Buzzer

Last week my Mum gave me some money to build my Dad a PC for Christmas

I had strict instruction that it must be able to show internet thingies on but not fast internet, the "normal" one. This was percieved as being a 56k modem

I've read a few threads here, enough to know now that i have subscribed to associating myself with a computer, my 65 year old Dad will call on "technical support" with regular occurence.

Now asides from the usual "No Dad you dont want to pass this sort of information over the net" and "if you type your e-mail addy there, you will get countless pen1s enlargement offers" type instructions, what can i recommend by way of learning to use a pc.

Are there really basic courses at colleges for beginners. Should he just be looking at how to use windows or is there a broader section of tuition available. He's a Joiner by trade and the nearest he's been to a pc is when he looks over my shoulder looking at car prices in the autotrader

Any help would be appreciated, like i said i know a few of you are already IT support for their parents

SJ_Skyline

RTFM

mj

my 86 yr old gran manages on the interweb using AOL - I don't rate it myself being a regular bill gates etc, but it seems quite good for biddies.Am I right in saying alot of the AV stuff happens at AOL's servers?

gsm1

My Dad went to a PC evening class but said it wasn't worth crap over what I taught him. He's pretty good with email and web browsing but not too wise about spam and entering his email address to the world. It was getting the hang of mouse control which took the longest - I'd come over to his place and find icons all over the bloody desktop.
And spyware cleaners are essential!

Buzzer

FPMSL i can imagine the black art of double clicking the mouse was a major hurdle

What a great Christmas day i'm going to have

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

My dad went through this phase.

Seeing I've had a computer since I was 6, I've always known how to use them and I have no ability or patience to teach somone from scratch....

SO I told him to do a college course and refused to teach him...knowing that he and I will loose our tempers, and I'll be repeatedly fixing the thing when he accidentally deletes files and gets viruses by opening dubious e-mails, spyware. Spam etc.

Also he's crap at gadgets....no matter how many times I've told...he still watches Sky TV via the aerial input (mono sound, poor quality) even though the scart is connected and all you have to do is press the "sky" button on the remote :

Getting him to learn load the a CD changer by himself (already shown him 5 times)resulted in a full on barmy resulting in him throwing the caddy over the neighbours fence...he retreived it when I told him they cost £50 to replace

I told him not to do it or go to college...he still bought a laptop (2nd hand cheapy thanfully), and expected me to teach him I told him where to and to learn to load the CD changer by himself first. I think it's only been switched on twice

My mum on the other hand is fine, does Sage and all sorts. As can my Gran (also sage, net and all sorts ). But my dad is useless

Good luck to you!! I hope your dad isn't like mine!!

Andy Hall

It would be in your own interest to get him some sort of lessons. A freind of mine specialises in teaching "Silver Surfers" how to use PC's and general maintenance and housekeeping. If your in Hampshire drop me a mail, if not I'm sure the YP can help.

GarethE

iTrader: (1)

There may be trouble ahead

I haven't the first clue about PC's, always used Macs, but my father is getting to grips with the iMac reasonably well. Surfs the interweb thingy ok and manages to print out the odd letter - I meant odd, as in every other paragraph justified differently, and the address on both the left and right hand side of the page.

Biggest problem seems to be using the printer - I wonder the printers not working...take the printer off hold and get 30 pages of web stuff devoted to naval battles or building model matchstick boats, and various letters of complaint to the local rag about abandoned shopping trolleys churn out

Prepare to have your work colleagues in stitches as you patiently try to explain how to download the jpgs attached to an email

Good luck, Gareth

paulwrxboro

I think you find its called the Tinternet

*Sonic*

If he is a Joiner by trade he wont know much about Windows, cept maybe the frames, he would ideally need a glazier for the Windows


Forget courses, he should be looking to his Son for all the help he needs

And by rights, his Son should rush round there at the drop of a hat, to sort out any dodgy internet goings on, and other my PC is infected with a virus type scenarious and he should always be availble 24/7 for telephone support

Ill give him your number if you havent already LOL

Buzzer

Cheers Steve, btw i've made a sticky for the side of the case with your mobile number offering 24 Hr call out so its okay they wont need my number

My Dad is really laid back but he is 65 and never even touched a keyboard

I can just imagine the GarethE post above but it will be pics of Sylvia Saint and Bryanna Banks that we'll be trying to hide from my Mum and not pictures of boats (little man in the boats maybe )

Andy Hall, thanks mate but dont live in Hampshire (although i visit there often). I'll have to check with the local college and see if theres anything there

This is starting to worry me now

Lum

Vape the existing OS, put linux on there and configure it to auto login to a non-admin account with only two icons available, FireFox and Thunderbird.

Add more when he proves proficient

RichiW

I'm in the same boat


Dads 63 and has finally come into the Digital age with a Bang!

We are talking over £700 on a Dell Laptop, £270 on a Sony TFT, and now he's just bought a 3.4mhz P.C.!!!

Anyway, he can navigate the web 'kind of', but really stuggle with the left click/right click, and cannot grasp the idea of files and folders - i've tried my hardest but it still wont sink in

Geezer

Why do people say this? a PC is Personal Computer, which a Mac is. Just different operating systems.

GarethE

iTrader: (1)

Because people understand what you mean PC is generally understood to be a generic term for a personal computer running Windows, and its widley known that a Mac has its own OS which until recently had a totally different way of working, and that the two were generally incompatable.

A bit like Hoover and Dyson...I've never heard anyone say - "we need to Dyson the carpet"

I appreciate the two are now very similar, but there is no way I could use a "Windows PC" with the same speed, familiarity and confidence as a "Mac PC", and I would never try to help or teach someone to use one.

Jap2Scrap

When my dad first got his pc about 5 years ago he insisted on going through windows and clearing out files he didn't think he'd use

I seriously cannot remember how many instals of windows I had to do for him after he'd deleted windows explorer!

This despite it saying words to the effect of "Deleting this file will affect the way your computer operates. Are you sure you want to delete this file?"

Once he'd learned you could just click and drag files to the recycle bin there was no stopping him. The last time he did it I refused to come and reinstall windows and he took the pc back!! Not only did he get a full refund but he was able to go and buy a far better spec machine for the money because he'd had it for 9 months!

andym172

My mum, possibly the biggest technophobe around, has in the past 3 weeks learnt how to:

- search the web
- send and receive e-mails
- chat on MSN Messenger and iChat (AIM)
- check the balance on her mobile
- pay for more credit on her phone (using her credit card and key phone pad)

For somebody who wouldn't go near anything remotely technical due to the fear it would break etc, I've been extremely impressed how quickly she's learnt all of this.
The computer stuff is definitely due to Mac's OS X being so easy to use - once she learnt one thing it been like a domino-effect giving her the confidence to move onto new stuff.
She's now spending an hour+ on her 'flaptop' every night.

Good luck!

bigsinky

my dad started @ 65 when he retired. Major PITA at the start, phoning me all the time on how to do this and that. learning curve for the old crumblies is pretty steep if they have never used a pc before. just grin and bear it, it will get better as they become more proficient. i do like Lum's suggestion of 2 icons on the desktop, what can go wrong................................laugh, i almost started

cheers

sinky

Lum

PC is (was) also a brand name. You can't really say "IBM compatible" any more as the IBM ones dont fully adhere to the standards of a standard PC these days.

ScoobyDoo555

I've got round this "tech support" issue, by getting the in-laws one of those Bush Internet TV things

No tech support required - just plug and go!!! (I hope)

Dan

Fuzz 2

Come in from work to find a "TFT" like glow emanating from the bedroom..

"Aha" i think. "At last she is using the computer"
get to the door, only to find....
She's playing cards (patience)

"Why dont you use the web, I've shown you how" I said.

She replied, "Oh I dont know what to do with Internet Express"


Andy

mj

parents eh?

Scooby Roo

I had the unenviable task of installing my father in laws pc.....jesus

No sooner had I installed it and given a few hints and tips on switching on, using mouse, signing on to OAP...sorry AOL, that I started with the grief. Settle down in front of the TV then I get the "I was looking for a site selling soap and this came up" yeah right!!

Do not leave the house as you will forever be on the fone....it's a nightmare.

Good security a must

Good luck fella and Happy Christmas

Roo

jonc

Better get some net nannying software installed. Parents, you can't trust them!!

NotoriousREV

Buzzer, I'll do you a deal. I'll provide your Dad's technical support FOC, however in return you must take over the support "contract" I have with my eccentric mother-in-law.

"I can't find my icons"

Fuzz 2

Andy