Monday, August 18, 2008

MacFlustered


Well, we have had our new iMac for about a week. I really love it but I realized that the learning curve is a little frustrating. It is fine for all the simple stuff like blogging and e-mail and the like but, I am having moments of insanity trying to figure out some of the applictions that come on the dock. I find that the way I learn electronics is by having someone show me..taking my own notes and then I am a fine.

I just cannot understand some of the techno mumbo jumbo of the manuals. When they tell you to do something but they often don't explain what it is, where it is, or how to do it~ it makes me MacCrazy. Here is an example of my supidity..or is it theirs? OK, OK, it's mine! MacDarnit!

I opened the manual to read about the new computer. It shows an apple icon and says .. click preferences, as an example. OK, that is pretty straightforward. I go to the computer and I look at all the drop down menus on the the toolbar and nothing. OK, the little apple must be on the keyboard....ahhh, no! Then I check all the commands out....nope, not there either. OK, I need to now MacPester, Jen or Lowell or someone. I call Jen and she says, "it is on the toolbar, mom!" Low and behold, right up there on the toolbar the very first thing I see is what I thought was a cute little logo but no, behind it is the equivalent to "My Computer." Who knew? Nowhere in the manual does it tell you where it is. All the other things on the toolbar are written out. First we see the little apple logo that is really an icon, then File, Edit, View, etc. Even if the little apple had been in the middle of all the other stuff I could maybe have figured it out but putting it first like a little decoration was deceiving. Check it out in the photo above from flickr. I do not have all that junk on my desktop, by the way.

Maybe that little bite out of the apple logo is the logic that seems to be missing sometimes. Once someone tells me I am good to go~ but I do not intuit this kind of stuff easily. I just wish they would remember us over-50 types when drafting the MacManuals. We were not born with the gene. We are forgotten, just not gone yet!

Here are few things I love about the MacMonster so far:

1. It has a fantastic photo program and it is user-friendly~it makes blogging even more fun.

2. You don't have a pc to kick around under the desk anymore, less cording mess, and the screen is so nice and the dock is great.

3. I have iTunes and all my music on my desktop now.

4. When I get past the learning curve on the computer I can try
to master the iPodTouch we got for free. Yikes.

5. I know I will love it more when I finally get it! Something to look forward to for now!

6. The mental challenge in the mean time will hopefully ward off early onset of MacAlzheimers......

An Apple A Day Keeps The Doctor Away...Maybe!

6 comments:

Jim said...

Really MacFunny!!

Hillary said...

You just call your kids when you can't figure it out. That's what mom does. You should email her. You guys can ichat!!! e love our mac! So does mom. My brother converted us all. You'll love it so much when you get it all figured out. I'm still learning a thing or two. I just call my brother and he fixes things for me. Good to have a mac guy in the family! (sorry this was so long. In case you don't know who I am, I'm Sydne's daughter!)

Bonnie said...

Hillary...so nice to hear from you! Tell your mom I said Hi. She is one of my all time favorite friends. I know we will get the Mac eventually. Thanks for the encouragement!

Jen Stewart said...

Sorry MacMamma I'm afraid that a lot of little things like that are assumed. There is still stuff I don't understand but feel free to call anytime! Really we are just so glad you are part of the MacFamily now! MacWelcome!

Jen Stewart said...

Hey-Lowell told me how to get the city changed on your weather thing. Down in the corner of the weather widget is a little eyeball icon, click that and the widget will flip over and let you change the city. Try that and let me know if it works.

Jen Stewart said...

OK addendum to that last comment: You have to put your mouse on the widget and then the letter i appears in the lower right hand corner and you click that to flip it over. Good luck!