Hazel M

Thank you, Ed Earl. And my apologies to all for that post appearing five times. It never did show that it was posting but apparently it was and I'd hit it several time. Didn't realize that another post about the ad was a no-no. When I post one letter, I should stop for a while? All right. And I do know now when it appears. Don't know why but do know when. I cam avoid that.

Not only is that ad back but I just tried to post a message and it would not post. Let's see if this short one will. Hazel

I know. That title doesn't make a lot of sense. Maybe I can explain. Many of you will not be familiar with this but some will. A couple of decades back, maybe more, they brought out a small electronic device that sent and received email. That's all. It had no hard drive and, therefore no internet. All it was good for was exchanging e-mails. It does have some memory storage capacity, an address book, just a few basic conveniences. It must not have sold well since they didn't make it long and today are no longer supporting the few that are still being used. I have one of those. When it dies, it is long dead but it's come in quite handy when my computer had problems or my server was down. I could turn to the email machine. And it was quite inexpensive. Still is as I pay Earth Link $12.95 a month to do emails. My question - after all that. Do the companies that make computers make anything as simple as that? Maybe a bit more complicated as they'd probably have a hard drive. The email machine has no hard drive; therefore, no viruses. What is the simplest machine that computer manufacturers make and which would do email exchanges if nothing else? Does anyone know anything about such? Or does such exist today?

Thanks.

Thanks. Once I choose the proper download, does it do everything else without asking me where to put "this" and what to do with "that"? Is it for the entire computer, not just one web page? Full of questions, aren't I?

Oh, all right. Not politics anyway? Yes, I should have asked in Computer Help. Missed that. As far as the OP is concerned, that is ended. I've decided to stick with a desk top. The rest is a new topic, isn't it? Good one, too, with good points. Thanks for making it right.

I'm sorry. You've lost me. What thread? This thread? Why would a thread about computers and their care be in politics? I agree that it has gone off-topic a bit. We were talking about the negatives of laptops. Now we are talking about the negatives of computers in general. Is that politics? The lounge I do not know. I'll check it out.

All right. Call it built-in obsolescence. It still amounts to being left without support. I'll try a simple example. Say a woman is using a simple computer to keep files of recipes and other household information. What she does requires no updates to "bigger and better". Or a man is writing his biography for his family. Same story. His simple computer is large enough and works fine. Then, one morning one of them wakes up to see a problem. No idea what it is or how serious it is. Shouldn't this person be able to telephone the company that sold him the computer or the company that made the computer and not hear "sorry, we no longer support that version"? Not even a willingness to listen to the customer's problem and make a suggestion as to what it is going wrong? No, you can tell me a lot about progress in computers and I'll believe it all - or most of it. But when personal service depends on how up-to-date your computer or other electronic device is, that is not right. Nothing will convince me it is. How much effort does it take to listen to a customer and try to help him at least find out what's going on? Someone on this thread wants a part for his old laptop. Someone on this thread just told him where to look. Now please tell me why the company he took the computer to was not able to do that same thing - tell him how to search for a part? How you treat a customer in need may determine whether you'll have a customer in the future. It's that simple. Of course, we are talking about two different things here - built-in obsolescence (still don't like it <g>) and customer service. But both are important.

I can't give a good answer because I really do not understand computers. I only know that this planned obsolescence - and the refusal to support the old - is into everything. I can say this. There can be a few who just want to use an old computer for the same old that they were using it for. But, everyone pitches in and makes that impossible. And not just for spare parts. Virus protection is a good example. As soon as the next version comes out, the anti-virus people stop supporting the old versions. You may be right about the "necessary" but I'm not sure. I am out of my element there. But the changes are too fast and too often. I suspect the purpose is to keep us buying. What I do know is that a one-year-old computer, like any one-year old appliance or device should not be costing an arm and a leg to keep it in working order. On that I think I am right.

It is called "planned obsolescence". Long ago, for a while, I worked as a bookkeeper for a Ford dealer. We had a speaker down from Detroit to talk of many things. One thing he introduced us to was what he called "planned obsolescence". Manufacturers were realizing that they could make more money if they didn't make their products so well that they lasted for years. He said cars were then being built to run beautifully the first year, have minor problems the second and break down badly enough to need replacing the third. I don't know how long cars last but I see this planned obsolescence in everything. I can't believe it isn't as true of computers as anything. And, even if they are running fine, the powers-that-be force you onto a new one. See how often you have to move from Win 95 to Vista to XP to win 7, 8 and onward. Always, to get to the programs you need to use, you have to keep updating. Of course, the "experts" explain and explain tediously that such is necessary to "keep up". Maybe but does that mean they have to kill the old? I still say my Windows 95 was the most stable OS I ever had but it was forced into obsolescence because the company didn't want to continue to support it. Just my thoughts. If something is still running well, as were both my Win 95 and XP, why can't the manufacturer continue to support it? I know everyone could name a lot of other appliances and tools that suffered the same fate. This could generate a lot of pros and cons which is why I said it probably needed a thread of its own. But we got here and here we are.

I am beginning to think that is true of desk tops but that's another topic deserving of a separate thread when I get time.

Yes, I do that often. Fast and easy. By the way, can you get all these different choices of programs like which email to use on laptops?

You are right. Then there's the magnifier that I hold in my hand. Have you noticed that the smaller the print, the lighter in gray it is? Put a magnifier over it and it not only enlarges, it darkens.

This sells me on desk top. I have enough trouble reading this screen. So, thank you all. I'll struggle on.

Print size certainly is. Is print size on laptops adjustable to large?