Technology is a wonderful thing… when it works the way we want it to work! Sometimes the technology needs to be fixed, other times a bit of help with how to use the device makes a world of difference. I can do both!
While the hardware is required, it is the software that allows us to use the device. There are a lot of free apps available for smartphones. There are also a lot of open-source software available. The reason for us to have these devices is so we can accomplish things.
Computers
I have assembled desktop computers from scratch. I can diagnose and repair issues with computers and get them working correctly again.
Smart Phones
I have over 5 years of experience working in an electronics store selling, fixing, and educating customers about using their phones. Part of what I got good at was helping customers find apps that would meet their needs.
Teaching People
Yes, I can sit down with you and help you learn how to use the technology you currently have! What good is a device if you don’t know how to use it?
Open-Source Software
I love the mantra of the open-source community. It is made up of people who work together to help others. While there is lots of support for open-source software, often we need to look up the answer, and then apply the fix ourselves. A definite upside to this software is that it is free! Open-Source software is free to share with others.
Here is a list of software I have experience with and recommend:
Ubuntu – an operating system. Since it is a Linux operating system, there are very few viruses for the OS, and almost no viruses found in the “wild”. It can be installed on a computer alongside Windows. It can even be run off of a flash drive! If you have an older machine that won’t run Windows, you can probably run Ubuntu on it because the hardware requirements are nowhere near what Windows requires.
Linux Mint – This is an off-shoot of Ubuntu.
Open Office – An office suite with a word processor, spread sheet, math, and presentation software. Think Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Oh, yeah! It’ll also read and save in Microsoft formats.
Libre Office – When Open Office was bought by Oracle, a lot of the developers left the project and started Libre Office. This one is not owned by a company and strictly adheres to the open-source philosophy.
FireFox – a web browser.
KeePass – a password manager.
GIMP – This is an image manipulation program similar to Photoshop.
VLC Media Player – Just what it sounds like.
Dvorak Keyboard
I remember first hearing about the Dvorak keyboard layout in 2006. It sounded interesting to my wife and I, so we tried it out. It took me about a month to get back to my typing speed on a Qwerty keyboard. I have been touch-typing on Dvorak ever since! I had tried to learn to touch-type on Qwerty keyboards numerous times, but it was not until I started using the Dvorak keyboard that I was able to learn this skill.
While I am sold on the Dvorak keyboard, it may not be for you. There is a learning curve in switching to a new keyboard layout. If you are going to switch, do it when you will have the time. Even though I use the Dvorak keyboard, I am still able to use a Qwerty keyboard (just not as well).
