Tag: computer basics

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Free Software for Windows

I’m frequently called as I was this morning to support Windows computers. Many of those calls come from senior citizens as was the case this morning. The fellow was running Windows 7 and had recently purchased virus protection for it. He didn’t know how to install it and had called me to do that for him. That’s when I used Ninite to help him out. One of the Windows 7 options is to install Microsoft Security Essentials. Though Windows 7 reached end of life in January 2020 , MSE lives on and will continue to be updated. I told the chap that I wouldn’t recommend using the computer for secure transactions. I suggested that I could install Linux on the computer for him if he wanted to do that. I explained to him that I could easily install Linux on his computer and then short of hardware failure he’d have a viable desktop PC for the foreseeable future. He was tickled to be able to return the unopened antivirus software that he had purchased for $85 at a local store.

I recommend Ninite for much more than security software too. It’s a great collection of easily installable free software. Many of the titles are FOSS projects like LibreOffice which is my own “go-to” office suite.

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Teaching the Senior Class

Last night I taught a small group of seniors. They were an attentive lot and they were my first students this fall. The topic was “Beginner Computer Basics.” You may have guessed by now that these seniors were not seventeen and eighteen years olds. A couple were octogenarians. Nonetheless, the oldest student already had a Gmail account which was part of my lesson. We covered the basics and I opened up a Dell Optiplex desktop so that the class could get a good look at the insides of a typical computer. I had some short videos that I put together for them along with a Wikispace that I created especially for our class.

I arrived about fifteen minutes early to ensure that all was set for our class. The oldest student was already there and eager to begin. We began promptly at 6:00 pm and ended ninety minutes later. In the process my students learned some basic terms, got an inside view of a typical desktop computer and learned how to create a Gmail account. We even got started on how to create a document in Google Drive. Thank you to Jessica Frank, Director of Blount Library who asked me to put together some introductory computer classes and to my students. You made my day!