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General discussion

Why are computers still so difficult to use?

Feb 11, 2011 6:14AM PST
Question:

Why are computers still so difficult to use?


Hi, Lee, I know this is not the technical question you normally receive, but I was hoping you can have your community members help me out in a big way.

As a final year college student I need to carry out an independent project looking at an issue in the domain of my subject. I chose the question, "Why are computers still so difficult to use?" To start my project I compiled several questions to explore experiences of computer users (see below). A summary of what I am wanting to look at are competency levels of users with computers, how they got into using them, the time they'll spend on them in a day, their challenges and how they manage them, their happiness in using them, their thoughts on the increasing functionality/pervasiveness of computers, and their opinions as to whether computing is any easier now. It would be great if you could give me some pointers as to suitable themes you think would make a good project--even if you were to challenge the title! Could you also tell me of the context in which you use computers (e.g., as a software developer, moderate user, etc.)? Thanks in advance for everyone's help. Here are the questions I would like to ask the community:
Thanks in advance for everyone's help.

Here are the questions I would like to ask the community:

-- Can you remember when you started using computers?

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?

-- Do you have any challenges even now?

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies?

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now?

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?

--Submitted by Ronald G. of Warwick University in UK


If you would like to help out Ronald with his college project and answer his survey, click the link below and click the "reply" to submit your answers:

Discussion is locked

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An essay for some answers...
Feb 11, 2011 7:58PM PST

-- Can you remember when you started using computers?

Yes, it was around the years of 1998 and 1999, when we got a family computer around my 6th or 7th birthday, with windows 95 installed (upgraded to 98 soon after). Ahh, I miss that cat and mouse game...


-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?

By majority, yes. Once you got your head round the fact that certain actions gained you the trophy known only as "the blue screen of death", you got that hang of things.


-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?

Overall it's been straight forward, but when you don't know things and the family suddenly decides your the computer genius, there come a few challenges.
People may think it silly because it's so simple, but before you know anything about the innards of computers, it is a bit of a mystery still. Learning that there are essentially 4 items you need to make a computer and how they make the computer work was interesting, but then putting that across to an audience in lay man terms was a bit of a challenge.
Then comes all the different OS systems, anti-viral programs, office programs, etc etc. Learning how to differentiate between the "hoorays" and "hoo dear god's" was also an interesting challenge, but again once you know how it's as simple as PI.


-- Do you have any challenges even now?

If you consider the urge to throw the computer at a wall because of the "white tint of frustration" that windows vista and 7 have bestowed upon us a challenge then yes.
Although the main challenge I have is figuring out why I've done something wrong when I do something wrong and the computer gives no warnings about such problems. For instance, partitioning a hard drive into 3 sections (Windows 7, Ubuntu, then a special area for my data) and then having the computer crash because the OS systems dislike each other. Or how creating 2 instances of a camera mass produced, and bought over eBay from China, on the computer can cause the blue screen of death even on a Win 7 OS.
Again, you learn to live with it.


-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies?

4 coping strategies stand out amongst the rest for me.
Always listen to the experiences of other people. This can give you a heads up about quite a lot of bad websites, programs, and computer makes. The customer is always right. But it can also enlighten you to facts that you may not have known, or a program/ website to look into in more depth to see if it's worth bothering with.
Google! Where would we be without that sexy beast! It has given me access to peer reviews, solutions to problems I've encountered, knowledge on how to make trench coats (... it's a pass time) and knowledge on such random questions as "Can I fit SX-70 film into a 600 series camera?". It's helped me cope with more than just computer problems!
Wikipedia, the source of all general answers and information. If there's a program made by a suspicious looking company, just wiki them and hey presto, you get a bundle of links to websites about them, some background information about the company, and an idea about some of their other products that they've created. It can also be a really good place for people to start learning about the insides of computers (so long as they just read the simple parts). In general, it's one of the first places I go when there's a general knowledge question about PC's rattling round my head.
And of course, the source of 99% of all my programs. download.com. There are just SO many programs out there it's unthinkable to consider counting them all. Getting the right program, for the right computer with the correct OS with just the right user interface for just the right price of

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Poll response
Feb 11, 2011 8:17PM PST

I think one of the problems asking your questions here at CNET is that most responses will be from Techy people like me so the answers will be mostly positive because they have a technical past having grown up with computers and don't find any difficulties using them. Therefore I think the results will be unrepresentative of the general population. I suggest you submit the questions to a more generalized public site such as Twitter.

Windows operating systems have greatly improved usability for the less technical but I think the main problems have been installing, setting up and accessing the windows programs rather than just using them. I currently use Ubuntu Linux which has the ability to provide several different user interfaces with the same operating system and would be an ideal platform to design and try new ideas.

Hope that helps
James

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Computers are easier to use now, but still ...
Feb 11, 2011 8:23PM PST

-- Can you remember when you started using computers?
1986 - with an IBM PCjr. Ran MS-DOS, and had a floppy drive. It originally had 128kb of memory, but I upgraded it to 512kb.

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?
No. I had to learn through computer user groups and through computer classes.

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?
Once Windows was introduced, it became somewhat easier.

-- Do you have any challenges even now?
I now run Macs and for some reason, the Adobe CS 5 is harder than I think it should be - especially getting Flash-based videos to come up on Internet Explorer. It used to be so much easier with CS 3.

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies?
Back in the day, you could go to your local computer user group for help and advice. Too many of them have fallen by the wayside, and getting support from a company comes at a price. Nobody should have to buy a product, and then buy the support that comes with it.

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now?
Definitely, but still have challenges, especially with advanced programs like CS 5.

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?
All the time - I run a home-based graphic art, web design and corporate ID business.

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?
Much more now than back in the MS-DOS - BASIC days. If anything, I'm concerned that it has gotten a bit too pervasive. But I love the interactive capabilities much more, and love being able to create some of those functions for people.

Ronald, I hope this helps you in your survey. Good luck to you.

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Clarificaton to my post about coping strategies
Feb 12, 2011 9:27PM PST

It bothers me that you have to pay good money to purchase a product (and Adobe and Microsoft are two of those guilty of this), and then have to pay for support. The company should be required to stand behind its product and offer free support.

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Survey Response
Feb 11, 2011 8:44PM PST

1. Yes - when Radio Shack introduced the TRS-80 Model III, circa 1980. A Z-80 based processor. There was virtually no off-the-shelf software. During the Model III's life, I wrote two commercial programs - a lat-lon based aircraft flight planner and a fully complete and accurate radio station scheduling/billing/logging program my company used for several years. I was not, however, a 'professional' software writer ... these were personal challenge projects.

2. Yes, due to 68-72 college computer science using IBM's HUGE 360 requiring punch card entry under FORTRAN, which is VERY similar to BASIC.

3. Yes, to include dealing with Z-80 8-bit "Assembly Language" and extensive BASIC. MS-DOS was the next step, but as OS complexity evolved and software became more available, my 'do-it-yourself' desire waned, accordingly. The time investment became too great to keep up with it.

4. YES! The hardware and software is evolving at such a rapid exponential rate that even the vendors from Microsoft-to-whomever themselves cannot keep up with guiding their customers into the latest/greatest. Networking is a great example. As basic networking becomes more automatic, vendors start pushing the envelope to their customers beyond the basic and barely breath a word over what it takes to manage it.

5. YES. Research backed by a 'linear' brain. This makes me socially incompetent. However, my socially brilliant wife has great difficulty making a 'leap in logic', therefore crashes computers with a mere glance. I have shown her required basic tasks on innumerable occasions, yet she can rarely build on that let alone remember the original lesson. It really throws her.

6. YES. The hardware/software is becoming ever more sophisticated for the tasks I need it to do in my life. The technology has leaped well beyond what I need, eliminating the need to explore the extended capabilities that take advanced configurations.

7. Counting fixed and mobile devices, a nominal 2-hours a day.

8. YES and NO!! For me, computers are tools used to improve productivity and output quality. However, mobile computing in particular can destroy productivity, to wit: If I had phone texting, it would completely destroy my hands-on productivity. I for one do not believe staying 'connected' to the world 100% of the time is a good thing for the human condition.

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answers
Feb 11, 2011 8:58PM PST

-- Can you remember when you started using computers?

I started using computers since I was 6 years old. It all started with a very old machine (cannot remember specs) and had DOS on it. It was difficult to use, but I had lots of fun. Then my aunt got me a new PC with Windows 98 which has GUI interface.

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?

No, I would not say that it was easy. First 6 months I spent on getting to know all the features, interface, what to do, what to avoid etc. It took me couple of years to get to know the OS and all the programs that were there.

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?

My journey was quite straightforward when PC was working fine. The challenges appeared when PC began to fail from time to time, or when my mum was using PC. A good friend of mine used to come round from time to time and was showing me and teaching me how it all works and how to deal with some problems.

-- Do you have any challenges even now?

Yes, sometimes I find myself lost among the computers, especially when they start to fail. Sometimes I do not know where to start looking at the problem. Now I am getting used to hardware problems, but the main problem is with the software... it is getting complicated now. Instead of having clear layout and having all the tools in one place, they are all over the screen, and it takes a lot of time to find wanted tool.

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies?

I never give up. If I cannot find something, or solve the problem, I Google it, or I ask friend for help.

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now?

That's a tricky question... I would say yes, the problems are easier to tackle now, because all the answers to the problems we can find on the Internet e.g. this forum.

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?

I am doing IT at College, so on a typical day including reading news, playing games, writting assignments, I spend about 5-7 hours a day.

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?

Yes, I do, computing is a great fun.

Sorry about my English, if I made any mistakes. Take care

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difficult to use response.
Feb 11, 2011 9:29PM PST

Can you remember when you started using computers

1974

Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with.

Not then.

Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?
In 1974 computers were built by the owner. We used compact tape drives for storage as our 1st big step. Prior to that I used an S100 buss based system with 5K memory. Understanding directories and using Pascal.

Do you have any challenges even now?

Yes there will always be challenges. Now we try to integrate data bases, multi media, music collections, video, games, messages and household equipment.

Did you/do you have any coping strategies?

Still the same things, talk to others, read, try it, confer, ring suppliers. Now there are more people that know what you are doing, have tried it or there are more accessible reference sites. And the GUI is much easier.

On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?

In an 8 hour day the only time my PC is not with me is during lunch. And then I go home and use the home system!

Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?

It is part of my job as a researcher in computers. We are constantly trying to make things easier, but the difficulty is that the more we make it easier to do a set of tasks, the population wants to add more tasks. Sadly most do not have any formal training or any intention of getting that training.

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29 years of home computing.
Feb 11, 2011 9:57PM PST

Can you remember when you started using computers? Sure, it was 1981 or 82 and I bought a Timex Sinclair 100(0)? It plugged into my little 12" black and white TV and I had to program it in BASIC. Around that time we were just getting computers in my high school so I was using TRS-80's and 100's

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with? Easy is a subjective experience, yes it was easy FOR ME because I was so interested in how computers work and what they could do. This drive to know more helped me learn faster.

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were? My Journey took a side road around 1985, I was in college and taking a programming class. The teacher was dead set on teaching us how to use spreadsheets and make our printouts look like professional documents. I was dead set that I wanted to program video games so I wouldn't have to ever pay for them again. I dropped the class, and school in general and went to work full time. I spent a couple of years riding motor toys and drinking beer until I had an incident that woke me up. Shortly after that I joined the Navy, volunteering for submarine duty and going to school to learn military computers. Large, IBM built systems that were amazing and frustrating all at the same time. I didn't get back into personal computing until my first shore duty in 1994 and by 1996 I was building my own computers and experimenting with different operating systems.

-- Do you have any challenges even now? I still work for the Navy as a contractor, and I am kept very busy by the commercial-off-the-shelf program. All the years of building my own computers has paid off since the Military switched to commercial grade equipment. It makes my hobby, my job, and it constantly challenges me because of the complexity and ever changing equipment and software needs. These challenges are what keep me interested in computers and my job.

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies? My best coping strategy is knowledge. Mine, someone else's, the manufacturer and mostly Google! By the time I see a problem, chances are someone else has already seen and found the cause so that I don't have to spend a lot of down time trying to fix something that already has a patch. As far as mentally coping, the stress I deal with in getting systems back up and running is what I use to help me focus on the problem and try to follow it to it's logical cause. I don't like input from others until I have looked at the problem and tested the equipment. If I need help I'll ask for it, but I don't try to influence others troubleshooting process by adding my 2 cents.

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now? Absolutely! The experiences and skills I've learned, all help to make my job fun and still keep me on my game. Without a challenge, life gets boring. The human mind needs stimulus to keep it running at its peak and as we grow, the challenges we face today would have seemed impossible 2,5,10 years ago.

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices? Home 2-4 hours. Work 6-8 hours.

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now? Not really. The amount of computing power available to the average person is so pervasive and invasive that the acutual thought that someone is using a computer is lost in the actions that they are performing. It is amazing that you can walk down a street in London, take a picture of Big Ben, send it to your friend and be talking to them the whole time. Computers are making our world smaller and somewhat less interesting because we don't have to go anywhere to see the sights. I appreciate that we are using massive amounts of computing power, but it isn't making us smarter or better at being human. Instead, I feel that computers are physically isolating us from the world and people around us. We have access to more knowledge than we can handle and we sit in our chairs and do nothing with it.

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Some Answers
Feb 11, 2011 10:31PM PST

-- Can you remember when you started using computers?

Yes. 1968 in a course on computing, using a Burroughs mainframe with a Singer punchcard reader. Computers were all mainframes back then.

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?

No more difficult than a lot of other coursework and considerably less difficult than some, like organic chemistry.

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?

Well, my knowledge has increased fairly straightforwardly but there have been many challenges, such as being presented with various different operating systems and the progression of new programming languages.

Indeed, one of my chief challenges was during the dawn of networking and dealing with heterogenous installations spanning many different operating systems and interfacing different network systems.

But even those challenges pale when compared to the difficulties, particularly in the '80s and '90s, dealing with my role as data communications administrator at NASA HQ, where I had to make the data saved by different applications running on different operating systems usable by other applications and other computers. My hostility toward Apple products dates from my experiences in this arena, where the data produced by our Apple cultists tended to be unusable elsewhere without extremely labor-intensive modification.

-- Do you have any challenges even now?

Mostly with highly sophisticated malware and penetration attacks by very clever hackers whose skills sometimes surpass my own.

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies?

Yeah, but do you think I'm going to publish them publicly? (Actually that right there provides a hint to one of my more important and effective strategies.)

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now?

Well, I am more experienced, more skilled, and more knowledgeable, and with those improvements to my own abilities I find many things far easier than I previously did, and I my confidence in my abilities has grown apace.

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?

Between three and six hours most days, seldom less, sometimes more.

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?

In some ways yes, other ways no. I appreciate having information available and the improvements to other technologies like television and navigation that computerization permits But I do not appreciate being tethered so tightly to my employer, who doesn't want to pay for work done on the spur of an off-hours moment.

But most importantly, the pervasiveness of computer technology has allowed frightening advances in surveillance, behavior and identity detection, and public record-keeping. In many western nations including the U.S. we are now under a comprehensive degree of surveillance that Josef Stalin could not have foreseen in his most avaricious dreams of tyranny. When combined with the thought manipulation capabilities of our mass media, this can be real trouble. And this indeed is the very essence of tyranny -- the government, when it chooses, knows where you are and what you are doing at all times. We need but err at the polls to awaken one morning to find ourselves checkmated by a dictator.

And THAT I DON'T appreciate, even though I am a law-abiding citizen.

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Good Questions!
Feb 11, 2011 10:32PM PST

-- Can you remember when you started using computers?
I started using computers in 1973 at college by taking an introductory course in FORTRAN.

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?
Computers and computer logic made sense to me, so I assume I have a natural knack for it. I sympathize for those who want to use computers to perform certain tasks, but find computers confusing and frustrating.

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?
At the beginning, computers were a hobby. After personal computers were introduced into our business (first with the Apple III and then the IBM PC), I began producing applications. This was primarily a combination of my being able to make the computer perform tasks that needed to be done and the mainframe guys not wanting to use the PCs to do anything. Eventually, I became frustrated with many system engineers not understanding the business problems they were supposed to solve, so I stopped my involvement in application development.

-- Do you have any challenges even now?
I continue to be amazed at the amount of work it takes to keep computers functioning efficiently: installing patches, upgrading applications, running scanners, making backups, and solving computer problems for the rest of my family. At work, early mainframe applications were not released unless every function returned the result in less than 3 seconds. Today, with a capable desktop, I have to wait 10-12 minutes for the computer to boot, allow me to log in, and load all the background services and be ready for me to open my e-mail application.

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies?
Trying to remain patient and using the Internet to find solutions to problems. When I encounter a difficult problem, I am constantly amazed that I can usually track down the solution (or at least point me in the right direction) on the Internet.

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now?
Today, the challenges are much different. I do not envy the people trying to solve today's computer challenges.

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?
Typically, 6 to 7 hours per day.

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?
There was a time when if the computer systems failed, business continued to function. Today, when the network goes down, generally, little or no work can get done. I enjoy the extended functionality, but I worry about reliability, especially when it comes to our communications infrastructure. I forget who said it but I like the saying: "computers are no longer a science experiment".

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Bootino?
Feb 12, 2011 12:57AM PST

This hypothetical boot-time particle is indivisible and ubiquitous.
All computers, from mainframes in 1975 to supercomputers and Windows PCs
today boot in roughly the same time. You get a faster PC, with a much faster
operating system, and it takes as long to boot as a 1994 Windows 3 machine.
The bootino is a fundamental flaw in the the warp and woof of the cosmos.
It is also the only constant so far found in computing...
It does, however, come in three flavours: too-darned-long, not-quite-long-
enough-to-make-making-a-hot-drink-feasible and will-this-thing-EVER-start.
There are some extensions to Standard Information Models that suggest those
three flavours of bootino swap identities. That would explain virtually
nothing special but it might be an insight into *humans*.

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Because "Good Enough" suffices. Mostly.
Feb 11, 2011 11:58PM PST

-- Can you remember when you started using computers?

Yes, 1975. Mainframe.

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?

For me, yes, I find computers and their softwares very easy to learn.

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?

I encounter things I don't know on a daily basis, but I keep learning. I don't see this as a challenge, more as a learning opportunity.


-- Do you have any challenges even now?

Only when people change things. New OS, new supercomputer, new back-up software, new PC clusters with virtualised machines running massive software suites. Once I've learned how they work, and how to fix them when they don't, I'm fairly happy.

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies?

First : do not panic. Even if it is your fault the mainframe has crashed, do not panic. Just admit what you did, call for more expert help if needed and work the problem.
Second : use the most hated three word phrase in the English languuage whenever it is appropriate. Saying "I don't know" does not reduce the size of any of your organs. It does help the rest of the teams, and you when you reach the limits of your knowledge - and *EVERYONE* has limits. There will always be things you don't know. Never be afraid of admitting this.
Third : if you *do* know, and you are being talked down to by a boss or an expert who does not, be polite but tell him he is wrong. If you aren't sure, *ask*.
Fourth : *ask*. For advice, for help and for clarification. Never be shy about telling the experts or bosses you didn't understand that last bit. Usually, they are only too happy to help.
Fifth : if you can help, help. If you need help, ask for it and accept it gracefully. We all begin as totally ignorant innocents. The best of us learn enough to be useful and helpful. It is not shameful to need help and it is not arrogantly prideful to offer it.
Sixth : Never, ever, panic. Even if it is a complete disaster and you are about to get fired for causing it, a calm attempt at fixing it is *far* better than running around in a terrified haze of excuses and denials.
Seventh and summation : when in a hole, STOP DIGGING.

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now?

The problems I faced while learning are no longer challenging, so, technically, yes, but there are new and different challenges, some of which are similar enough to old ones to be treated as the same at first approximation but all of which are as difficult as the very earliest issues I dealt with. A problem is only easy to solve once you know how. Until then, it is impossible. That seems to be obvious, but it is surprising how many people are astonished at how easily experience can solve what they see as insurmountable difficulties.

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?

Technically, all day, even when asleep. I have some computer equipment being used as alarm clocks.

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?

Yes, but I am astonished at how primitive and inflexible computing devices are. Examples: the clocks on many millions of PCs, even Macs, are wrong. It would have cost pennies to add a radio tuner to pick up broadcast time signals. No tablety machine I have even seen has finger loops for gripping it. No tablety box has extending shoulder loops, so you can support it and type two-handed. No PC nor Mac has ever had SCART connections, though the TV industry used these extensively for years. Computers suffer from being basically cut-down mainframes designed to use teletypes and punched cards and there is very little incentive for any manufacturer to develop them much. They work. They can do magic. They are incredibly useful and can be programmed to do a milliard of tasks, but the core of the machine han't changed much in sixty years. Yes, they get faster, and they store more, but those are trivial changes.
Even the micro-computers we use as smart-phones aren't much different from the original kits that were available in the 1980's.
Like the motor car, computers have not *needed* to change in their essences, so they haven't. They are still cumbrous, difficult to use, difficult to make do anything outside the limits imposed by the OEM installed softwares and difficult to personalise. They also break down at a harsh look.
The only advantage computers have is that they *WORK*. Like the fatal car crashes that shatter lives and devastate families, we are prepared to accept their limitations - which are many or fora like CNet would have a lot smaller help sections - because in the main and in general and for much of what we need, they do work.
We could have made uncrashable cars in the 1920's. We didn't. No one thought the effort worth the gain. [Electric and magnetic field detectors powered from the battery pack and feeding into governors and fuel valves would have been *possible*. They still are.]
We culd improve computers beyond anything we currently dream of, but we don't need anything that good. Not yet.
PCs work. They do stuff. Badly, inefficiently and with much swearing, but they do eventually work if we learn enough, train enough, swear enough and pray to the lares and penates and daemons enough.
What more could we ask for?
It is *easy* to make PCs that just do things. Many of our phones are like that. But these don't, yet, do all the things a bulky, baulky desktop will. So we put up with the limitations, because we are prepared to.
Computers will only get "easy" when either everyone is a computer nerd who can cope with all their foibles and flaws, or everyone who uses one only buys one that is.
At present, like the motor car, "good enough" suffices.
And no company will spend money making things better than sufficient.
We currently have PCs with 64-bit chips inside them. We could have had 1000-bit chips, or larger, in the 1980's. The technology was there, there wasn't a need for it.
"Good enough" suffices.
It might cost us endless frustration when we are trying to get WinXP to recognise our USB wireless dongle, but, until we get hacked-off enough to buy only kit that works, "good enough" will always suffice.
Mostly

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UK Computer Survey
Feb 12, 2011 12:06AM PST

1. Began w/MacIntosh IIsi as my first PC in the 1980's. However, did work with IBM mainframe at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill earlier using punch cards and later tape.
2. No, far from easy! My attempt at learning Basic computer programming language was an exercise in frustration. However, discovering that I would never be a computer programmer was helpful in directing my efforts toward becoming a better user.
3. My biggest challenge was when UNC-CH stopped supporting Apple computers and went exclusively to the Windows OS. I was continually frustrated with the DOS legacy which Windows has never seemed to overcome. Now that I am retired I can happily use my iMac while keeping access to my legacy Windows software using Parallels.
4. Oh, I am about to install Windows 7 Pro 64 bit using BootCamp in place of Windows XP Pro and I certain there will be challenges.
5. My coping strategy is to use Windows software as little as I possibly can. Unfortunately, there are still some unenlightened companies out in cyberspace (including my retirement community CCRC) which refuse to recognize Apple computers as a viable alternative.
6. Unfortunately, even the Apple OS has gained complexity over time so it is no longer as intuitive as it used to be. ALL new learning becomes harder as I grow older.
7. I spend about three hours per day using my computer. It has become an invaluable resource for news and online purchasing.
8. Certainly.

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Why computers difficult? reply
Feb 12, 2011 12:35AM PST

I would first like to say that I do not think computers are particularly difficult to use. I teach an occasional course to retired people through U3A. Most neophytes are afraid they may break a computer and therefore find them difficult. Teach them that breaking them using the keyboard is far beyond their abilities. Tell them to reboot if things are going poorly and beware of stuff from the internet. Then they do fine. Since most only want to communicate with their children, who probably gave them the computer in the first place, there is nothing to fear.

Answers to questions.

1. About 1970. A PDP8 with teletype I/O

2. Yes. The instructions were easy to follow. Use the switches to put in a start address and feed in the punched tape for the bootstrap loader. I think I then fed in the the basic language.

3.Absolutely not. I came to South Africa in '73. Can't give a timeline but built a Motorola D2 kit and learned some assembler language. I think it had (Audio?) tape I/O but I never used it. Got a SWTPC computer with a Flex operating system. Had a circuit built so it would communicate with a teletype and got one from the IT people where I was working on the condition I never asked for support. I think it had a 5.5 inch floppy drive. Learned how to program in BASIC. Upgrading memory was expensive so I bought an Apple II. Got a CPM? card for it and started programming in dBase2. Lots of fun. Apple dumped South Africa (they sold lots of computers to the schools and just dumped the country. A totally unreliable company to deal with and I shall NEVER! posses anything made by Apple). I was just learning the ins and outs of the operating system when I had to buy another computer. Got an IBM compatible with Microsoft DOS. I am sure I could use CPM on it as well as I continued dBase programming. Became quite proficient using DOS but eventually forced to go to Windows and have had troubles ever since. Fortunately, Win2000 reduced the incidences of the "Blue screen of Death" but death still regularly occurs. Using XP now but have just (last 4 months) recovered from 3 reformats and reinstalls. Had to pay for one as nothing worked. Couldn't even boot from a CD. The other 2 reformats and start over came about as I had to repair the assumptions of the person who did the first one. I have suffered perhaps 4-6 hard disk failures (start from scratch again). The first one taught me to backup. The rest have been an inconvenience costing a few days to recover. Interestingly, I lost my address book many times. Backup/reinstall just did not work. I finally had to learn to understand the process and save the .csv file. I suspect it had to do with poor programming causing incompatibility between different Windows versions.

4. Many. Software has become too complicated and every company thinks it owns your system. I dumped a great firewall because it slowed my boot process to extreme. That caused my next to last reformat and reinstall. I was afraid I had a virus. I am wary of Adobe. I have Elements and try to control it. I have chucked out several other programs. Adobe programs seem to just want to take over your computer. I have found Google invaluable for solving problems. If you have a problem, Google it. Windows Secrets is also great. Pay some money and get the paid for edition. I subscribed to Langa List for years and it merged with Windows Secrets. Most of Fred Langa's input appears in the paid edition. He knows a lot about computing. In any event, there are always challenges and you never stop learning.

5. Other than backup, backup and backup I suppose not. I had a guru who sold me my first IBM type computer. He solved a lot of problems while he was here (best scanners to buy etc). I have a friend who gave me and installed my wireless router and taught me how to clean up the registry. Another friend who understands hardware helps when I blow a power supply or encounter other hardware problems. Talk to people and most of them will help you if they can.

6. No

7. Circa 4 hours.

8. I suppose I do. I love the answers I can get from Google and Wikipedia and many one off sources I use for sundry questions. I am about to dump Facebook because my wall is covered with crap. I merely wanted to share photos with friends, but that seems to be impossible on Facebook. I would expect everyone to be wary that there is a lot of untruth and danger on the internet. I have been a bit cautious where I go and who gets my E-mail address. As a consequence, I receive about 5 SPAM messages a week. They seem to eventually give up if you just delete them. Never let them know you are really there. (Don't click on a link to make them stop sending. Just delete the message.) I really like a lot of the video material available. Alas, my connection is too slow to view in real time but I have learned how to save most of them for later viewing.

Hope this helps. I have enjoyed going down memory lane.

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Amazingly similar stories
Feb 12, 2011 12:57AM PST

"Can you remember when you started using computers?"
I started with mainframe computers in the '70s.
"Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?"
No but I worked for the National Bureau of Standards and had plenty of time and help to learn.
"Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?"
Learning Fortran IV was a little difficult and carrying pounds of paper printout from the computing center to find out which line of the program led to the pounds of printout was sometimes a challenge.
"Do you have any challenges even now?"
My current challenge is to make Lego Racers, a Windows 95/98 game for my grandsons, run on my XP desktop that ran it perfectly in the past.
" Did you/do you have any coping strategies?"
Yes, stick to Windows XP...I know it pretty much inside out.
"Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now?"
Of course! I have years of experience.
"On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?"
Probably 3 to 4 hours a day.
"Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?"
Of course! We couldn't do without it for keeping in touch with friends and family worldwide.

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Computers still so difficult to use?
Feb 12, 2011 1:14AM PST

1. 1987
2. Some software easy.
3. Fairly easy learning. Didn't use conistently so always catching up on newest programs etc
4. Just ordered new HP will be learning windows 7 and office 2010. Thank goodness for library and user manuals.
5. cope by looking for books @ library and talking to more experieced users.
6. challenges easier since more info available to learn about software
7.spend 1-3 hours per day. More when get new computer.
8. Don't like that people seem to be unable to be without cell phones, smart phones etc. tools new computing offers is good. just in it's place. really dislike waiting on peo to stop using portable technology to interact with a person.

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Old PC user
Feb 12, 2011 1:23AM PST

My first computer was the Atari 800XL. Ran on DOS and sported 256K RAM, with 128k RAM Drive modification added.
Much information was available from Atari clubs, so It was an easy process, if you were really into computers. I moved up to a PC (IBM clone then) once IBM and Microsoft allowed competition and the software prices dropped.
I found the biggest challenge to be Windows that didn't work and software that was not user friendly. Software developers have difficulty deciding how simple to make thier software interface, because they have a user base that varies from children to ARRPs. My copping strategy is to read comments from other users as much as possible, and talk to friends who have similar interests. It was easier when I was taking courses since my fellow students had similar interests. I have found that seniors have the most trouble because they are afraid of technology, and children have the least trouble because they have grown up with computers. As I grow older, I find the challenges harder. I used computers daily in my work, but now that I am retired, I only use them at home, a couple hours per day. While I have always been amazed at the possibilities openned up by the use of computers, they seem to be progressing at a rate beyond the ability of many users to operate them. A good example is cell phones. They have gone from making untethered phone calls to being an entertainment center, making calls, taking photos, internet and more. Here again, children appear to have the advantage over thier parents in operation and understanding of the devices.

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Atari 800XL ran BASIC not DOS and had 64k of RAM
Feb 13, 2011 11:03PM PST

I still have the machine.

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Nobody Wants to Learn How to Use a Computer
Feb 12, 2011 1:50AM PST

Ron,

This may be a little long, but please bear with me.

Computers are hard to use -- because most users steadfastly refuse to take anytime to learn how to use these complicated devices and manufacturers provide little or no training. That's why Apple computer users love their Apples so much -- they pretty much can use them right out of the box, but they don't have a damned clue what they're doing. Mention how they manage their files and you'll draw a blank look.

It's not too different with users of Windows now that Windows 7 has come along making Windows computers as easy to use in ignorant bliss as Apple computers.

When I bought my first computer way back in 1981, my salesman spent 3 hours training me in how to use it. Back then these much simpler computers were much more difficult to use. I had bought an Altos CP/M machine because my colleague who "knew" everything about computers insisted that those new computers based on MS-DOS from Microsoft would never go anywhere because the operating system was invented in a garage. (Of course, the jerk also convinced my wife's office to use Multi-Mate as its word processor rather than the industry leader WordStar or that up and comer WordPerfect (MS-Word wasn't even a blip on the firmament then).

But without that 3 hours of free hands on peraonal training I would have been lost.

Until recent year PCs have been very problematic to use and keep working. Along this 30 year journey of using PCs, I've had to learn how to take them apart and assemble them from the ground up to keep them running. I've wound up building about 70 Windows computers over the past 20 years and always build our own myself. I provide some training, including a four-page guide to maintaining your computer in working condition. So far no client who has followed the regimen has run into terrible problems with their computers I've built for them or fixed.

And that's part of the problem people face today -- no instructions from the manufacturer on how to maintain your computer. Add in all the dreadful, incompetent maintenance software and advice you can get online, and it's a sad situation.

Sometimes I think that you should have to get a license to operate a computer just like you need a license to drive. I've just seen too many people screw up their computers by not cleaning out temporary files (one client had 5,000 temp files in his root directory thanks to his teenage daughters), defragging their hard drive, using a lousy Internet Security program, not maintaining a clone of their hard drive, not using a file manager (not even knowing what one is), using the Internet recklessly, and falling sucker to spam scams.

Training would help. Plain English printed manuals would make a major difference. There were some great ones over the years, especially the manuals WordStar 2000 and manuals for Ventura Publisher over the years. WordPerfect even included some great manuals. Providing only PDF manuals may save manufacturing costs, but few people evern use them, much less print them out.

Add in incredibly terrible tech support, online and by phone, and you can see why many people are not enamored of their computers. Placing tech support overseas in Asia mostly has wrecked tech support for U.S. users. The only good tech support I ever get is from centers in the U.S. or Canada. I strongly suspect that sharing a common native language and similar cultures makes a world of difference.

So, yes I do remember when I started using computers and it was not an easy process to get grips with. Obviously the journey has not been straightforward. And today there are always continuing challenges --software that conflicts with hardware and vice versa; features Microsoft removes from Windows (like removing the ability to produce a pan-and-scan virtual desktop in Windows 7 and VISTA), unreliability of the Internet, etc.

On a typical day I'm working in front of the computer for 6 or 7 hours. I am not a programmer. I use it primarily for word processing, desktop publishing, research, spreadsheets, databases, website design and maintenance, email, editing photographs, burning music on CDs and designing covers and discs. Thanks to the computer, folks think my small two-person is a very large firm.

I hope this information is some help to your project.

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Nobody wants to spend FOREVER learning to use a computer
Feb 19, 2011 12:02PM PST

Most of the responses seem to be from tech types (which I'm not), and I'm afraid attitudes such as yours exemplify hard/software makers, which may be why computers remain so hard to use. For example, "most users steadfastly refuse to take anytime to learn how to use these complicated devices...Apple users...can use them right out of the box, but they don't have a damned clue what they're doing." Yes, that's right, and why is that wrong? How much time do you want to spend learning to use every device you buy? Do you still need a manual and tech support after a year or more just to use your stove, vacuum cleaner, cell phone, microwave, toaster, iron, coffee grinder, television, DVR, etc? Granted, computers are far more sophisticated and wondrous, but they're supposed to be time savers, not life-time projects, unless you work at Microsoft. If you do work there, fine, glad you like your job, but I have a different job, which I'm having problems getting done because you think I should know everything you know. I'm one of those people who don't know what a file manager is, and if some instructions about them came with my computer, I sure missed them.

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Well put!
Feb 19, 2011 9:29PM PST

If we all had to know how to fix everything that could go wrong with our cars to be able to drive it, who the heck would buy one? 99% just want transportation, not a second job. Yes, there are those of us who enjoy tinkering to squeeze more performance out of our "baby", want to save money by doing it ourselves (which is getting tough to impossible with today's sophisticated computer controlled everything), or are just curious about how it works. But, beyond knowing how to drive, the average "user" for the most part needs to understand "enough" to keep it running, like how to put gas in the tank, how to read the instrument panel for warning lights, where to take it in for regular oil and tire changes or repairs.

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Definite lazy
Feb 20, 2011 8:14AM PST

I agree nobody wants to spend forever learning how to use a computer, to an extent.
It only takes forever IF you think you need to know "Absolutely EVERYTHING"
AND you DON'T in order to use a computer for email, pictures, video, cruising the web or posting on facebook.
It's not hard at ALL to click the little ? sign, or the word "help" or better yet "Start" or "Start Here". But those who don't are the same people who know nothing about privacy and security and or refuse to take time to learn.
I feel life itself is a "life long learning process", we will NEVER know it all,
wake up smell the coffee......that isn't really intended towards you personally....Happy

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Learning everything...
Feb 20, 2011 9:36PM PST

I think everyone should learn the basics like what the security alerts mean, making sure you know what anti-virus program you have and that it's up to date, how to cut and paste, how to save and back up files. Just like you have to how to put gas in your car, get the oil changed, etc. The simple truth is computers nowadays are marketed as a "turn on, hop on the Internet and away you go", but there is a minimum of technical skills people have to become competent in to use it correctly. I agree...people have to be willing to put in at least that much effort. I think it can be difficult for some older folks like my Mom to pick up some of this from scratch, and not everyone has the time or money to take a class.

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why are computers still so difficult to use
Feb 12, 2011 2:09AM PST

1 1994
2 no
3 i fix electro mechanical equipment. using a computer was a totally alien concept.the idea of a desktop was not in my experience. i was also about 45
then and change is more difficult with age. i never did get dos, thankfully it went away. i used to forget to right click for more options. i found the terminology in the os's confusing. i did not know how to type. installing hardware, drivers and programs was hard. with the help of friends and my children i have become more proficient than most people i know.
4 i still do not type.
5 voice recognition soft ware.
6 all area's of computing have become much easier.
7 about 3 hours average,not including tv.
8 today i rely a great deal on my computer. i think everyones life is enhanced by them even if they don't use one.

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"Fear Of The Dark" by Iron Madien, or, It's too hard fix it!
Feb 12, 2011 2:16AM PST

Most people are just a bunch of lazy *** sixth graded fools.

I'm not a Rocket Scientist by any means. I just want and like to know what makes things works.

You can pay someone to fix it so you can stay in the "Fear Of The Dark, Ignorance" or you can grow up.

I was once and sometimes still ignorant. I dealt with ignorance by simply reading the owners manual and using my local Library.

To stay ignorant is expensive and sad.

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Reply to richjobe's "Fear of the Dark"
Feb 18, 2011 9:50PM PST

And some people are arrogant turds. Just because someone can't figure out something totally foreign, that they didn't grow up learning, doesn't mean they're lazy. Sometimes they just don't get technology, and pounding their head against a desk for hours is a waste of time, so they have someone else do it. Or some say a Mac is the answer. It's really sad that your ignorance of people unlike yourself has drawn you to the conclusion that they are. My mom is 75 and would rather just use her computer than spend time fixing it.

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arrogance
Feb 19, 2011 7:28AM PST

Quite right, Rob10. I am appalled to see that the sort of people who reply to this questionnaire are the very last people the researcher really needs. Not the ordinary man or housewife who may have difficultly using computers at times. But a mass of computer techies out to boast how early they started to work on computers. That they worked on mainframes etc. So many people come here to boast they started in the 1960s or early '70s!!
When what is really needed is the experience of the ordinary man or woman, the non-expert, who talks honestly about what he finds easy and difficult... In the hope that the industry might at last try to improve accessibility for the average bloke.... instead of listening to the technorati who are for 80% at the origin of the problem, by their wish to make computers an obscure science, so careers charging others for "services" are easier to make money in.
How's this for arrogance.."Computers are hard to use -- because most users steadfastly refuse to take anytime to learn how to use these complicated devices and manufacturers provide little or no training. That's why Apple computer users love their Apples so much -- they pretty much can use them right out of the box, but they don't have a damned clue what they're doing. Mention how they manage their files and you'll draw a blank look."
Betrays the hate of the technorati for any easy-to-use system. Certainly it makes it harder for the "experts" to make money out of Apple users.
The fact is that, if Apple users looked blank when asked how they managed their files, it was probably because creating and classifying files has been so easy with Apple over the past 20 years and more that they could not even understand that there could be a problem at all...! "What is this weirdo going on about?" was most likely their thought, but they were too polite to express it.

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;-)
Feb 20, 2011 9:59PM PST

Yeah, I see a lot of bragging rights type of posts. But, the demographic slice of people who read this forum tend toward that person.

If computers are to become the everyday appliance they are marketed as, they should either make them as easy to use as a microwave, or provide to everyone who wants one, a DVD with their new computer on the basics of how to use it. AND, in plain easy to understand language. Jeeze, sometimes I suspect it's like the IRS is afraid to simplify the Tax Code for fear of putting CPAs out of business.

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Answers
Feb 12, 2011 3:09AM PST

-- Can you remember when you started using computers?
Not exactly, but during the early 2000's, definitely by 2001.

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?
Yes. The only purpose I used it for at this time (as a 7-year-old) was Internet games and computer games.

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?
It has been quite straightforward. As my computer aged, it became slower and I had to learn to work around some problems. This increased my computer skills. When we bought a new computer and over the years I started using it more for school, photo editing, etc., I learned how to use peripheral drives, new editing programs, card readers, email, and typing at speeds over 100 wpm. As that computer began to slow and age as well, I learned even better how to work around the problems it had.

-- Do you have any challenges even now?
I must still use my 9-year-old computer for some functions and it tends to be slowest just at the instant where I need it.

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies?
I simply wait for it to work itself out and begin responding or work around problems. If there's something I'm really stuck on, I Google tech support.

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now?
I know better how to use computers now, but the challenges are the same.

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?
2-3 hours.

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?
Yes.

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Re - Why are computers still so difficult to use?
Feb 12, 2011 3:32AM PST

-- Can you remember when you started using computers?
yes, 1980

-- Would you say this was an easy process to get to grips with?
I believe I've always butted my head against learning anything new in computers, but over time the memory of the frustrations has mellowed

-- Since then, has your journey been straightforward, and if not, can you remember what some of your challenges were?
Learning a new approach always takes a little longer to penetrate my brain. For instance learning Prolog after using only declarative languages. Learning Lisp. Object oriented languages were just coming along when I left programming.

-- Do you have any challenges even now?
It's a challenge to try to keep track of the general outlines of how web technology and other programming stuff is exploding.

-- Did you/do you have any coping strategies?
Try to remain calm (frustration/anxiety makes my brain slow way down); sparingly use knowledgable humans when the book isn't communicating well.

-- Looking back, do you think the challenges you faced are any easier to tackle now?
Are you asking if the things that were hard for me in the past are easier for others to learn now? the answer to that is no. If you're asking whether my current challenges are easier than my past challenges, I would say they are a little easier because I have a body of knowledge/experience that I can use to interpret new stuff.

-- On a typical day, how long will you be interacting with computer devices?
~5-8 hours

-- Do you appreciate the extended functionality/increasing pervasiveness of computing now?
I do appreciate it; but I think it's important that we always keep an eye on the basics (that everything we need to live can be had without computers, without a single computer anywhere in the world).