Assisting you with
Email . Internet . Tutoring . Banking . Etc

If you're like most people in the Palo Alto area, you have a computer or two (or more). You'd like to make better use of your computer(s) and your time. I can assist you. I have over 20 years experience working with computers and the people who use them. I will spend time listening to you so that I can understand what you want to accomplish. I have always valued people over computers. Computers are useless unless they addresses human needs. Let's make some of today's computers work for *you*!

Email

Email is still "the killer app". Email has become a necessary and fundamental method of communication. Email today is also a certifiable mess. While I can't clean up the garbage that's on the Internet, some of which will undoubtedly make its way into your mailbox, I can assist you in setting up and managing your email services.

Internet

Ah, the promise of the information super highway. Unfortunately internet access instructions are still written in "technese". In addition, service providers (ISPs) want to sell you their stuff, so your browser typically starts off *shouting* at you about all the things you should buy. The Internet really is a wonderful resource. I can assist you with your Internet access; selecting a service provider, purchasing network equipment if necessary, installing and configuring hardware and software components, and making your internet browser behave. Honestly, you'll like surfing the web once everything is setup nicely.

Tutoring

I can assist you with applications you'd like to investigate. Some applications popular with my clients are Quicken, iPhoto, Dragon Naturally Speaking and Photoshop. I'm ready to help you with computer peripherals too; your personal digital assistant (pda), iPod, digital camera, scanner, mp3 player, etc. Again my question to you is "What do you want to accomplish?" I look forward to hearing from you.

Banking

Money, money, money. There are so many possibilities to help (or hinder) your financial life. Again the fundamental question is "what do you want to accomplish?". Most of my clients love using on-line banking, stock market tracking services and some sort of financial recording program. Many people these days are also interested in preparing their own income tax returns. Today's software programs make this possible. Call or email me and tell me what you want to accomplish.

Etc.

These days a printer costs practically nothing. It's the ink and paper that are costly. There is also the huge hidden cost of the time spent trying to make sense of printer configuration settings, warnings and error messages. You really should take advantage of some of the wonderful printing technology available today. Let me assist you in making some intelligent printing choices.

Professional Resume

I encountered my first computer in the 60s at the Harvard Computational Laboratories. Things went pretty much downhill after that. Then I saw my first Apple computer in the late 70s and thought computers might actually become generally useful. Around 1980 I found myself in San Francisco, working in law offices that were just beginning to use "word processors" (a single purpose computer). I quickly discovered I could work less and make more money by getting these various machines to dance and sing. Things were looking up again. I got a job at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories sometime in the early 80s playing with fairly big computers. These computers had terminals attached to them and used a "network". The PC and internet revolution exploded during the 80s and 90s. At that point I found myself on the computer support front-lines, trying to bring order out of chaos. It looks as if computer chaos has spread out into our homes now.

Here is what I've learned over decades of using computers.

• It's only easy if you already know how to do it.

My clients are intelligent and accomplished individuals. They are also frustrated with the difficulties encountered when they use computers. Computer users are not the problem; today's computers are a long way from being "user friendly". However, today's home computers *can* be extraordinarily useful. I can work for you on either an hourly or project basis. I look forward to hearing from you.