A Question For Anyone Vaguely Computer Literate

[Rob]

Rob a mac in car terms is like an Aston Martin, Bentley Audi.

A PC is more like TVR, Fiat Datsun

You pays your money.....

Ah. You've got the wrong bloke here. I happily drive an asthmatic dog kennel and don't care as long as it does the job it needs to. When it drives from A-B you need a diary.

Other cars have been a mini van, Vauxhall Viva estate, Morris Minor, Renault 5 x2, Escort XR3, Sierra diesel, Renault 21, Espace, Zafira, Focus, Fiesta and Seat Ibiza. I will concede that the most expensive on the list (Escpace) was the best car, but that was primarily because you could take all the seats out and fit in an engine hoist, pallet truck, A-Frame, pallets etc. Most importantly there was sufficient space for a load of beer, wine and sausages coming home from the Fatherland. The rest you could take 'em or leave 'em.

[Peckris]

Hmm. I appear to have inadvertently started a major discussion, not that I have the foggiest idea what you are talking about. When you have reached some sort of agreement, a little resume for the rest of us might be useful.

For the majority of users it is a simple tool. Most people do not push their system to the limit, so any basic system will do. Most only require the ability to write word documents, do a bit with a spreadsheet and send/receive emails.

In 1999 perhaps!!! Nowadays, the 'casual' computer user wants somewhere to store and play music, upload pictures from their camera, login to various social networks (which can involve a lot of picture sharing), play (and maybe download) videos on YouTube, play the odd game, perhaps buy and / or rent music and films, listen to live radio or TV online, or catch up on programmes they missed. If they're creative they will also use their computers to make music, edit movies, photographs etc, or write.

Jeez Rob, where you bin these last 10 years or so?

The same place I was the twenty odd years before - Manchester.

Right, lets deal with the list.

I don't store music, but do listen to the odd track occasionally on you tube.

I upload pictures for the site, though the results are sketchy.

Don't do social networks apart from this forum and a couple others.

Don't download videos or play games.

Don't buy or rent music or films. For the first see above, for the second, films are mostly much the same featuring the same old actors time after time. My kids have watched so many films down the years, I could probably make a collage of the snippets seen in passing and say I've seen the lot.

I listen to the radio in the car. Don't listen to TV or radio online and rarely regret missing a TV program. Even if I have missed something it wil be repeated on a choice of channels tomorrow. The surfeit of drivel which passes for programming is on the whole uninspiring. I don't mind the odd documentary, but prefer to get my history lessons from books rather than Hollywood.

As I said, it's a tool - not the centre of my universe.

Ok, I take your point Rob - however, I'd dare to say you're not exactly the 'average computer user' Most people DO use computers for at least some of the things I listed.

By the way, you can say what you like about social networks, but when my mum's brother in the States had a complicated operation recently, we were able to exchange news and get constant updates from his children via Facebook. As there were 6 of us involved in this conversation, email just wouldn't have cut it.

Edited April 22, 2014 by Peckris

[AardHawk]

Rob you seem to have your current active window stuck in full screen mode. If you look at the top right of your screen you will see a Minus sign, a small picture of a window and a multiply sign.

I dont know whether you have a mouse attached to your computer but try single clicking on the centre symbol. This will reduce the current widow in size and allow you to view the desktop.

Just out of interest, what version of windows are you running. Is it Windows XP, 2000, Vista, 7, 8 or 8.1?