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YeeHa!   My elderly Aunt got her first computer. Yep, she's trying to learn the skills that most six-year-olds take for granted. Her grandson got her set up with an "easy" Apple, and then this whiz-kid who manages a few dozen websites and writes iPhone apps "introduced her" to computing in half an hour.
Needless to say, I'm now having to provide technical support for her... and I've learned that teaching computers to the Greatest Generation is tougher than you might think.
If you ever find yourself in this position, remember that this is the generation whose VCR blinked "12:00... 12:00... 12:00" throughout the entire 1980s, or at least until some teenager fixed it. Chances are Dad or Grandma is going to need a little more coaching than you're used to. You might want to try these hints.

Things You'll Need:
 

• Time
• Patience
• Understanding

1 Get the computer set up for an elderly user.
Make the desktop icons as large as possible, and set the text size to large as well. make certain your pupil can see text and menus, or she won't want to bother. Work with other settings, too: volume control adjustments may be needed for the hard-of-hearing; and almost every new user needs to have the mouse settings adjusted for their failing hand-eye coordination.
2 Be patient.
Remember how hard it was for you to make your first bar chart in a spreadsheet, or convert a word-processing document to a PDF? This is just as hard for your pupil - maybe worse, since she's being taught by some young whippersnapper!
3 Introduce these new concepts by using analogies to your pupil's past experiences.
Remember that Grandma or Dad is a grownup, with a wealth of experiences in the workplace, running a home, or both. You can make learning easier by drawing on those experiences when you teach. For instance, my aunt worked as an office manager, so we talked about how she had different tasks every day - bookkeeping, correspondence, messages - and how the computer has different "applications" to match those tasks.
4 Liberally apply the KISS principle - "Keep It Simple, Stupid."
Only teach one thing at a time. I taught my aunt how to use a mouse by playing the solitaire game, for instance. I taught her that all of her "tasks" (applications) will use words she's already familiar with, in the same way: "Send" is the same thing as licking a stamp and dropping the letter in a mailbox, "Reply" is the same thing as answering the questions in a letter from her bank.
I *didn't* go into lengthy discussions about re-sizing windows or multi-tasking: those are for the advanced class.
5 Avoid computer jargon: all those "new" words (and worse, old words in new uses) just confuse people.
My aunt has no idea what "double-click on the email icon" could possibly mean. Instead, I had to talk to her about "moving the arrow over to the picture of the mailbox and clicking the mouse button twice."
Point out that modern computers use a lot of graphics called "icons," but they are no different from the stylized pictures of a man and a woman on restroom doors, or the street sign warning you of a curve. Past experiences are the key to understanding icons.
Instead of jargon, use simple, unambiguous words: instead of "open" your email program, use "start." Instead of "hit" reply, use "click on" (after your pupil has graduated from "place the pointer on it and press the button" to "click on"). To my aunt, "click on" is almost as foreign as her next-door neighbor trying to chat with her in Swahili!
6 Give your student time for things to soak in.
Keep training sessions short and allow the trainee plenty of hands-on practice. It took two weeks before my aunt sent her first email, because all of the other people who tried to teach her zipped through "basics" in five minutes and then moved on to file systems and pictures and window management and... you get the picture. By the time all that was done, she had forgotten how to open her email program!
7 Above all, be patient: this person might have changed your diapers when you were a baby. You owe 'em some patience!

With the yellow pages and online classifieds fill of ads form computer repair geek companies, claiming the best rate and best technicians, you need to do some research to find the right one for you. You do not want to be spending money, and not get your computer problem solved.  Follow the simple guidelines below to avoid problems, when selecting your computer repair geeks.

Ask the company what their minimum charge up front would be. Most companies refer to this charge as their diagnostics fee. Some companies have an exorbitant minimum and they will charge this regardless of whether or not they get the diagnosis right.

So the second question logically follows, â??If the diagnosis is incorrect, do you still charge?â?� The answer really should be â??Noâ?�, or at the very least, the company should be willing to split the difference of the diagnosis should you prove that the computer repair geek technician concluded the wrong problem.

Ask the company what their â??no fixâ?� policy is? In other words, if a technician comes out to your business or home and attempts to fix your computer or network problem but is unsuccessful, will you be charged for his time and effort? Really you shouldnâ??t be charged. If the technician does not have the skills necessary to resolve your problem, you shouldnâ??t be charged for his attempts.

Ask the company if they are bonded or have had thorough background checks run on their technicians? Character is everything in the computer repair geek industry.

Ask the company if their computer repair geeks are experienced? Some companies (I wonâ??t mention any names), hire any pimple faced high school nerd as long as they will up sell services to the companyâ??s clients. Skills and experience are not always taken into account for a lot of computer repair geek companies, or at least, are they not prioritized properly in the order of importance.

Ask the company if they have any local referrals in your area that you can call and check up on their past work.  Remember; look for computer repair geeks that operate under a national company here, not an individual advertising in the classifieds, at a very low rate, that he can solve all your problems.  If you have a bad experience, you have no recourse with an individual, but with a good computer repair geek company, you can usually get the problem solved.

Hiring a company, instead of an individual, also has his assets, as the geek that comes over to your place to fix your computer, may not have all the answers, but he has an office, and team of fellow geeks, that he can fall back on and get your problem solved.

So, remember to ask all the right questions above when you are selecting your computer repair geek company.  The reputation of the company and the quality of the technician will be very important factors in getting your computer up and running.  Most national computer repair geek companies are quite good, and when you find one, you will be happy you did the proper research.

for further information feel free to call GoGoGeek at 1-800-404-4335 or visit us on the web at http://www.gogogeek.com

Web browsers allow you to navigate the internet. There are a variety of options available, so you can choose the one that best suits your needs. 

How do web browsers work?
A web browser is an application that finds and displays web pages. It coordinates communication between your computer and the web server where a particular website "lives."

When you open your browser and type in a web address (URL) for a website, the browser submits a request to the server, or servers, that provide the content for that page. The browser then processes the code from the server (written in a language such as HTML, JavaScript, or XML) and loads any other elements (such as Flash, Java, or ActiveX) that are necessary to generate content for the page. After the browser has gathered and processed all of the components, it displays the complete, formatted web page. Every time you perform an action on the page, such as clicking buttons and following links, the browser continues the process of requesting, processing, and presenting content.

How many browsers are there?
There are many different browsers. Most users are familiar with graphical browsers, which display both text and graphics and may also display multimedia elements such as sound or video clips. However, there are also text-based browsers. The following are some well-known browsers:

Internet Explorer
Firefox
AOL
Opera
Safari - a browser specifically designed for Macintosh computers
Lynx - a text-based browser desirable for vision-impaired users because of the availability of special devices that read the text

How do you choose a browser?
A browser is usually included with the installation of your operating system, but you are not restricted to that choice. Some of the factors to consider when deciding which browser best suits your needs include

compatibility - Does the browser work with your operating system?

security - Do you feel that your browser offers you the level of security you want?

ease of use - Are the menus and options easy to understand and use?

functionality - Does the browser interpret web content correctly? If you need to install other plug-ins or devices to translate certain types of content, do they work?

appeal - Do you find the interface and way the browser interprets web content visually appealing?

Can you have more than one browser installed at the same time?
If you decide to change your browser or add another one, you don't have to uninstall the browser that's currently on your computerâ??you can have more than one browser on your computer at once. However, you will be prompted to choose one as your default browser. Anytime you follow a link in an email message or document, or you double-click a shortcut to a web page on your desktop, the page will open using your default browser. You can manually open the page in another browser.

Most vendors give you the option to download their browsers directly from their websites. Make sure to verify the authenticity of the site before downloading any files. To further minimize risk, follow other good security practices, like using a firewall and keeping anti-virus software up to date. 

For more information surrounding your computer call Canada's #1 choice for computer support GogoGeek: 1-800-404-4335

We are Canada's Best Computer Repair Company and we pride ourselves in our customer service and professionally trained computer repair technicians. 

We can be onsite in a few hours, or help you over the phone with remote telephone technical support .

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1-800-404-4335

Our services include, computer repair, virus removal, spyware removal, networks, wireless networking, server work, new computer systems, data recovery, PC and Mac, and much more.  Check out out main site here for more information: 

http://www.GoGoGeek.com

Call us today if you need a Computer Geek – We will repair your computer problems.

Is your computer running slow?  Crashing? Let us perform a deep system analysis of your computer to remove all traces of Spyware and Viruses.  Onsite computer repair for business or home.

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