More Linux. I’m getting a firmer grip on it although it has pushed all other matters into the background. I had one customer already walk out today because it was not “Word”. However, Word users represent less than 1% of my clientele and it was a severely batty old lady with an attitude.
It is confusing to set up user accounts but the filing system is very simple. Unlike
Windows where the application opens a certain type of file, Linux opens a file and you put whatever you want in it. Outside of a noon break, it was mainly study and practice on this system. National Telecom called about a new contract in Fort Lauderdale, but this time I had plenty of questions before I set out. Like how many rolls of cable to take along and what are the limits of my responsibility.
Dickens called about throwing a computer ad into the free on-line listing service. Somebody donated a brand new Kenmore stackable washer and dryer, worth probably a thousand beans. It is two years old but spotless and I doubt it was ever even hooked up. That apparent dent in the photo is a shadow, the whole setup is new out of the box.
I snapped the pictures and inserted the ad to cover all of Fort Lauderdale. Dickens reports business has been too slow and the summer was a loss. Wallace sent me an e-mail, he took that thirty-year-old babe he’s got up to a resort on the northeast coastline. He asked about picture attachments and I sent him a rather long email explaining the process start to finish. I’m reminded of the saying that most people learn computers from somebody who already knows. I must be an exception since I’ve had to learn almost all of it on my own. Nobody seems to have a clue about the parts I need to assimilate.
Dickens and Jerry were surprised that I rode my bicycle up to Dania Beach Blvd., yet it is only two miles. I had to stop at the bike store for parts since a few of the older gizmos on this model are not holding up to my usage. The store informed me that the new type of electronic speedometers work on the principle of magnetism. That is, no cable to the hub. Instead, the cable senses a magnetic detector on the spokes each rotation and it is reputedly very accurate. As it should be for $20 a pop.
Again, bear with matters until this Linux thing is out of my way.
There is something I should mention, another problem customer. That Max guy with the new Dell. This is the guy that contracted to have a cable modem installed (a switchover from dialup) and to have his files migrated from an old computer onto his new Dell. That is it, that is what you get for $99. When I got over there, the new computer was not even set up, it was still in the box. I hooked up all the new equipment, and during this process, his older HP All In One, which he used only as a copier, and which he said he could not get to work before, fired up properly once I installed the drivers. I did not charge for that, which I should have.
There are actually a series of small problems. The first one being that Max does not have a clue about computers. He creates files but has no idea where or how they are saved. Thus, he could not find them on the new computer, even though I put them into the exact same relative position (Documents and Settings). I told him he required either computer training or he would have to pay somebody to sort things out. He replied something to the effect that he was an experienced user because he had been using it the same way for so many years. I knew he was trouble at that point.
Now this HP printer does not work and he doesn’t know enough to read the manual and find out what he is doing wrong. So he calls up trying to scam free tech support by insinuating the printer problem was caused by my installation. Wrong, plus he is also trying the old trick of trying to get free training by asking for explanations about why it doesn’t work. Wastes my time. Anyway, we never contracted to hook up that HP and it was working fine when I left. What he did since then is his problem, he himself told me it never worked and all he used it for was as a photocopier or fax or something. I don’t care which it was, I don’t do old printers.
