I recently have been helping an elderly acquaintance who had ZERO computer knowledge adjust to using an Ipad she recently received.
I have always been one not to try to take my knowledge of computers for granted and this reminds me of the days when I learned the basics.
It started with turning the computer on and off. It sounds simple and silly, but it isn't so strange that for someone who's never seen a computer before. I think that teaching a person who has never used a computer before how to use one is a valuable experience for all I.T. professionals. I think it is humbling to be reminded that we may take our supposed "basic" knowledge of computers for granted.
Some of the Things I Had To Explain:
1) Can you have an e-mail without an address? The answer of course is no and the explanation was easy when I compared it to mailing a letter without an address. Of course you can't.
2) Can the e-mail address have spaces? No, they can't. There is no specific reason for this that I know of, but it is one of those arbitrary facts I've memorized.
3) Which applications are dependent on a network connection? A lot of them - E-mail, Skype, Pandora
It might be easier to say the applications that aren't dependent on the Internet. The big one that this relative might use is the camera application.
4) Using E-mail in Safari vs E-mail in the Mail Application: When I first set up the Ipad for this relative, I created an e-mail and set it up in the Mail application on the Ipad. The person wanted to create another e-mail account and so I helped her do it through Safari, but I think this was a bit confusing for her to understand since the user interface looked a little different. However, she adjusted well and I hope it helped her understand the concept of an "application" better.
Worst comes to worst, memorize until you understand. To get into your email in the Mail application, simply touch it. To get into it through Safari, you have to type the address "mail.yahoo.com"
Other Basics:
1) Ipad needs to be charged.
2) If you push the power button on the Ipad, but don't "slide to turn off" the Ipad will be in sleep mode, which is different from off (they kind of look the same to the untrained eye).
All right, that is it for now. Catch me at my next post!
I have always been one not to try to take my knowledge of computers for granted and this reminds me of the days when I learned the basics.
It started with turning the computer on and off. It sounds simple and silly, but it isn't so strange that for someone who's never seen a computer before. I think that teaching a person who has never used a computer before how to use one is a valuable experience for all I.T. professionals. I think it is humbling to be reminded that we may take our supposed "basic" knowledge of computers for granted.
Some of the Things I Had To Explain:
1) Can you have an e-mail without an address? The answer of course is no and the explanation was easy when I compared it to mailing a letter without an address. Of course you can't.
2) Can the e-mail address have spaces? No, they can't. There is no specific reason for this that I know of, but it is one of those arbitrary facts I've memorized.
3) Which applications are dependent on a network connection? A lot of them - E-mail, Skype, Pandora
It might be easier to say the applications that aren't dependent on the Internet. The big one that this relative might use is the camera application.
4) Using E-mail in Safari vs E-mail in the Mail Application: When I first set up the Ipad for this relative, I created an e-mail and set it up in the Mail application on the Ipad. The person wanted to create another e-mail account and so I helped her do it through Safari, but I think this was a bit confusing for her to understand since the user interface looked a little different. However, she adjusted well and I hope it helped her understand the concept of an "application" better.
Worst comes to worst, memorize until you understand. To get into your email in the Mail application, simply touch it. To get into it through Safari, you have to type the address "mail.yahoo.com"
Other Basics:
1) Ipad needs to be charged.
2) If you push the power button on the Ipad, but don't "slide to turn off" the Ipad will be in sleep mode, which is different from off (they kind of look the same to the untrained eye).
All right, that is it for now. Catch me at my next post!
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