Big MAC

Yesterday I went to my second tutorial at the APPLE store. This time I remembered to bring my silver card that would give me access to the great one-to-one portal. Wow, insert card and voila, a whole new world is opened!

Well, it's not that simple. First, I was introduced to a young man who was prepared to walk me through all my MAC questions. We skipped basic keyboarding etc., because, well, I'm not completely ignorant when it comes to computers. We entered into the portal using my membership number on the silver credit card. Then the young man proceeded to teach me all kinds of cool things and make my MAC world a little brighter.

I now have ITUNES on my MAC Account! I can get music now!! I am so excited--well I can after I take both Laptops into the store and have them configured on Friday (whoot!). I am also versed in IDisk and Mobile Me (a bit). IDisk is a wondrous way to back up my files to a big computer in some sky located in Neptune--not really--but it feels that way to me. Any way, here is the BEAUTY of this IDisk. I can access all my files and work on them FROM ANY COMPUTER I USE ANYWHERE!!! How amazing is that? I am shivering with excitement about it. Whoot!!

Now that brings me to all the passwords and user names I have to remember. I have one user name for the majority of my APPLE connections, and another for -- let me refer to my little silver APPLE notebook--Mobile Me. I will learn more about Mobile Me and IWeb at my next session. 

Oh how did I ever live before the MAC?

My First OnetoOne Visit at the APPLE Store

I got a MAC 10 days ago and I couldn't be more thrilled. First of all, it is just the coolest and fastest laptop. And second, it has the capability to run my SCRIVENER program. And I LOVE that program. 

But here is the confession: I am so illiterate and confused by all  my technology that it paralyzes me from learning about it. I have an IPhone and I don't have music on it! I am pathetic at learning new tech and become impatient and give up if it appears to difficult or time consuming to learn. And I suffer from an innate distrust of turning my computer over to the powers that be to work on it. What if *gasp* the books I'm working on mysteriously disappear? 

I have a memory stick--I back up my work--it is an irrational fear. And I plan to conquer it once and for all.

That's why I paid $99 for the yearlong 1to1 classes, held weekly, to learn about my toys and make them work for me.

Today's lesson was supposed to be about my IPHONE and syncing it to my computer. And, if time, learn a few more little bells and whistles. I went to my appointment and the expert working with me, Brian, was a patient and kind man who dealt with every roadblock calmly and confidently. 

Good thing! The first thing I went there to do was impossible without syncing my IPHONE back to my old HP. Apparently, the phone will lose all contacts due to nothing being on my computer. Don't ask. I don't understand it either. 

What it means is that my HP and my precious MAC will have to go to the APPLE store and be configured together. Sounds almost sexual, but it is technical. Two things that worry me about it are being without any computing ability for more than a day and trying to find the passwords for all the HP stuff (which is an ongoing frustration). 

Despite my fears and worries, I plan to bring my toys into the APPLE store on Friday afternoon (after working all day), and leave them in the capable hands of the technicians. Of course, I'll have EVERYTHING I have worked on this week saved on my memory stick. 

The second roadblock we had was the fact that I couldn't log onto the PORTAL for one to one, because I didn't bring some silver, credit card thing with my membership number on it. Why didn't anyone tell me I needed it? Or, if they did, why did I forget.

At this point, I was quite ready to leave. What was the point of staying? But my very nice and patient instructor led me through some other things that made the visit worth my while.

I learned how to add folders to my mailbox, add rules to move mail automatically, and had a great time reconfiguring my mailbox. I also had fun learning more about how the bookmarks on my browser worked. It is so easy to navigate from page to page as well as tab to tab (and I just learned how to open the new tabs as well). We made folders for my saved websites and played around with navigating through the browser. And we changed my home page as well.

Wahoo!

On Friday I will bring my computers to the APPLE store and have them synced. On Tuesday, the 28th, I return to the APPLE store, with silver card in hand, to learn more about this amazing machine and sync my phone to it.

I know my family is super happy I paid for the lessons. My daughter literally breathed a sigh of relief when I told her about my classes. She didn't want to teach me about my computer (she has a MACBOOK PRO) cause I am too impatient. 

But my teacher today was very patient and his calm demeanor made me want to stay and learn more.

I hope he's my teacher again next week!

The Next Generation of Computing!

Well waiting has it's interesting perks: I lost my wireless connection in my old PC and we researched the issue online and learned the issue is a problem with the HP laptop I've used for three years. Argh!! So what to do???? Well, in this case, I got my dream come true today: I got my MAC!! I am so excited about it. And I am eager to learn all the bells and whistles.

Wait. Is that my techie daughter and husband laughing and snickering about me learning about this lovely and wondrous toy??? Well, no more laughter folks. I am serious. I am truly going to get with the program and understand this machine and my IPhone completely!! I signed up for the weekly tutorials via the one-to-one program they have at the Apple Store. And I can't wait. There are so many things I want to use this amazing toy for in my writing.

I already got my first part: the Scrivener Writing Program only for Apple!! Wahoo. It's perfect for my type and style of writing. Right now I am just playing around on it with a fun idea I have for a YA that may or not be sellable but that's not the point. I just want to play with the idea and learn the program in doing so.

Me? Learning? Wanting to understand techno stuff? Yup. It's not my forte. I put it right up there with algebra, anything astronomy, and all physical sciences--it's just not for me. And my family will attest to the fact that I am not a person who enjoys reading manuals. Frankly, they didn't give me a gift one year for Christmas because my daughter sagely said to my husband, "put it back: she won't read the manual." And she was right.

But darn it, I want to know this machine. There are sooooooooo many wonderful things I will be able to do with it super easily. Like start my own website, and be more professional, and figure out how to do a hyper link (unlike on this blog which is not intuitive for me at all). Well.... I am no longer hiding behind my ignorance. I will be taught. I am an intelligent person. I can learn this if I have a patient instructor.

So stay tuned: I will be writing about my tutorials on a regular basis. 

I am SO EXCITED!