Past my sell by date

[Guinness]

I’m getting left behind….

Used to think I was au fait with technology…

I knew the Ceefax pages that were relevant, could program the VHS to record while I was away and make tape to tape copies for my mates on my Amstrad tower system….I had an Atari 2600 and played Space Invaders and Asteroids, moved on to a Spectrum, C64, Amiga and then a PC…

I used mIRC, AOL and Lancs forum via Demon Internet dial up using a splitter plug in the phone socket…which was free on Xmas day but telephone charges applied for the other 364/5 days (and you couldn’t use the phone while online)..

A few years ago I just about managed to set up my Smart TV. Then I got Sky Q with its voice activation and 18 months later I’m still struggling with the bloody remote.

Now here’s the problem…my TV is now pretty much past its sell by date and I’m checking Amazon for good deals and there are shedloads of TV’s to choose from all with pros and cons using meaningless terms to me like qled, oled and hdr10.

So I go down the rabbit hole of innumerable associated youtube reviews and setup guides which invariably have some smartarse using his smartphone to set it up in minutes, dammit it takes me longer to add a new contact.

Anyhoo, I’m still undecided after on and off surfing for a couple of days…

Sometimes I just long for the days of the Relay Vison guy just bringing a new model, connecting the aerial, plugging it in and tuning to the test card..et voila

[Margaret Pilkington]

I have a husband who is what Arthur Scargill is to Opera singing when it comes to technology.
He was complaining that there was ‘bu88er all’ to watch (how can that be when there are endless channels) on TV.
So I thought I would get him an Amazon Fire stick.
It was a nice thought, but he cannot use it.
Firstly, the source has to be changed using the remote control for the TV….he has no clue how to do this (even after being shown more times than enough).
He cannot navigate the options if I set up the device for him…I get fed up of hearing my name shouted and the question ‘how do I get out of this bl**dy thing?

Our TV is at least ten years old and he keeps hankering after something newer…..except I know this would mean I would soon be at my wits end with trying to teach him the controls.

He is a technophobe of the first order…..a bit on the style of Taddy(this is from how Taddy describes himself, so please do not think I am disparaging Taddy)

He has had an iPad for five years….just to look at stuff on EBay…..and still cannot master that either…he frequently tells me it is ‘running slow’….he has 17 tabs open.

Yes please…bring back Relay Vision….a set with an on/off switch and just four channels!

[taddy]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I have a husband who is what Arthur Scargill is to Opera singing when it comes to technology.
He was complaining that there was ‘bu88er all’ to watch (how can that be when there are endless channels) on TV.
So I thought I would get him an Amazon Fire stick.
It was a nice thought, but he cannot use it.
Firstly, the source has to be changed using the remote control for the TV….he has no clue how to do this (even after being shown more times than enough).
He cannot navigate the options if I set up the device for him…I get fed up of hearing my name shouted and the question ‘how do I get out of this bl**dy thing?

Our TV is at least ten years old and he keeps hankering after something newer…..except I know this would mean I would soon be at my wits end with trying to teach him the controls.

He is a technophobe of the first order…..a bit on the style of Taddy(this is from how Taddy describes himself, so please do not think I am disparaging Taddy)

He has had an iPad for five years….just to look at stuff on EBay…..and still cannot master that either…he frequently tells me it is ‘running slow’….he has 17 tabs open.

Yes please…bring back Relay Vision….a set with an on/off switch and just four channels!

Thanks for that Marge, by the way, (what's an I pad)?

[DaveinGermany]

Tsk! Old people!

Mind you I can't talk, not exactly the sharpest tool in the box when it cones to some things, I'll have a bash at them but inevitably end up making things worse. Then it's a case of swallowing a huge chunk of humble pie, messaging/phoning the smartarses (kids) & asking "Have you got a couple of minutes?", after the initial sigh & rueful chuckle, the answer is "Okay Dad, we'll come round thisaft".


They're not all bad after all.

[cashman]

i aint a clue with technology. not really bothered to be honest.my memories gone so cant remember nowt anyway.

[landhusweg]

Hi Margaret,
I take it that your hubby doesn't read comments on this Accy Web ��

[Margaret Pilkington]

Oh…Philip you know the answer to that one.
He could read the comments if I put the page up for him, it that is all he would be able to do.
Not only that, he would nod his head in agreement.

Now to Taddy….an iPad is an ingenious device that is portable, allows you to surf the net if you want to…it will let you take pictures too.
It is a lot like a big mobile phone…except you cannot phone people on it….but you can message and E-mail them.
You can also have FaceTime conversations if you wish….and as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection these cost nothing.
These used to be confined to other Apple devices, but I am told you can now contact others using the android system…..but I have not tested this out(nor am I going to).

Taddy I feel fairly sure that a lot of that explanation will go right over your head….but that will not bother you overmuch I am sure.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by DaveinGermany

Tsk! Old people!

Mind you I can't talk, not exactly the sharpest tool in the box when it cones to some things, I'll have a bash at them but inevitably end up making things worse. Then it's a case of swallowing a huge chunk of humble pie, messaging/phoning the smartarses (kids) & asking "Have you got a couple of minutes?", after the initial sigh & rueful chuckle, the answer is "Okay Dad, we'll come round thisaft".


They're not all bad after all.

It used to be the case with me, that when I got my first computer back in the dim and distant past.
I used to shout for Nicola to come and sort out my mistakes…or teach me how to do things.
Now, it is quite the reverse.
While I do not consider myself to be anything like an ‘expert’….I can usually sort myself out….sometimes with the help of Google and sometimes with the aid of YouTube.
These days it is possible to learn almost anything thanks to these devices.

[taddy]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Oh…Philip you know the answer to that one.
He could read the comments if I put the page up for him, it that is all he would be able to do.
Not only that, he would nod his head in agreement.

Now to Taddy….an iPad is an ingenious device that is portable, allows you to surf the net if you want to…it will let you take pictures too.
It is a lot like a big mobile phone…except you cannot phone people on it….but you can message and E-mail them.
You can also have FaceTime conversations if you wish….and as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection these cost nothing.
These used to be confined to other Apple devices, but I am told you can now contact others using the android system…..but I have not tested this out(nor am I going to).

Taddy I feel fairly sure that a lot of that explanation will go right over your head….but that will not bother you overmuch I am sure.

Correct.

[MoreJoe]

To address Guinness' core issue here is what I have learned lately.
OLED provides the best picture I have ever seen (Photo Quality)
However they are pretty expensive and nobody knows how long they will last. (No History)
Trailing edge technology (Last year's models) give the best bang for the buck.
Watch out for smart TV models because they may or may not work well with your peripheral devices like Fire Sticks, Play Stations etc.
What ever you buy you will be sure to find something way better and cheaper about a week later.
Good Luck and Happy Shopping
-Joe