I am a brave woman.
I've given birth, not once but twice.
I've been married to the same man for almost 14 years.
I'm the mother of boys.
I've wrangled musicians and camp counselors.
I've worked at Krogers as a cashier.
I was a secretary.
I've faced down intimidating people, including officers and prinpals.
I've taught classes and given presentations.
With this in mind, why why why do computer stores and computer sales people intimidate me so much? Why does it feel like an insurmountable task to set foot in a computer store and actually make a decision as to what I need to purchase? It never fails. I come away feeling overwhelmed by the numbers and the 4 billion options and completely confused by everything I don't know.
Joal wants an iPod. Joal is not one to embrace technology but this is music. He has an email account that he has me check about once a week. He subscribes to three band-related e-newsletters and makes hotel reservations on-line. That's it. While I process about 500 emails a week, he probably hasn't received 50 this year. It's just not his thing.
Until someone (I forget who) turns him on to the wonders of the iPod.
Suddenly, this is the greatest gizmo since Starbucks and it has about 3 gazillion excellent uses.
He been patiently waiting for a few months now. Looking. Learning. Deciding between black and silver. :) Realizing that he could carry a large portion of his CD closet in his pocket on a plane.
You could say "he's sold"!
So, not so long ago I (this family's techno geek--heaven help up) cruise on over to the iPod site and the iTunes site to venture into that dreaded world of computer geek babble called SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS. Sure enough. Before the beloved iPod can enter our lives I have to upgrade my Windows software. I think. It's 2005--almost 2006 and I'm still operating on the millinium software.
Hey. It serves me well.
The problem is...all those numbers and initials in the SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS sections mean absolutely nothing to me. Nada.
Giga...Mega...Bits...Bytes...256...DDR...RAM...pulling out my hair now!
So.
It seems like a simple question. "What do you have?" the way-too-young-salesguy says at my computer store.
"Ummm." I hem and haw. I have no clue. I want to cry. I want to stomp my foot and wrinkle my nose and have a new computer system magically appear in my workspace...booted and saying "Goodmorning Sarah." just like my old one.
Is he speaking a different laguage. Yes. That must be it. He's not speaking English. He speaks computer. I don't understand computer. Aparently.
I come home completely exhausted.
I can surf the web. I can edit photos. I can write letters. I can find addresses and maps. I can design web pages. I can do it all on my trusty HP from 2000. Do we really *need* an iPod?
In other news: I scrapbooked a little this weekend. A new layout is here.
2 comments:
That's funny, I don't remember writing your latest blog entry but apparently I must have because all of that is exactly how I feel!!!! Dude, I totally relate.
I can work the software on the computer but if it's hardware, I'm lost. I hate that!!!!!
Oh, you definitely speak my language! It's like I tell the IT guys in my office every time they give me a new computer "that's great, but if I can't find it in the same place and it doesn't do the same thing as it did on the old one, I'll be calling you!" I have been known to answer the dreaded "what do you have" question before with "I don't know but I still need it to do everything it does now." I figure, they are the IT guys it's their job to upgrade me and make sure it still does all the old thing, I mean how hard can that be? This is also why I really appreciate my friend Marc - he takes care of my home computer issues and I help with watching the boys and many other things! Feel free to call Susannah and see if you can borrow his brain for a few minutes :o)
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