RyanHarne.com

Some people have the gift of helping others with their computer troubles. Adam, for example, has helped me time and time again with coding issues that I just can’t comprehend. Coding isn’t a strong point for me, so I just outsource my troubles to the ever-helpful Adam. And he is consistently patient and willing to see me through my tangles of code.

I cannot do that. When people come crying to me for computer help, whether it be cleaning up viruses or figuring out why their computer is running a thousand times slower than it was to begin with, I have nothing to say. Sure, I’ll sit down with them, run through Norton VirusScan and admonish them to stop opening those emails from “the provost” with the attachments labeled “identification tips” or whatever, but I try to avoid situations in which this occurs regularly. I don’t like visiting friends only to be forced in front of their Windows machine to stare into recurring blue screens of death and then be blamed for not knowing how to fix it.

Apparently, being a Mac user suggests to my acquaintances at large that I am an altruistic, freelance IT director. Hey, you use a Mac, please get rid of these viruses; hey, don’t you own a Mac? could you fix my harddrive?; yeah, I’ve seen your Mac, come clean my gutters. It’s flattering in some respects that people would seek me for some computing help, but frustrating when I’m blamed for not knowing the solution and even more frustrating that they know the fix themselves.

I use a Mac. And I don’t have any computer problems. No viruses. No applications that die. No data lost. That is my answer. And, no, Macs are not more expensive to their PC companions when equally outfitted. I’ve linked an article in the past on this point. So, in essence, my IT help is usually, “Hmm… well, this hasn’t happened on my Mac before, so I’m not sure how to fix it.” Not very helpful for helpless people, but I am not getting a degree in Computer Science or in Indentured Servitude.

And it was about time that the next step to alleviating these computer cries for help should be taken. Yesterday, a lovely bundle of joy (hassle-free to boot) arrived at the house for my parents. I wasn’t around for the opening ceremonies (which were, unfortunately, not documented with photographs or video footage), but once I got home the little tyke was working away with a GarageBand track. Awww.. talented for his age.

I hope the parents quickly enjoy the benefits of their Mac and understand that owning a Mac is more than just leaving the world of viruses and troubleshooting - Apple’s core is the combination of their own operating system and their own hardware which function in tandem to allow intuitive computing on the highest level. Oh yeah, and I hope they learn the advantages of showing off one of the most gorgeous pieces of machinery available; it silences the eye-sore grey or beige patchwork boxes out there.

I long for the day when I won’t be pestered by Windows users and their issues. But, the opportunities that those encounters provide are endless. One look at Expose will do it for some people, others need more encouragement either in the form of a Spotlight demo or a heavy blow to the temple.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 21st, 2005 at 6:53 pm and is filed under , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.