 The magazine of the Melbourne PC User Group A Beginner's Tale Ron Wilby |
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There was once a time a few years BC (before computer), when I was fighting valiantly through my final years as a lecturer to keep the computer-oriented young at bay. Having more or less succeeded I eventually escaped from the shackles of Academe and went off on a 'long holiday'. After a glorious loaf through a sunny autumn both winter and boredom set in simultaneously. What to do? Why not have a look at the dreaded computer?
Returning to my workaday colleagues I began asking questions. What do I buy? "IBM compatible, two floppy drives, and 640 kb of RAM if you can afford it; if not you can probably manage with the standard 256 kb. Tell them it must be capable of running dBASE, So went my instructions!
What all this meant I had no idea, but nevertheless sat down with the Green Guide to find a computer shop nearby. Please note, this was the first sensible thing I had done.
What's All This About? "What's all this rubbish?", by now I hear you saying. Well, this rubbish is introductory to what I hope will be a series of articles for PC Update which are aimed at the beginners, the 'New Users' who don't know the difference between DOS and DIR. I feel we have neglected that group somewhat in the past and we are about to rectify the shortcoming. I hope a recital of some of my mistakes and disasters may help you to avoid some pitfalls, and even if it doesn't it'll be a start to this series. In the next instalment well talk about getting you started)
Shopping Back to shopping with the Green Guide. I decided on a branch of the Green Splinter group mainly because it was not too far to drag the computer when it broke down, as I was sure it would. Somewhat later it did) Approaching the Green Splinter shop with $2000 aboard, I left with about $60 change and the following:
- One 4.77 MHz XT, two 360 kB f loppy drives, no hard disk, no turbo
- One keyboard, old style
- One 12 inch (barely) monochrome monitor, display fuzzy at edges
- One basic 9-pin dot matrix printer
- One box floppy disks.
Starting Up
The mistakes start here! Our spare bedroom now contained a pile of boxes. Unpacking them and connecting the contents together was simple and quick. Power on and watch the screen. Bingo! Nothing!
Mistake No. 1 was not to have the shop connect the boxes together and demonstrate before loading them into the car. Better still, have the dealer deliver and set up for you, then if anything has been forgotten it's his problem.
On the phone to the shop. "You've got monochrome there, haven't you? That's it then, just open the case and you'll find some DIP switches over on the left".
I was supposed to know what a DIP switch looked like, find it, and move one switch over. How did I know you needed a sharp pencil? All the switches I'd ever seen you pushed with your finger.
OX, so that brought up some letters on screen, but they were green. I had ordered amber. On the phone again., 'The box had amber written on it".
So it did, but the monitor remained obstinately green. Back to the shop for a change of monitor. I repeat, better have the dealer deliver and set up for you.
Learning Begins
Mistake No.4. All the (amber) screen would tell me was "Non-system disk or disk error. Replace and strike any key when ready". What do I do now? What's a System Disk?
On the phone to my ex-colleagues (how they suffered in the weeks to come and how they are remembered for their endless patience).
"Didn't they give you DOS with the computer?" What's DOS?
Enquiry revealed that DOS was an extra, cost $150.
Total Disaster
No software, no manuals, no money. How does Ron escape from this? Buy the next issue of PC Update to find out!
Reprinted from the November 1992 issue of PC Update, the magazine of Melbourne PC User Group, Australia
