Search found 313 matches

by rand
4 Jan 2014, 10:54am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

I'm sure there is at least one person on this site who will take great pleasure in hearing that Windows 7 Home Premium software has defeated me and the irony is that Microsoft has driven me away from using the internet and their product.
On 2nd Feb 2014 my internet connection will be switched of and CTC and it's Thought Police (unpaid volunteers?) will be out of my life forever.
God bless you, Si, (as in Simian?).

Rand. Free at last!
by rand
1 Jan 2014, 3:00pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

Si wrote:Posts removed....please let's not start the year with people making uncomplimentary posts about each other.


Please explain.

Rand.
by rand
1 Jan 2014, 2:54pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

Si wrote:Posts removed....please let's not start the year with people making uncomplimentary posts about each other.


I can only assume you are referring to my response at being described as a Troll.
My only knowledge of Trolls is from childhood story books and my response was in no way uncomplimentary; merely asking what point he was making.
Si, this site is not your private fiefdom and I wish to make an official complaint about what I consider to be your high-handed attitude to a perfectly justified response.

In the past you have described me as "A bully and a thug" and banned me from this forum for two weeks. In reply, I asked how I could complain about your attitude (there surely must be such a protocol for ordinary members of this CHARITY?) but no reply was forthcoming.

This is a considered and reasonable request and I trust you will treat it as such.

I look forward to your early and accommodating reply.

Rand.
by rand
31 Dec 2013, 11:46am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Windows 7 Home Premium, difficulties.
Replies: 23
Views: 12549

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium, difficulties.

661-Pete wrote:
rand wrote:My homepage is, Dogpile; is that what you mean when you say, browser?

Rand.
No. Look at MrJemm's post just above this one, says the same as what I was referring to.


I read Mr Jemm's post and I don't understand it.

I don't know what I have to do to convince people of my problems, so I'll just ask the moderators to end this post, and the other one running parallel to this one.

Please delete my two posts seeking help with my computer difficulties.

Rand.
by rand
31 Dec 2013, 11:30am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

mike_dowler wrote:If you want to zoom in on a web page (such as this forum), hold down Ctrl and shift and press the + key


I don't have a key marked, "shift".

Rand.
by rand
31 Dec 2013, 10:12am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

ukdodger wrote:
rand wrote:I recently had "Windows 7 Home premium" installed on my PC, but it's so very fussy graphics and confusing arrangement is just too much for me.
Does anyone know (I've hear good things about Linux) of a truly user-friendly system that I could replace my current system with?
I cannot afford an Apple Macintosh.

Help.

Rand.


Chances are you're going to have to adapt to W7. I agree it's not a patch on XP but XP is dead whether we like it or not and will soon stop being supported. I looked around for alternatives to W7 but none were as good as XP. Some aspects of W7 are better than XP not the least being it looks for it's own drivers but overall how they can call it an upgrade is beyond me. MS should be taken to the trading standards people for misleading advertising. That's after being carpet bombed.


I agree with your carpet bombing suggestion, but I'd offer Microsoft my own upgrade - declare Microsoft HQ a nuclear testing zone.

Unless I can find someone prepared (and able) to simplify this latest gruesome offering from Microsoft for me I'll just have to bale out.

I'm prepared to pay someone to tame Windows 7 for me, but to date I've been unable to trace a willing soul.


Rand.
by rand
30 Dec 2013, 5:14pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

There seems to be another post running parallel to this site on this forum, but I have no recollection of having started it-confusing!

Rand.
by rand
30 Dec 2013, 5:08pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Windows 7 Home Premium, difficulties.
Replies: 23
Views: 12549

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium, difficulties.

661-Pete wrote:I'm no fan of W7 (never experienced the horrors of Vista) but I'm using it now on my laptop - didn't really have any choice. Still using XP on my desktop and will cling on to it as long as possible. W7 (even the 32 bit version) is very unfriendly to older DOS applications - of which I have several - if they run at all they make a snail look like Usain Bolt. Bloatware - that's what all OS's have become. Oodles of gigabytes used up on features you'll never even have heard of, let alone want to use - whereas the stuff you really need gets buried deeper and deeper....

However:
rand wrote:I've also lost capacity to run the forum at 125% magnification instead of 100%.
I'm surprised you're having a problem there. What browser are you using? I normally use Chrome, as a fairly quick and simple easy-to-use one. In Chrome, if you click on the 'customise' button (top right, with three black bars on it), you'll get a pop-down which includes the 'Zoom' function, you can set to any magnification you like. All right, so you can't do it in a single click like you could on IE8...


My homepage is, Dogpile; is that what you mean when you say, browser?

Rand.
by rand
30 Dec 2013, 5:01pm
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: Windows 7 Home Premium, difficulties.
Replies: 23
Views: 12549

Re: Windows 7 Home Premium, difficulties.

Tigerbiten wrote:If you have a legal XP disk, then re-installing XP on your box is easy.
You just need to make sure you have all the drivers/disks needed before you start.
It's just than Microsoft is stopping the security updates for XP soon, so it won't be as safe to use as a newer flavor of Windozes.

I've used Linux a little in the past.
The best way to learn it, is to play with it.
If you can get your hands on a cheap second computer, then install an easy version of Linux on it and find out how well you get on with it.

As for the forum.
Your computer uses cookies to remember what you've seen on the forum.
If you are not using them or are set to delete them, then the computer won't remember what you've seen.


Tigerbiten,

I've never deleted a cookie, I just wouldn't know where to begin.

In the past I've been told that I can tap away and will never inadvertently do any lasting damage to my PC; not my experience! on several occasions I've tried to go down what I considered was the right route and it invariably is the wrong route and I then have to call in a third party to fix it and we all know that this costs money.

The chap I paid to install my new hard drive was asked to re-install XP for me (I have a legal disc) but for reasons I've explained elsewhere, he ended up installing this terrible Windows 7 torture chamber. Please don't suggest that I contact him about this.

One thing is for sure and that is that I cannot get my head around this latest Windows 7 set up.

From the moment this damn 7 was installed I've tried to use it and I know when I'm beaten.

A very tired old Rand.
by rand
30 Dec 2013, 11:08am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

drossall wrote:Rand, could you tell us what you would use the computer for? We know that you use it for this forum. We know that you might use it for GPS-related navigation software for Audaxes and so on. What else? Do you write letters, send emails, and so on? Have you ever watched videos? Do you keep records of personal expenditure by computer? Anything else?

What you want it for makes a big difference to what you should choose.


drossall,

Until the recent installation of Windows 7 Home Premium, software I had just about become accustomed to XP, but for reasons I've mentioned in an earlier post, XP was removed and replace with my current brain teaser.

I really need to speak to someone to explain my very simple requirements.

If anyone who feel they could help would PM me with their telephone number, I'd be happy to call them and clarify my PC needs. I just don't know how to begin to list them in a meaningful way in writing.

Rand.
by rand
30 Dec 2013, 10:58am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

mjr wrote:Which bit of Norfolk, rand? ;-) I'll see who I know near there. http://alug.org.uk
I can't get your link to work!

Rand.
by rand
30 Dec 2013, 10:29am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

barrym wrote:Take a look at a Chromebook. Quite cheap, and very user friendly. No is upgrades, no viruses (as yet). If all you do is web browse then this is for you. Even if you want to do a little bit of file processing, like word or excel, then there online alternatives like Google docs.

Give it as look. Check to see if your local PC world have any and try one.


barrym,

I know absolutely NOTHING about the suitability of alternative systems and would have to rely on the knowledge of whoever I get to help me solve my PC problem.

I could explain my problems to any retail PC outlet in England, but I'd have no idea of the suitability, or otherwise, of the stuff that any enthusiastic employee might persuade me to buy and I certainly could not begin to even think about installing without experienced help.

I don't know what I have to do to convince people that I'm a geriatric dumbo, with no IT acumen and limited brainpower.


Rand.
by rand
30 Dec 2013, 10:17am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

cycloret wrote:We're talking desktop OS, right, because the big thing in home computing is the growth of smart phones and tablet computers using Android, Windows Mobile or an Apple systems etc.

I use Ubuntu on a desktop PC and have for several years. It should work for you ok unless you have the latest or obsolete graphics card and some wifi cards may not work out-of-the-box. Therein sits one of the issues with Linux. Hardware manufacturers' commercial interests for the home PC market mean that they set their products up for Windows or Mac operating systems. Buy a ready made PC with pre-installed Windows software say and most of the work has been done for you. If you want to play games then Linux wouldn't be the choice. With Linux it's free and viruses are virtually unknown.

Many users of Ubuntu haven't liked the introduction of Ubuntu's Unity desktop, looking less now like XP and more like a tablet. The popularity of Ubuntu has declined and currently Linux Mint holds the number one spot. There's also Kubuntu and Xubuntu etc based on Ubuntu but with different desktop software. It's possible to run Ubuntu still so it looks a bit like XP by installing the gnome-session-fallback package.

Most Linux distros like Ubuntu or Mint support a live CD or DVD. You download the software, burn the iso image onto a disc, set your computer bios to boot from the CD drive first before your hard drive and you're off. Select the option to try Ubuntu or Mint, only select install if this is what you want.Using a live CD nothing is written to your hard drive. In situations like this I use a re-writable DVD so I can try different Linux distros.

I think I have already given you enough information to ensure you'll stick with Windows?


cycloret,

I appreciate your interest and that you mean well, but I haven't the faintest idea what to do, or what you mean.

I'm an old man with reducing synaptic activity, I receive Pension Credit, I have a fifteen year old Nokia "brick" and (even if I could afford it) I have no use for an all-singing, all-dancing smartphone and I have no wish to carry a tablet (Moses must be turning in his grave!) around with me.

I've not ridden an audax for some three years, as I couldn't read the route sheet and remember which waypoint I'd passed, so I had to stop at every waypoint and cross it out. This caused too much delay and I bought a Memory Map satnav, but have been unable to find anyone willing to show me (not for free-I'm prepared to pay) how to use it. Nice thing about the Memory Map is that there is a "voice prompt" facility, which would prevent me sailing past a turn. I can but dream!

So you see, at age seventy six I cannot (no fault of mine) constantly re-adjust to forever changing PC formats.

You have no idea what effort and time went into this posting. I just hope it clarifies my position.


Rand.
by rand
30 Dec 2013, 9:43am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

mjr wrote:Which bit of Norfolk, rand? ;-) I'll see who I know near there. http://alug.org.uk


I live in Catfield, North Norfolk, NR29 5DB.

Rand.
by rand
30 Dec 2013, 9:24am
Forum: The Tea Shop
Topic: User friendly software?
Replies: 76
Views: 16163

Re: User friendly software?

mercalia wrote:well sorry if u find Windows hard to get to work I think u will tear your hair out with Linux any variety. Linux is still quirky I think though much better than it used to be. I suggest u persevere with Windows 7. I moved from XP and found that a bit of a change but got there in the end

Have u tried the settings in control panel/display? I see there is a 150% ( in mine ).

You can also adjust text size there ( dpi )


What is (dpi)?

Rand.