Some people and computers.. sigh..

I run a PC Support business on the side, but I cater to folks that don't have a lot of money - I asses the problem, and depending upon how involved I charge a flat rate as opposed to an hourly rate - it makes me hone my skills better so I know what to look for *and* what to expect in terms of anomalies and unexpected conflagrations.

I won't say how little I charge - but suffice it to say that it is not making me a lot of money....

OK so you could put this down in some cases to the people who sell the computers. All they're interested in is a sale so they tell the buyer oh this machine can do this that and the other with just a few clicks, but do they actually tell them or show them the clicks needed, do they explain that the software that is installed is only trial software so it will run out if not paid for or do they tell them just how to keep their machines clean, probably not they just want to get to the next sale

You probably find that the majority of sales people don't know as much as they think they know.
That's my thoughts I could probably say a lot more but it's time to shut down for the night, goodnight back tomorrow

win7 said:

I spend a lot of time building websites for people but could always do with some extra income and setting up pc's is easy.. and kinda fun unless you get stuck with some 133mhz dinosaur, but surely you could quite simply refuse such machines..

I was thinking about this the other night and my main thought was most machines people want sorting out are old and it takes ages to install stuff just cos of the weaiting time, but you could line up twnety pc's and do them all in roughly the same time with a few more clicks.. mmm

EDIT: and seriously i actually know this guy well, i went to school with him and known him over 14 years and he is very far from stupid.. strange.. some people and computers just don't micx i think, or they are scared they will break something.. im not sure..??

your saying a 133mhz is not a monster system?
i still have a server motherboard (you can call it that compared to now [it had 4 pci and 4 eisa i believe]) and it uses the p1 (and long since gone....:)) the still there because it reminds me of what we have accomplished (and i got it free..)

Jac said:

I used to work in IT support and was daily amazed at how little people knew about the machines they had been sat at day in day out for the last five years. If a shortcut was removed from the desktop by mistake they would not be able to use their PCs. People minimizing windows and then being completely stumped as to how to get back to their documents.

One particular job remains in my memory.

I'm called to a simple job with some huge middle aged woman. I get there and fix it within 10 seconds to notice that her monitor is refreshing at about 10hz. Thick black bars are endlessly marching up the screen.

How can you work with your monitor doing this I ask. "Oh it's been like that for years" comes the reply. I notice she is wearing super thick glasses. "How are you not on the floor having a seizure" I ask. Display properties, refresh rate set to 100hz - Job done.

The look of amazement from her and the rest of the meat sacks sat around. WTF

well not everyone is blesssed with being able to be computer litterate (since they don't usually need that skill but times have changed and now word like malware and worm are now mainstream)

davehc said:

Another tale. I was called to help some poor people with a computer problem. Their monitor had given up.
The persons concerned were, nice family that they were were, well down on the savvy scale, and without cash.
I opened up the monitor, which was in terrible condition, and managed to get a spark of life out of it. Unfortunately one of the triggers has failed, and the whole screen had a dark pink tinge.
I had quite a few old monitors sitting around and did not feel like wasting time. I popped the computer back with a replaced monitor and installed in situu.
The first remark of the owner was that there seemed to be a problem with the colours, as they had all changed.
When I questioned him, it turned out that he and his family had been looking at the pink screen for about five years, unaware that there was anything wrong!
Believe it or not!!

are sure that wasnt me since i did have a pink colored screen for a few months..
but i replaced it with a acer...:)

johngalt said:

I run a PC Support business on the side, but I cater to folks that don't have a lot of money - I asses the problem, and depending upon how involved I charge a flat rate as opposed to an hourly rate - it makes me hone my skills better so I know what to look for *and* what to expect in terms of anomalies and unexpected conflagrations.

I won't say how little I charge - but suffice it to say that it is not making me a lot of money....

i hear ya and do the same...:)
i dont usually charge what most do and they say there are happier contacting me that some unknow service that have the possibility to steal info...
(well they know me and they actually refer their friends to me since the price is right (couldnt help it...) and they the peace of mind of getting their machine working...

Joan Archer said:

OK so you could put this down in some cases to the people who sell the computers. All they're interested in is a sale so they tell the buyer oh this machine can do this that and the other with just a few clicks, but do they actually tell them or show them the clicks needed, do they explain that the software that is installed is only trial software so it will run out if not paid for or do they tell them just how to keep their machines clean, probably not they just want to get to the next sale

You probably find that the majority of sales people don't know as much as they think they know.
That's my thoughts I could probably say a lot more but it's time to shut down for the night, goodnight back tomorrow

lmao
i know such people
one came up to me to to refer me to some pizazz new shiny computer (well i do like shiny [aero anyone?]...:)) and i asked him one question which i do know he couldn't answer :

i know computer x does this better than your computer y, and your computer is costs more, so what am getting for the premium? the shininess? (most wont say yes [which is the truth] but they wont say no and will go into what software it has [from which i usually point its trial like joan said] and its extra buttons [which i have another keyboard for and even i usually dont use] and so he leaves nerviously and tells me to go and look around their *fine* selection of products and so i did and kept laughing to myself on the inside and then left remembering on how i made him feel picked on...