Call me Mr. Un-Tech. They should put big disclaimers on websites offering items of technology saying, “Not for David N. Walker.” They shouldn’t let me buy such things.
I got a new smart phone last summer, and I still can’t figure out how to add new people to my phone list or to delete the thousand or so Facebook friends I don’t have phone numbers for. Why are they even in there?
Confusing as my phone may be, that’s not really what prompted me to write this rant post. That honor is reserved for my new Surface 2 Tablet. I got it last week, and I’m still wondering if I’ll ever use its capabilities. Assuming it has capabilities. You couldn’t prove that by me.
For one thing, it insists I use Internet Explorer, which everyone knows is broken, and it won’t let me download Google Chrome and use it for my browser. Nor will it allow me to use Google as my default search engine.
When I go online, I’m accustomed to having a taskbar show at the bottom of the screen and an address bar and other bars at the top. These make it possible to navigate, but the tablet seems to have none of these except an address bar. Yesterday, I went to Target’s website to search for a product, and I couldn’t a way out of it without manually entering another site in the address bar. There’s undoubtedly a way to navigate, but I haven’t figured it out yet.
The tablet came with a cloud account called OneDrive, so I copied all my photos from my computer into OneDrive. I can now look at them from either the computer or the tablet. But I haven’t figured out how to put new photos I take with the tablet into the cloud. Jenny Hansen and Jay Donovan, two friends who are very knowledgeable in tech matters, both gave me some instructions on how to do this, although their instructions were not the same. Someday I’ll probably figure out how to follow their instructions, but so far I haven’t.
I know a lot of people—including my older sister—who are not technological geniuses but who manage to enjoy using tablets. Are they smarter than I am, or do they just use one or two functions and not try to go beyond? I don’t know.
Probably most of you find my technical ineptitude laughable. That’s okay. Go ahead and laugh. I don’t mind. I just wonder if I’m totally hopeless or if I’ll eventually figure out how to use this fool thing. Maybe my intro is not really tongue-in-cheek. Maybe they actually should put my name in warnings on websites where high-tech products are sold.
After you quit laughing at me, tell me what computer hardware or software or social media programs you have trouble with. I’d love to know, and maybe a reader or two could use some help, too.
——————————————
We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.
——————————————
For more information about David N. Walker, click the “About” tab above.
For more information about his books, click on “Books” above.
Contact him at dnwalkertx (at) gmail (dot) com or tweet him at @davidnwalkertx.
David N Walker 
David, to be fair, I think that tablet sounds more complicated than ones like the iPad… Heck, it sounds like it might be more challenging than an android one, so don’t beat yourself up over it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Kitt.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Call me Mrs. Untech. I know far less than you do in the tech area. If I ever fully retire, maybe I can concentrate on becoming Mrs. Tech Savvy. Right now I enjoy using the excuse that I don’t have time to learn. Best of luck, David. Love, Wife
LikeLike
Thanks, sweetie.
LikeLike
Dave – I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing with you. The only web related thing I have ever tried to do was set up my own blog site, which I think I did pretty well. I still have no idea how to do a lot of cool things on it or with it.
My biggest problem is that I don’t understand the terminology. There are tons of choices under the menu bars and buttons, but I don’t know what those options are or what they do. Like the “press this,” button. It sounds like a cool device, but I can’t figure out how to use the dang thing. And I read the little instruction manual, too, but that only gives me more words I don’t understand. Where’s the plain English version?
I’ve found that the best thing to do is to just keep trying stuff. Some day it might make sense.
Good luck!
Patricia Rickrode
w/a Jansen Schmidt
LikeLike
Thanks, Patricia. Misery always loves company. The only way I got my website set up was that I had help from a couple of knowledgeable friends in my writers’ group. Even at that, I recently paid Laird Sapir to redo it and make it more attractive.
LikeLike
David, I sympathize with you, I don’t know much either, so don’t feel badly about it and I’m not laughing because I would be the same way if I had a tablet. If nothing comes up, it looks like I will be in Fort Worth to visit with all of you when Barb is there and see your mother and of course you and Sharon, I look forward to it. Love, Jane
LikeLike
Thanks, Jane. We always look forward to seeing you.
LikeLike
I think the big difference between us is that I use what I can figure out, and don’t stress about the rest. I am always surprised when I learn something new and can make it work. I have been learning how to use some apps on my smart phone that I knew nothing about till recently. I am probably as untech as you, but I don’t care. Love ya.
LikeLike
Thanks, Sis. I guess the fact that I’m a writer makes me feel like I should know more than I do. Also, having so many writer and other Facebook friends who are highly adept at tech stuff makes me feel like I should know more.
LikeLike