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Raw Bytes Computer News KPBX FM 91.1 Radio National Public Radio Network Frank Delaney Producer Broadcast on Thursday Morning 7:35 AM During Morning Edition Support Public Radio ! The Theater Of the Mind |
In computer news this week - Thursday June 2, 2005 |
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Learning what you need to know
about your computer – or – that video professor is driving me
nuts. If you
watch much tv – like I do – often
you’ll see saturation advertising,
particularly at late night hours.
These include ads for diet pills, diet devices, exercise machines, and
that seemingly omnipresent video professor. He’s the guy who sell’s cd’s
about how to learn your computer, and his ads seem to always feature that woman who
says her 3 year old knows more about the computer than she does. I’m
not sure that’s the best thing to say about yourself
on national tv. I first
became interested in personal computers back in 1977, when I was working in
Pullman for the Xerox Corporation. If you’ve read my History of the Microcomputer
Revolution, which is on my website, you know that Xerox was the inventor of
many of the key technologies which made personal computers a success, but at
the time noone working for Xerox knew the company
had any ties to personal computers. I went to a Radio Shack store and bought
2 books, one on understanding computers, and one on how to program a computer
using the Basic Computer language.
I was able to read the book on programming in BASIC, and I found it
very logical and understandable, and I learned to program in BASIC without
actually having a computer. When I
was a boy I had read about Abraham Lincoln. He read books by candle light in
his log cabin, and when he got to stages of advanced education, he found that
he had given himself a much better education than many of his peers who had
gone to the finest schools. So like
many people who came in at the beginning of the pc industry, I’m self
taught in everything I know about computers. The biggest difference I see
today is how many resources are available to learn anything you want about
your pc. In the
old days, you had to read thick technical manuals, which were very hard to
work with, and they made assumptions that you already knew a lot about the
subject. Today there are books, cd’s, dvd’s, training facilities, and the internet to teach you
about anything you want to know. I think
probably the Dummies series of books has had the biggest effect on the pc
industry. Everyone just wants a simple dummies book. The Dummies series began
with pc’s, and now has expanded to many other topics, including
music, opera, and even – sex for dummies. When you
buy a new pc today with Windows XP, it comes with its own built-in training
course to teach you everything you need to know about the operating system.
And usually the application software you buy, like Microsoft office, comes
with its own tutorials . And if you need
additional help, these programs will automatically connect you to the internet . Most vendors offers comprehensive website support , and even additional free on-line training
courses. So if
you’re really confused about something on your computer, probably the
answer to your questions is either already on your computer, or on the
internet. And you should be able to get your answers from the privacy of your
home, without having to tell the entire world that your 3 year old is smarter
than you.. For Raw Bytes This is Frank Delaney (C) 2005 MTA Micro
Technology Associates http://www.mtamicro.com/kpbx.html (509)624-7230 |
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