The easier engineers make it to operate a machine and the more difficult it will be to fix.
In other words, the more sophisticated the apparatus and the more arduous the repairs.
I started to use a computer at the dawn of the Cyber Age (the Sixties) when CP/M (Control Program for Microcomputers) reigned supreme over all the microcomputers.
In order to prod a computer to work, you had to enter some basic commands into the system and respectfully wait for it to perform its magic.
It was a little awkward but not extraordinarily difficult and few things could go wrong. And if they did, they were easily fixable.
Twenty years later (due mainly to Xerox and later to Apple), running a computer has become much easier.
A “mouse” allows neophytes to point and click on an icon to perform a task.
And if you attempt to go under the hood and tinker with its clockwork, things could easily spin out of control.
A modern computer is like a large warehouse with a multitude of separate containers. If you want to fix something you first have to know where to go, and then what to do, and few casual operators are knowledgeable enough to do that.
Over the years I have painfully learned that whenever dealing with a computer you should meticulously monitor the health of your machine.
Ideally, you should keep a log of incidents and attempted corrective actions.
If something goes wrong, (and computers can be very testy) it is easier to backtrack and undo (if you can) what you last did.
The bane of modern computers is its excessive (and often confusing) use of elaborate passwords.
When trying to fix a problem (especially on Apple products) you will be asked again and again to enter various passwords and many people prove incapable of coming up with the right answer.
The best way to remember anything is to write it down, but scribbling illegible characters on little pieces of paper is not the solution.
Personally, I use an Excel spreadsheet to keep track of those pesky passwords and whenever I am urged to enter or change a password, I refer to that sheet.
And I keep it up to date.
I also keep those passwords on a USB key that I can carry with me anywhere.
If I travel and need a password, I can plug my key in any USB port and retrieve the needed Sesame.
The secret of getting along with computers is organization, patience, attention to details… and the goodwill of a trusted computer geek.
Alain
I have shown you this video before, but it is worth watching again:
