The most basic of XP tutorials???

theeloved1theeloved1
edited February 2006 in Science & Tech
So, I'm trying to get my grandma a little more comfortable with her computer and how to actually do some general things...(better web browsing, digital photos, documents,etc) The main problem with that is basic Windows use like copy/paste and all that.

Is there a free tutorial(s) available that you can follow along with such as the "Video Professor" thing you see on tv. I'm not going to pay for something like that, but the concept really seems like it would help noobs like my grandma...

Comments

  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited February 2006
    These tutorials might help:

    http://www.learnthat.com/courses/computer/windowsxp/

    Google search used:

    Windows +XP +Tutorial
  • theeloved1theeloved1
    edited February 2006
    Yes, that was the first thing I found as well. Was just wondering if there is something out there more "interactive" instead of just navigating through a webpage and reading it like a book.

    TY though.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2006
    There's a television commercial that seems to come on all the time on the premium channels (Discovery, History, Military...) where some guy is hawking interactive CDs for WinXP. The way he presents, I'm sure the system is designed for tech-inept elderly. Sorry, but I can't remember the name.
  • theeloved1theeloved1
    edited February 2006
    I believe that would be the "Video Professor" that I mentioned in my first post. I could just tell her to pay for that, but thats a last resort for me...there's gotta be something on the net.
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2006
    Does Grandma have broadband? If not, online interactive will drive her crazy. I strongly suggest a CD program anyway. You've got to keep the variables down or she will go nuts and give up - like my parents did. They are just now upgrading from Windows 95. They never learned the advantages of the Internet because they were too penny pinching to subscribe to broadband. Drive a large Lexus, live in an exclusive retirement community, but no, broadband is too expensive!

    OK, enough ranting. But yeah, CDs would probably be best for Grandma.
  • theeloved1theeloved1
    edited February 2006
    Yes, Grandma has broadband...and has a VERY basic idea of how to use it. "This is how I goto a certain webpage, as long as I know the exact address...and I can check my email."

    Saying I should just fess up or tell her to fess up the money for a cd?
  • LeonardoLeonardo Wake up and smell the glaciers Eagle River, Alaska Icrontian
    edited February 2006
    Get her the CDs and make sure her CDROM is set to autmatically start the CD. Wanna bet she doesn't know how to start a program in a folder?
  • TexTex Dallas/Ft. Worth
    edited February 2006
    I mean......... Is she really going to do anything but surf the web and email to her family and stuff? I would bet 90 percent of the normal over 60 crowd mainly do those two functions. And between the wizards built into XP and you as a resource also.... she should be able to get those two functions down. Most XP books and stuff go way way beyond that and she will get frustrated. Teach her how to surf and setup/save favorites! The less she has to type the better!

    Teach her how to open IE and search. How to copy and paste pics from a media card (camera) into a email or save a attachment etc.. Don't confuse her with more info then she needs. THATS when she will be frustrated. She may ask you for more help once she is comfortable. But I bet 90 percent of what she uses it for will be confined to the simple operations I listed. I have trained so many people in the last 20 years it's just crazy. Don't overload her or give her tools to learn from that have to much info untill she ASKS for them.

    Sure one out of ten older users really wants to know how to use adobe photoshop to touch up pics or use frontpage to make their own website but.... those are exceptions and not the normal grandma/grandpa trying to send emails with pics to their kids and save off pics of the grandchildren sent to them etc...

    KEEP IT AS SIMPLE as possible. Just enough so she feels comfortable doing the most BASIC and let her SLOWLY add to her skill set. Teach her to watch the left hand panes in XP as they have TONS of neat wizards to walk her through and hold her hand posting pics to the web and stuff. Make her shortcuts and add to her favorites for all her normal duties. She does not want to type or program. Make her shortcuts and make it simple for her to just click into what she needs from the desktop. XP is the most user friendly OS that microsoft has ever introduced for novice users like your grandma. Just show her how to read the panels in the left hand of most screens.

    She does not probably need a XP tutorial of anykind. Focus on just IE and whatever email program she uses. Outlook or Outlook express or whatever. Show her how to add a contact. Especially from a existing email she receives! Right clicks are her best friend! The number of people that have used Windows supposedly for years and I show them how to right click the mouse and its like WOW! Is that a secret hacker thing ? I never knew that! Its like a new world. GO SLOW! A lot of older people are VERY intimidated by computers in general. I used to make little guides for basic stuff and put them on the desktop to help out.

    How to search
    How to add a pic to an email
    How to add someone to the address book
    Add a site to her favories.

    The core stuff she needs to get going is really pretty short.

    Tex
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