Technologically challenged?

ask google for help with technology. It was a revelation when I first discovered this. You just need to type in to the browser what it is you want to do as concisely as possible eg change battery smartphone, find weather ipad, volume control ipad, take screenshot and you will get lots of answers.
Try it next time you get stuck.

Not a digital thought, but, a long while ago, when our car battery needed charging, and OH was at work, I thought, I can do that. Got out the book and read up the whys and wherefores, BUT, what it didn't tell you, was how to open the bonnet! Had to swallow pride and ask a neighbour.

We called in at the library yesterday and DH picked up a book "explaining the iPad". "We might learn something", he said. . We did. We learned we should have left it in the library!

My 9yr old granddaughter is a 'trained digital leader' at her school, the group meet every Tues after school to trial new apps etc, give feedback to teachers, and they work with other pupils in their class to support their digital learning - so my help is at hand from a 9 yr old !!!

You did make me laugh Luckylegs. Mr. S. gave me a 'new' mobile the other day (one of his old ones) and I couldn't work out where to insert the lead to charge it up.

There are so many excellent publications out there now, which are very well written, especially for the older generation. Try them, you will definitely learn something. And there's always Google!!

Well, in the eighties when I was earning loadsa money, I bought my own huge secondhand computer for £3,000. Then I had a phone fitted in my car, £1,200. There were mobiles but came with huge cases to carry the battery. There were no programs for the computer, you had to find a clever chap called a programmer to come round and write you a program. It wasn't a lot of use. No Windows, no texts, no Gransnet. I soon learned to switch the phone off whilst driving because that was always when my boss phoned. The tape player was good, though, and me and Rod Stewart had many a good trip over the moor, both of us singing 'But you Wear it Well' at the tops of our voices.

Fast forward to nineties - email on our tellie through cable phone. Unfortunately, nobody to email to. Couldn't have satellite because husband hates R.Murdoch so wouldn't have Sky.

Fast forward to now - having a good time deciding what we don't need. Not much money anyway!
As somebody has already said - furious because we discovered too late that the new car does not have cd slot, only USB. Have no idea how to transfer our lovely collection of The Stones, Carol King, etc to the stubby little flash drives (is that the same as memory sticks?)

Perhaps we could balance the record player on the back seat and get our collection of long playing records out. And 78s and 45s.

Oh I love technology. I've always been fascinated by the internet and was IT co-ordinator at the school where I taught. I created the school website from scratch and since I retired have created an online shop selling my resources to schools, which is going extremely well. I have a PC, laptop, i-pad and smart phone and I use all of them for doing business, even when abroad. I keep in touch with family and friends abroad and even found my partner online . I love internet shopping, planning holidays and booking them on-line as well as playing games. I can make booklets,and print out photos on my fabulous all-singing and dancing printer and know some great sites for all sorts of bargains. I use social media for my business as well and I've never been busier. My daughter hates technology though and I have to guide her gently through the easiest of jobs online! Google is my friend as well.

However, I still can't drive a car and before Sat Navs I was the navigator with a map who managed to direct us into car parks, by mistake, on nearly every long journey we made.

It's not just technology I have a problem with. I took every thing out of my fridge, and washed the insides and the shelves, then I put everything back, but no matter how I try I cannot get the glass shelf over the salad tray back in, I have tried all ways and was on the point of smashing the thing, I went away, had a cuppa and went back to the problem, still cant get it back where is was, it is now balanced precariously on top of the salad tray and I just know when my son visits, he will get it to slide in effortlessly, but I might not mention it and just live with the problem unless he thinks I'm losing the plot.

Victoria08 IPad for the older and wiser by Sean McManus (U3A) isn't bad, also The Rough Guide to the iPad by Peter Buckley, but I have found that info. found online is more comprehensive and easier to follow. Cornergran I'm in the same position as you, having just switched fro Windows to Mac - muscle memory takes an age to re-learn after 20 odd years of Windows. I just wish I had known about Apple workshops when I purchased MacBook & iPad, it would have saved me hours of hissy fits, temper tantrums and outbursts of creative swearing and I can top your palpitations, I have actually found myself shaking when the wretched machines did something incomprehensible & unexpected!

As someone has already said playing around with the device and not being scared is a step in the right direction. I do Twitter what's app FaceTime and have 2 savvy daughters and an 11year old granddaughter that knows more than any of us. If you have photos on your I phone there is a free app called free prints it's brilliant you only pay for postage and you get 45 free photos per month,google it. I enjoy gransnet but I'm still trying to work out how to put photos on my account from my phone keep trying keep failing urgggg.

It's those meaningless messages that appear like 'do you want to do this or that'. How do I know when I have no idea what it is talking about!

When my youngest was old enough and I went back to work, I quickly got into using computers. Nowadays I often have to help out colleagues (all of whom are younger than me) with little problems - although, admittedly, this is often mutual - everyone has a little trick they know. But I was using Windows when they were all still in kindergarten.

And we should think about what Direne3 said, too - look at all the skills we have accumulated over the years in comparison to those tech-savvy teenagers. Who'd be best off on a desert island if it came to it?

O Retrolady I laughed so much at your post, know how you feel. I've had a basic Nokia for years, I could ring people and text people. Then along came a family conversation one day, and my adult kids telling me I just couldn't go on living without an iPhone 6 to Skype, FaceTime, read my e.mails, do everything it seemed except the ironing.

So they got me the best deal, the same as my old Nokia. Home I went with it to 'practise'. I can just about do everything, but then discovered the flaw - the dam thing doesn't fit in my jeans pocket!!!!! No more going out without my bag, with my phone tucked into my pocket.Now I know why generations are walking around with their phone in hand desperately trying not to drop it. One slight drop and it's shattered! not like the old Nokia, which has been dropped for years without breaking!
I'm in Nokia mourning!

We are both much the same. Have recently migrated from Windows technology to Apple products. Nightmare, so different. Then we found the free workshops run at the Apple shops, so much still to understand but at least we are confident with the basics now and I no longer get palpitations if I need to do something. The (very young) staff in the Apple stores have so far been both helpful and non condescending. Far more patient than the family .

I'm so glad you have started this thread GA, you descrbe how I feel. My hobby is genealogy, more of my extended family are in Europe and Canada rather than here, I hate doing attachments to emails when they want me to send stuff to them occasionally. I keep forgetting how to do it, I'm sure if I were doing it more often I'd remember but I'm always having to ask my children to help me if they drop in. My husband's not much better than me although he has managed to set up Chrome cast on his phone, whatever that is but anyway we can watch Iplayer on the telly now apparently

Broken off typing this, youngest son has just popped in. He has acquired an old record player wants my old LPs, rememer those, life was simpler then. Apparently many of my records are coveted items, can't believe my stash of Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, very early Beatles my father bought me as a child have cranked up my "coolness" I've gone from Luddite to person worth knowing in minutes. Think I'll make him do a couple of attachments while he's here that will take the smile of his face

I'm so pleased to read these posts as I thought it was just me!! I have a laptop but don't use it any more as I prefer my iPad. I know I'm only using a fraction of its capabilities but I'm happy! My DH who couldn't even switch it on if he wanted to, is always asking me to look up something for him. He seems to think you can just press a button and it happens. His favorite expression is -there must be a cable you plug in . I expect there is but where do I plug it in and then what do I do ?
Which printed what was supposed to be a leaflet for the newbies among us,I got it but still didn't understand !!
Ah well--- I will continue to do what I am happy doing and claim complete ignorance and stupidity when DH requests that I print photos or book a holiday or whatever !!

We have a computer, which I rarely use. It sits all by itself in the spare bedroom. It is used by my son when he visits! I love my tablet though, and know all its in and outs, and it's little foibles. I think I have learned all it's functions, but I might be wrong! My phone only makes calls, text messages, and takes very poor photos. I would like a smartphone but DH won't let me buy one as he says I spend far too much time in the tablet. He may well be right.

Ah! you're so right kittylester the 'dim old lady' card is the most useful in our arsenal - 'with age comes wisdom'.

I too just have an ordinary phone.
I have an Apple iPad so don't feel the need for an android phone.

I must admit that I am very limited as to what I do on it, as don't understand the technology.

So, all in all, I am definitely not tech savvy.
I mainly send emails and google stuff, also Facebook, but that's about it.
My daughter bought me a book iPad for seniors, but I find it quite difficult to understand. The instructions are very confusing. Anyone recommend a good easy to understand instruction manual for iPads.

I don't feel patronised or scorned, I just want to know! I find playing the dim old lady often works and instead of a teenager (or worse dgs 9)pushing buttons too fast for me to see, they slow down and at least I stand a chance.

Pity I can't master not duplicating my comments.

Apart from "muddling through" with all that I require from IT; I can bake (without recourse to a recipe), change a baby's towelling nappy, service our vacuum, add/subtract, change a car battery, use/thread a treadle/hand sewing machine or over-locker, knit, hand-sew/embroider, crochet, administer first aid and complete almost any carpentry/decorating/plumbing d.i.y task, etc., etc., WITHOUT having to consult YouTube or an iPhone. Next time you feel patronised or scorned just think of what YOU can do without all the referencing facilities available to the young.

Apart from "muddling through" with all that I require from IT; I can bake (without recourse to a recipe), change a baby's towelling nappy, service our vacuum, add/subtract, change a car battery, use/thread a treadle/hand sewing machine or over-locker, knit, hand-sew/embroider, crochet, administer first aid and complete almost any carpentry/decorating/plumbing d.i.y task, etc., etc., WITHOUT having to consult YouTube or an iPhone. Next time you feel patronised or scorned just think of what YOU can do without all the referencing facilities available to the young.

Well my second try .. I was not logged the 1st time .
I believe everyone is challenged by technology .
It is important to learn to do what you need but and , I am the "Computer Expert" of my family and friends , you don't need to really know the in and out ...If stuck use Google and follow the advice on forums ...How to Geek is very good but may need some knowledge .
facebook , ebay , amazon , instagram , tinder twitter + email will keep you busy anyway .. put all on automatic update and you should be fine ,,,, get a good free antivirus .... Avira easy to download easy to use and free plus .Antimalwarebytes free to use
and you get stuck restart your laptop etc ,,,
good luck