day I used that Registry Cleaner. It worked.

>>>>But I'll never run any registry cleaner again. Perhaps it is safe to
>>>>do so if you set a Restore point first....but seems it is still taking
>>>>a big chance of screwing something up?

>>> I've used, or tried to use, Restore a couple of times and it's never
>>> worked. I must be doing it wrong. ;-]

>>>>You know, I was thinking that we old folks who have learned to use
>>>>computers at least reasonably well are really to be commended
>>>>considering the challenges we are faced with figuring out Microsoft
>>>>operating systems.

>>> I never began to understand how computers worked, but at a point about
>>> two decades ago, I felt reasonably competent with programs. Whenever
>>> I got a new one, I spent as much time as needed exploring every choice
>>> on the menu bar. Then it seemed there was this big explosion of
>>> knowledge that I didn't keep up with, and now when I get into anything
>>> very technical, it might as well be written in Greek.

>>> I have one dear friend who still communicates by the written word, and
>>> longhand at that. I have been trying for years to drag her into the
>>> modern world by telling her how user-friendly all these things are
>>> now, and as I was getting acquainted with Vista on the laptop, I tried
>>> to imagine what it would be like for her to be facing it. I don't
>>> think she knows anyone nearby who could help her. But I can't imagine
>>> life without a computer.

>>I can't either. I started using a computer back in 1980 doing payroll
>>and
>>accounts recievable for an association of growers, who had a very
>>complicated payroll system. I used a huge old IBM system 34 for that.
>>It
>>was as big as a large refrigerator. I thought it was an interesting
>>machine and very handy for accounting purposes, but for years I never
>>realized that it had any other value than that.

> My first experience was with a word processor and that was enough to
> make me want a computer as soon as possible. I bought my first one in
> 1985, an IBM 8088 which cost more than any computer I've had since. I
> can still recall my absolute terror when I brought the computer home
> and had to put it together all by myself. I was sure I'd do something
> wrong and render the thing useless from the gitgo. But I didn't, of
> course.

>>As a bookkeeper I felt I needed to have my own, and in the early '80's
>>when
>>the PC's came out, I bought one. I remember when I had no idea what to
>>do
>>with it, and would sit and play solitaire just so my husband wouldn't >>call
>>me an idiot for having it. Then on one job I really needed to learn how
>>to
>>use it, and my boss paid a local computer shop to teach me how to use a
>>couple of programs. The other girl in the office wanted nothing to do
>>with
>>it, but I was overjoyed at the opportunity.

> I was doing medical transcription at the time and my goal was go on
> what was called the "At Home Program", so by the time I got acquainted
> with the computer and made that switch, I had no problem justifying
> the purchase, if there'd been anyone I had to explain it to.

>>The first thing I learned how to do was use Nutshell, which was a data
>>base
>>manager that ran on ms/dos, in which you could make programs that would >>do
>>just about anything you wanted in the form of lists, and spreadsheets, >>and
>>get customized reports based on your own plans. I used that program to
>>do
>>so many applications for so many years!

> The first home accounting program I used was Money Counts, at least I
> think that was the name of it. It's been such a long time. Anyway, I
> don't know much about accounting but it seemed to me there was some
> problem in adding the assets and liabilities to get net worth, which
> is what this program did. Come to think of, maybe the government is
> using that program and that's how we got in this mess.

> I had a data base program called Alpha followed by some number. The
> last one I had was Alpha5. It was a neat program but I guess not many
> people shared my opinion because it disappeared ages ago.

>>All that was pre-windows. At that time, I never even considered that the
>>computer had any other applications than for accounting. I was very
>>proficient with ms/dos, but Windows scared me silly. I finally learned
>>how
>>to use that too, and the rest is history. It has become the absolute
>>best
>>communication tool, and the worst time waster in the world!

> For quite a while, I only used WordPerfect and Money Counts, and in
> many ways I miss those good old days of DOS when installing a program
> was as simple as making a directory and putting the program in it, and
> getting rid of it was as simple as deleting that directory. But
> Windows definitely opened up worlds of possibilities.

> My daddy was an avid amateur photographer and spent lots of time in
> his darkroom. I have thought so often about how much he would have
> enjoyed digital photography and doing all the amazing things one can
> do to photos on the computer.

>>I stay in touch with my kids, my extended family, exchange and manage
>>photos, music, email friends, and so much more. In fact we have three
>>computers in this house, and all of them are necessary. His, Hers, and
>>the
>>Spare. The spare came in very handy a couple of months ago when the
>>power
>>supply on my computer conked out. It was a maddening problem no one
>>seemed
>>able to solve. Finally the second computer shop I brought it to, fixed
>>it.
>>So the spare is an essential piece of equipment, because you just never
>>know...... That is how essential these gadgets have become in our lives!

> We currently have five computers, one of which is actually just
> waiting to go to the dump. My husband's desktop will be joining it
> soon. It started making clicking and clacking noises a couple of
> weeks ago which prompted him to get on with choosing a laptop to
> replace it. The need for a functioning computer was one of the
> reasons I recently bought my first laptop. I get almost hysterical if
> my desktop stops working.

> Recently, it got in one of its uncooperative moods and I thought
> rebooting might solve the problem. Instead, it would show the Dell
> logo screen and then nothing. I couldn't get to Setup or whatever you
> get to with F12 (it's early, my mind isn't hitting on all cylinders
> yet). Finally, I decided that I was going to have to reinstall
> Windows but the computer refused to see the installation disk. My
> husband came home about that time so I abandoned my agonies to eat
> supper and watch TV. Later that evening, while watching TV, some
> remote corner of my brain came to life and I remembered that I'd had
> this problem a couple of times in the distant past. I have several
> things, including a USB hub, connected to a separate power strip and
> if I turned this off before starting the computer, it would boot up.
> So I ran in here and tried it and sure enough, it worked. I haven't
> the vaguest idea why this is a problem sometimes and not other times.
> I'll just try to remember what the cure is.

Hi Emily,

Before you send those old junkers to the dump, ask around. Sometimes there
are people who can fix them up for re-use, maybe to some poor person. Ask
at your local computer shop. We have about 5 of them around here. This
past year after trying two of them (back when I had that power supply
problem) I finally drove 45 miles to where I used to live and let the techs
there take over. Testing and diagnosing, new power supply, labor, the
works, was only just under $200 and the thing is as good as new ever since.
As has already been mentioned, quite often computers get clogged and just
need a fresh start with all the programs reinstalled. This by the way, is
something I do not do. My stepson or the computer shop will get the job.
I defragment it often, and if that doesn't fix it, I know it is beyond me.

I love old computers. A couple of years ago, for instance, I was able
to get an old 450Mhz computer for $50, including a pretty good
monitor. I cleaned off the hard drive and re-installed Windows 98 and
the drivers and some software. I also happen to own an old copy of
Office 97 and I put that on also.

I gave the computer to an old friend's father who has no money, whose
old Apple computer had broke and had a hobby of writing novels. He had
written 5 of them (none published), but it gave him something to do
and he wanted to finish his novels and get them all on CDs to leave to
his grandchildren. It was the perfect computer for him. What looks
like junk to one person, can often turn out to be very valuable for
another.

***************

Yes, that is exactly what I was thinking of! There are young people and older people who would love to have a computer for some simple task, or even just for email and typing letters. A lot of the old machines people might ordinarily throw out, would suit them just fine!
--
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Best Regards,
Evelyn

Rest in a sky-like mind.
Sit like a mountain floating on the earth.
Breathe like the wind circling the world


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