Steep Learning Curve Ahead

I'm not sure how I went from a Silicon Valley techie to technically challenged senior. I can still build a web page from scratch. I could even write a shell script if you let me look up a few things. But suddenly, I can't figure out how to shut off my computer.

It probably started with "Vista," the operating system that Microsoft inflicted on us back in the day. It had many problems 'underneath the hood.' So when my old XP machine died, we doubled down on a new XP machine instead of upgrading to Vista. The new XP machine worked too well. There was no reason to upgrade until this year when XP support ended.

The gap widened with tablets. Tablets were tempting, just not for my lifestyle. Lightweight was good, but they coupled the inconvenience of a small display with a device too big for pockets and purses. They depended on connectivity that wasn't guaranteed to be there. More important to me, they couldn't handle World of Warcraft, whereas a good laptop could.

Then there was the whole privacy/security issue with mobile computing. Both clouds and WIFI descended on the marketplace before there was protection enough for those who used them. No problem for a kid whose biggest secret is his 'crush' on a girl named Madison. Yes, problem for people doing online banking and credit card purchases.

I thought people were crazy to use 'cloud' storage. Why would anyone hand over control of their personal data and information to profit-seekers and privacy-disrespecters? WIFI, though awesome, also lacked security. So I steered clear of these innovations until 'later.'

There you have it. While I was serene in my little desktop bubble, the industry evolved to serve the people who were buying stuff. People who didn't have the time and the room for long sit-downs in front of their deskside machines. People with 2 jobs, no TV, and only a hand-sized display from which to view the internet.

Naturally user interfaces changed to work with smaller displays. Anyone used to a phone or tablet will have no difficulty. They can sit down to a desktop system and start right in. That's one small step for them, but one giant problem for me. (Note previous column.)

So I have a choice.

1. I can learn how to use the system via extensive online research and exploration.
2. I can be a technology-hating old fart, forwarding rants to all my old-fart friends who agree with me, until we're convinced that we are right and the world is wrong.

I still haven't decided which to choose...