Thrillmere

As most people will know, I’ve been selling computers for a few years and the thing that annoys me most is customers’ ignorance. I’m sure most people that have worked in retail or customer service would know what I’m talking about. Here are a few things that annoy me about people purchasing computers.

Windows Vista. It’s not the devil. In fact, it’s not even terrible. Or bad. You are just ignorant and haven’t made any effort to learn how to use it. Buy a book, or learn how to use google! I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve spoken to over the last couple of years that say they hate Vista. I always ask these people what they don’t like about Vista, and out of the 1000+ people I have asked, I have only had TWO people give me a real reason why they don’t like it. The majority of people who “don’t like” Vista haven’t even used it! How can you dislike something you haven’t even experienced? It’s exactly like the Mojave Experiment. I know that Mojave was an extremely biased marketing ploy, but it’s exactly what I’ve experienced first hand. People complain about how terrible Vista is because someone else has told them or they’ve read it somewhere but haven’t actually used it. When I demonstrate just a few features of Vista, customers are impressed and happily make the switch. I hate how argumentative some people get about how bad Vista is, but have no actual facts to back up their “argument”. The most common complaint from people that HAVE used Vista is that they hate the way it always asks “are you sure” when you want to do something. My response? “You know you can turn that off, right? It’s the first thing I do.” This is usually met with a blank face, and an “Oh.”.

Just because something isn’t the same as what you’ve been using for the past 8 years doesn’t mean it’s bad. If you trade in your old car with a carburettor for a new one with electronic fuel injection, does that mean it’s bad because you don’t know how EFI works? No. It just means you need to take a little time to learn about it. (Which brings me to another complaint – don’t ask me a question if you haven’t googled it!) Anyway, that’s enough about Vista. I’m hoping I won’t have to field these “complaints” once Windows 7 comes out, though I know there will just be a new batch of whingers to annoy me. So what else annoys me? Well, let me give you some tips.

1. Windows 7 is not that different from Windows Vista. For some reason everyone thinks that Windows 7 is going to be a massive change from “The Vista”. Let me tell you – it is not. In fact it is built on the same system. But seeing as there’s nothing wrong with Vista, you’ve got nothing to worry about.

 

2. Learn how to use your computer. Buy a book or take some lessons – it will be well worth it. In fact, if you already know how to use the internet, then just use Google!

 

3. Use anti-virus and security software, and keep it up-to-date. That is, assuming you don’t know how to use a computer. I have to say, even though I run anti-virus software on my computer, I’ve never stumbled across a virus (I’ve used McAfee, Norton, CA, Trend Micro, AVG, Bullguard and they’ve never found a virus). Just use a bit of common sense – don’t open e-mail attachments unless you know what they are, only visit reputable websites and don’t download free smileys (trust me, you don’t need them). There is an excellent article here which goes into some detail about how to avoid viruses. You may also be interested to know that some popular anti-virus programs such as AVG and Microsoft Live One Care let up to 10% of viruses pass through undetected!

 

4. Firefox is not the same thing as a firewall.

 

5. Set Windows Update to run automatically, or at least check it regularly and install any recommended updates. I can’t belive how many people refuse to install updates because it chews through their measly 200MB/month download limit. (Actually, I can believe that. Anyone who signs up for a 200MB download limit obviously has no idea about computers) Windows Updates are there for a reason – they fix security issues and other bugs which have been found since release!

 

6. There is no magic fairy dust protecting Macs. They are still susceptible to security threats, which explains why you can buy anti-virus programs for Mac. The reason there aren’t as many viruses for Mac is that most people use a PC. Think about it – if you were going to write some code to steal personal information or cause damage, would you want to target 90% of people or just a small percentage? As mac sales increase, so will the number of people targeting them.

 

7. Windows is not Office. Windows is the operating system that runs your computer. Without it you’d be staring at a blank screen. Office is a software package which includes programs such as Word and Excel. There is no such thing as “XP Officeworks” either (sorry to disappoint).

 

8. A computer’s speed is not measured by how much RAM it has. I’m not sure where this misnomer comes from. Perhaps it’s because whenever someone’s PC becomes slow, they upgrade the RAM (it’s the easiest and most cost-effective way to upgrade an existing computer). In any case, I’ve noticed that salespeople are even recommending this to customers. RAM is only one part of the computer. The processor (CPU) is the brains of the operation. It processes all the instructions. Realistically, there is no point having 8GB RAM if you are running a Celeron processor. Do your research and don’t just assume you know what you’re talking about because I can assure you – you probably don’t.

 

9. Along the same lines, a graphics card’s capability is not measured by how much RAM it has. Just like your computer, the graphics card has both a processor (GPU) and RAM. Manufacturers take advantage of ignorant customers by releasing cheap cards with high amounts of RAM. Sorry to tell you, but a 1GB GeForce 9300 will not outperform a 512MB GeForce 9800.

 

10. Don’t install crap on your computer. So many computers I look at are MESSY. By messy I mean there are a bazillion programs installed (that I’ve never even heard of – Free Smileys?), half of which are likely to be spyware, adware or malware in general. The desktop is usually covered in icons and nothing is organised. Perhaps I’m just being anal, but it also affects the performance of your system. If you don’t use/need a program, don’t install it (or just delete it).

 

11. On that note, disable any startup programs that you don’t need running every time you turn your computer on. You’ll notice the performance difference straight away (well, as soon as you restart).

 

12. Keep regular backups of your files. You only need to learn this lesson once, and it’s usually the hard way (after your computer crashes and you lose all your files). Many versions of Windows include automatic backup functionality, so there’s no excuse!

 

13. Learn how to format your computer and re-install your operating system. If you own a name-brand PC (Dell, HP, etc) then this is probably much easier than it sounds! Most manufacturers include an option to automatically restore your PC with the factory image. Consult your user manual on how to do this (if you threw it away, try the manufacturer’s website). Formatting can be worthwhile every couple of years. It will get rid of any of the crap you have installed which many be slowing you computer down, and you can just put the essentials back on. It’s like starting with a new computer again!

 

Sometimes I think people should have a licence to operate a computer. You’re not allowed to drive a car without a licence, so why should computers be any different? If you spend a little bit of time doing your research and actually ask questions instead of assuming you know what you’re doing, you can go a long way. The tips above are just a start, but they will certainly put you on the path to becoming adept at using a computer.