Mouse Clix

By: Hobie Lunin

So, what’s a computer good for anyway?

Lately, I have been asked that question more frequently than in the past. I think that it is because the people who have not gotten involved with computers to this point still have not had a good reason to do so. Perhaps they take their time getting into new things anyway and as this involves a reasonable cash outlay, they are looking for a solid motive. I understand that and hope that I can make a good case in this article.

When the computer was invented (developed), it was primarily for making many calculations in as short a time as possible. I doubt many thought of it as a communications device. Today, on the other hand, the prime reason many people buy a computer is to use it for e-mail and personal chat. In addition, it is a source of fresh news (fresher than the morning paper) with color photos, video stories and as much detail as you could possibly want.

Therefore, I will start my list with e-mail, a quick and easy way to send text to anyone with an e-mail address where the time between sending and arrival is usually 30 minutes or less. The person at the other end has to get to their computer to read it, but that is something else. I love e-mail and use it frequently. It allows me to stay in touch with more people than I could otherwise. I like the part that I can read over what I have said, before I send it. This can avoid misunderstandings that may occur in face-to-face or phone conversations. When I receive e-mail I can print out the important things, not possible in a phone conversation and I do not need to scramble around for pencil and pad. The fact that the e-letter is free, as opposed to a phone call, makes it as plus as well. Yes, the Internet service has to cost something and so does the computer but you know what I mean.

A quicker way to communicate via computer is the use of personal chat or instant messenger (which is truly instantaneous) as both parties are on-line sending text messages back and forth as fast as they can type (or hunt and peck). Moreover, as I said, the news is communicated to you either by accessing a news page in hundreds of easily accessed venues or having specific news sent to you via e-mail on a regularly scheduled plan. Other communications you can send and receive electronically are greeting cards of all sorts and voices as recorded in a .wav file.

High on my list is the use of map programs which allow me to easily find any address without my being asked whether I know certain landmarks or having to count blocks and so on. I love the independence of the map programs. Having an inexpensive printer for my computer makes it easy to take these maps with me, as well as to generate nice looking letters when I want to give some supplier or manufacturer a piece of my mind. Also on this list is searching for and getting answers to questions that I probably would have had to go to the library to get or at least spend some time on the phone. An example of this occurred the other night, when a friend found a discount coupon for a national chain of restaurants in the mail and did not know where the nearest ones were. I guessed that the website was the name of the restaurant with a “www” in front and a “dot com” afterward, and I guessed right. A link on the page was labeled “where are we” and after putting in my Zip Code, I had a list of six locations nearby accompanied with maps. All of this was done within 60 seconds. This kind of thing is the stuff I really get a kick out of.

Shopping on the Internet is on my list as well. I often buy that way, but I save time and energy even when I go to a particular store because I have already been able to check out the prices elsewhere.

It’s great having an easily organized and updated “to do list” that I can access with just the click of my cursor on a desktop icon. My memory gets worse as I get older but I remember that I have something to rely on with a tap of my finger.

I have not mentioned how much fun it is to make things on the computer that I can give to friends such as picture calendars, greeting cards of all sorts, bumper stickers, personalized note cards as well as personalized tee and sweatshirts (I make these for myself as well).

I never ever found a better way to keep track of my securities and easily keep them up to date with the latest Wall Street numbers automatically. In addition, I like the convenience of being able to check my bank balance and what checks have cleared anytime I want. How easily I found and corrected a situation when someone made an unauthorized withdrawal via my credit card. And, how much fun it was for my extended family to pass around old photos of the family and try to figure out who was who. We had so much fun in fact we had a reunion because of all of that with more than 60 relatives from coast to coast in attendance.

And so it goes. I could do at least another column about all the great things that can be done on the computer that do not include computing. Mostly these are communicating, sending and receiving. I will conclude this column by saying that although I do not care for Mr. Gates’ ethics, I am sure glad he got into the business of making the computer a communications device for anyone to use (not just techies/nerds).

Hobie Lunin is a Computer Instructor and Consultant, and can be contacted at mouseclix2@yahoo.com