Geek Eye for the Average Guy 507
Yxes writes "Fortune designed an experiment: give three geeks US$15,000 and three days to bring a family of four up to date with technology. The average family doesn't know which DVD player to buy or how to setup a wireless network. What happens when even the geeks can't get it to work?"
No Fair (Score:5, Funny)
Re:No Fair (Score:3, Informative)
Re:No Fair (Score:3, Informative)
That said, less than 2 hours to bootstrap and emerge system is most wonderful.
* The dual opteron now has suse back on it, due to the opteron/clisp clusterfuck.
Re:No Fair (Score:3, Informative)
Re:No Fair (Score:5, Funny)
Because as we all know, gnome wasn't built in a day.
Some things for most people: (Score:5, Funny)
- Get them down to one remote - Nice receiver, learning remote - properly programmed, buttons all labeled
- DVR - TiVo or Replay TV, its a must have. Enable the 30 second skip button on the TiVo remote.
- Adjust the TV properly - turn the sharpness the whole way down, go through all the test patterns and balance the colors.
For the computer:- Open source software - Install software from the Open CD [theopencd.org], Linux if they are up for it..
- Decruft the mouse and keyboard (although even most geeks could use this)
- A decent home network, add more computers as needed.
- A nice office chair and good ergonomics - switch them over to the dvorak keybord and make them practice.
For the kitchen:- Print out list of all pizza delivery options
- Stock fridge with Mt. Dew and Guinness.
Personal grooming:Re:Some things for most people: (Score:4, Funny)
In three days? They'd have to have quite a bit of motivation to accomplish this - I'd suggest breaking one of the family members' hands and forcing them to learn right- or left-handed Dvorak.
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't think that meets any of the above requirements for the typical home user.
Sure in the hell meets more of those requirements than Windows does. Lets see...
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:2)
1.TV mode
2. TV power
3. DVD mode
4. DVD power
5. Tuner mode
6. Tuner power
7. Tuner, select DVD input
8. DVD play
9. Tuner, adjust volume as needed
That said, I still keep my DVD remote handy, as it has a buncha speeds of ffW/rew that I never programmed.
One really cool thing my remote has is macros. I hit one button and
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:3, Funny)
I want a button that says "go".
I really don't care if I'm using VCR, Tivo, DVD, cable, broadcast, satellite, baby monitoring cam, or anything else.
I just want a "go" button.
After that, if I can fast forward, or rewind, or pause, or get a closeup, or change the volume, I suppose those buttons could light up, so that I know that they'll do something.
But, other than that, I'll be happy with "go".
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:5, Funny)
But really....
"and stacks random CDs behind the TV and on top of the dryer."? *shudder*
Pearls before swine, says I.
What is the opposite of 'geek'? (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm going to suggest "mug". It seems to have gone unused since the 40's--"Hey, you mug!"--so we might as well dust it off. Plus, it suggests "Muggles".
Re:What is the opposite of 'geek'? (Score:3, Interesting)
I believe that I'll incorporate it into my vernacular.
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:5, Funny)
used over time, they'd need to open up a new
landfill site.
The other thing you've got to teach them is that
if you pour coffee down the keyboard, it runs down
the wires and into the network, attracting spam.
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:2)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:5, Funny)
I'll bet you guys and your anti-DVORAK jokes are a real riot.
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:3, Funny)
I think it stands for Dumb Version Of Retardedly Arranged Keys.
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:3, Interesting)
The Apple IIc had a switch on it to kick its keyboard into Dvorak mode...presumably, the keycaps could be pulled off and shuffled around if that's what you wanted to use. Other than that, I've run across bugger-all since that uses Dvorak.
If I were so inclined, I could pull off and shuffle the keycaps on the IBM Model M I'm using right now...but I'm not about to take the huge hit in typing speed
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:5, Funny)
and they didn't teach you how to spell it?
QWERTY - it's on the keyboard if you've forgotten.
This is slashdot, of course I am going to split-hairs!
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Some things for most people: (Score:5, Funny)
Which just goes to show, never, ever, ever trust your pets, especially the cute ones, because they will eat your entire family given half a chance.
Dear Fortune, (Score:5, Funny)
I enjoyed your article immensely, especially when the Geek starts calling everyone 'bitch'. However, I can't quite get the gist of it.
Please repeat your experiment of 4 guys installing 15,000 dollars of equipment at my house, so that I may understand *exactly* the trials of learning to use technology.
Many Thanks,
Teamhasnoi
Average Eye for the Geek Guy (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Average Eye for the Geek Guy (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Average Eye for the Geek Guy (Score:2)
A grim outlook... (Score:5, Funny)
"Ok, the first thing you need on your PC is Linux. And forget a GUI, you need to do everything in text. Windowed interfaces are so not cool. Once you're set up with this, we'll go to the de-tanning booth to get your skin a nice white pasty color..."
"But why..." (Score:5, Funny)
Re:"But why..." (Score:5, Funny)
*Click*
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH"
Re:"But why..." (Score:5, Funny)
"When you see the Goatse... you die."
Re:"But why..." (Score:4, Funny)
Re:"But why..." (Score:4, Funny)
foogely foogley stupid lameness filter...
Alright, but only if... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Alright, but only if... (Score:2, Insightful)
cool! (Score:2, Insightful)
What's new? I'm always doing this for friends. (Score:5, Insightful)
The same problem would exist for both the "Geek Eye" and it's original "Queer Eye"... given a few months without supervision and the recipient will revert back into low-tech chaos. Maintenance is much harder than configuration.
Re:What's new? I'm always doing this for friends. (Score:5, Insightful)
Maybe they'll go back to doing grocery lists on paper instead of Grocer XP 2.0 but they won't give up Tivo.
Re:next month, in Fortune (Score:3, Informative)
The problem is that you're watching "The Hot Chick." First of all, as you said it is a bad movie. Second, DVDs don't do "high def picture." I'm guessing you don't watch Monday Night Football or the Stanley Cup Fi
Requirements? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Requirements? (Score:2)
Heistad grilled them on their tech needs--really, all they wanted to do was send digital pictures of the kids to Grandma.
Short, succinct...ah, if only all requirements documents were so sweet.
Re:Requirements? (Score:5, Funny)
"really, all they wanted to do was send digital pictures of the kids to Grandma."
Of course, it continues on with:
"Heistad came back with a shopping list that would get them that, plus a home theater, a wireless network, new computing, a tricked-out music system, and GPS positioning capabilities"
HA! You think a group of geeks would only buy a camera and maybe a new PC? HA! GPS is definitely needed to send photos to grandma.
GPS? (Score:5, Funny)
GPS: Know your exact location in your own home!
Without GPS:
Wife: "Kids, dinnertime!"
(no answer)
Husband: "Maybe they're in the toy room, dear!"
With GPS:
Wife: "Kids, dinnertime!"
(no answer)
Husband: "Kids are at 33 56' 52" N, 118 8' 5" W, dear!"
Re:Requirements? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Requirements? (Score:3, Funny)
Well, what if you can't find Grandma?
Re:Requirements? (Score:3, Interesting)
$15K? No Problem!
Hello, B&H? I'd like:
D2H
WT1-A
+5 Diopter eyepiece corrector
SB800
SB29
20mm f/2.8D
50mm f/1.4D
105mm f/2.8D Micro
80-400mm f/4.5-5.6D ED VR AF
Oh, yeah--Some POS computer with USB & a dialup modem.
THERE Now you can send her some pictures!
What about shipping time? (Score:2)
programmed my vcr (Score:3, Funny)
Daylight savings time (Score:3, Funny)
Re:programmed my vcr (Score:5, Funny)
Hmm. (Score:5, Funny)
Does the $15,000 include the $699 for SCO?
Keeping it in the family (Score:2)
Also, most people have never considered this, but don't care about connecitivty at home [usabilitynews.com].
Is it a education problem or is it that things haven't reached critical mass?
A waste of $15,000 (Score:5, Insightful)
Pathetic. How about a 6 month followup (honestly reported)? After all, what are the odds that most of this equipment will just be gathering dust by then?
Alright, probably not the Tivo... but still...
Re:A waste of $15,000? (Score:3, Interesting)
This was money spent for the sake of writing a story... not for the sake of ensuring the family's goals are achieved.
It's no different than the shows where they remodel your house for you. People following up on it later find that at least 50% of the time, the homeowners undo all the remodeling work shortly after they're done
$15,000 (Score:3, Funny)
Buy it and you're done. Everything else is uncivilized.
Easy universal answer (Score:5, Funny)
Blame it on Windows : it always works with budget overruns as well as questions about technical problems. Tell the family you told them about Linux but they wouldn't hear. Make sure you use a patronizing tone.
Simple! (Score:5, Funny)
1. Install cardboard box with "Really Neat Box!" written on it.
2. Pocket $15,000.
3. ???
4. Profit!
(I think ??? involves running away very fast, but doesn't it always?)
Typical problems (Score:5, Insightful)
Second, compatability. We all know and it is obvious to most people that this stuff all becomes 10 times cooler when it works with other stuff. When I buy a new X, it would be totally awesome if it will integrate with my Q, R, S, and V. Well, open standards certainly won't make much money for the manufacturers, so they don't work very well together. Heck, even all my Sony stuff has problems playing nice together. And especially the really cool features will never integrate.
Last, but not least, they kids are gonna ruin it all anyway. So to hell with it. Read a book. Take the $15,000 and put it in the kids' college funds.
If that's geeky, then you can have it. (Score:5, Insightful)
Now that being geeky is seen a cool trait, marketers are now buslily redefining the label to describe people that spend lots of money on high-fashion electronics.
Why are we letting this happen? Which is more impressive: owning a lot of expensive hardware, or turning outdated junk into useful tools?
Re:If that's geeky, then you can have it. (Score:5, Funny)
Translation: Having a bigger dick, or knowing how to use it?
Re:If that's geeky, then you can have it. (Score:3, Insightful)
This is a good thing. If the marketers make it look sexy, more people will buy high tech stuff which pours more money into the tech sector which leads to lower prices of current items and the introduction of newer tech.
Segfault
It's a sham (Score:5, Insightful)
The idea as a whole is intriguing, but with posers instead of real geeks, it's pretty pointless.
Re:It's a sham (Score:2)
Re:It's a sham (Score:3, Interesting)
In short, I looked at plasmas about 18 months ago, and they were in the $15k range at the "high-end" store down the street. I figured about $7500 to $12500 at a more reasonable retailer. They've definately come down considerably since then.
uhm, I'm a luddite, geek me up! (Score:2)
Yes, that will work. Fab 3, please email me, I'm stuck in 386 hell...
Please hurry!
What happens when even the geeks can't get it work (Score:2)
Linux for the Average Guy (Score:5, Funny)
[AverageGuy] Awesome, thanks! So what games are on here?
[Geek] I have to go now.
Ha! (Score:5, Informative)
Pioneer Elete series? Or do we go for the Carver Studio series? or do we go for even better? or are we happy with the sub $400.00 junk at best buy?
Most of the decisions are made based on preference as is you went for the "best" based on research and actual reviews $15,000.00 is not anywhere near enough money.
I can spend $15,000.00 on the PC,home netowrking and home server alone.
for the average Joe, the best DVD player to buy is the $59.00 APEX cheapie.. they will be happy with the picture on their 29 inch tv. and it's the one I reccomend to all my relatives as it's dirt cheap / throw away type appliance if the kids break it. plus it does a better job than the playstation2 or Xbox.
unless you have a HD tv or projector that can handle the progressive output buying a "good" player is a waste of money.. and most "geeks" wont admit that buying the cheapest is the best for the average joe.
I call BS (Score:5, Informative)
The best for the average joe is the most reliable, and the best bang for the buck.
Did they need progressive scan? Well, if you're going to blow $4k on a TV, get the people the equipment to carry the best signal and hook em up with a nice sound system as well.
When someone who doesn't know anything about DVD asks me what to buy, I tell em Sony. Sony's aren't the cheapest, but they make a nice $100 or so model and those stand up over time.
I had a Toshiba that burnt out in a year. I know three different people who bought those $69 Apex pieces of shit and the best one lasted six months.
You get what you pay for, and suggesting Apex to your friends or family will just make sure they don't ask you for your advice ever again...
Re:I call BS (Score:5, Funny)
Imposters!!!!!! (Score:3, Insightful)
Damn, it's time for lunch when... (Score:5, Funny)
They pause. Ross fingers his goatse...
instead of
They pause. Ross fingers his goatee...
Damn you
why it doesn't work (Score:4, Interesting)
Heistad grilled them on their tech needs--really, all they wanted to do was send digital pictures of the kids to Grandma. Heistad came back with a shopping list that would get them that, plus a home theater, a wireless network, new computing, a tricked-out music system, and GPS positioning capabilities.
Not only did the family not want the technology but had what they didn't want "forced" on them. This is the problem with mass consumerism of entertainment technology. You don't need it. It isn't even cool if you think about it.
- Crappy pop music doesn't sound any better on outrageously huge speakers and expensive audio system.
- The TV show "Friends" certainly isn't any funnier on a 90" plasma HDTV.
- GPS is only helpful if you don't know where you and you know where you want to go. Besides, who needs to know the lat/lon of the dry cleaners?
- Computer and console games like Grand Theft Auto X, Everquest, Star Wars Galaxies, and Sims still suck and disconnect you from society whether on a slow computer or fast one.
The parents should do their kids a favor and sell all that crap. Keep a decent notebook and digital camera around for the pictures to grandma and email. Buy the kids some books, take them to the parks, get them involved in their community.All of that useless tech is going to kill your culture.
Re:why it doesn't work (Score:5, Insightful)
- Trance sounds better on an expensive audio system
- Anime and The Matrix sure look better on a 90" plasma HDTV
- GPS is very helpful if you're planning to go to that hacker convention three cities away
- Computer and console games like Tetris will bring you hours of joy
See what I mean ? I just rearranged your list a bit, and now it sounds a lot better, doesn't it ? So what's the conclusion: only geeks deserve the latest tech gadgets ?No. The conclusion is that you shouldn't be so arrogant as to assume that you're the final arbiter of what kind of toys other people deserve. If I want to watch Friends and listen to Celine Dion, you bet your ass I want to be able to enjoy it full-size, full-color, with high dynamic range. It's not your place to stop me.
Queer Eye + Geek Eye = ???? (Score:5, Funny)
"You call this a wireless mouse? More like a wireless HOUSE!"
"Hmm. I like what you've done with this cabling - it's very Feng-Schwing!"
"I hope you're going for a grainy, 'Kiss me Deadly' sort of thing with this greyscale monitor!"
"Nice X-Box! Can we move in? And the controllers...I haven't seen anything that big since we did Kevin Mitnik..ss house... ahem.."
Short-sighted approach (Score:5, Insightful)
Throw money at the problem.
Don't think long term. Remain fixated on the short-term.
I've taught basic Internet and computer skills classes to a wide variety of people, all over the US. In doing so I've found that the only way to really make something stick is to actually sit them in front of the computer and have them learn by doing. The "three geeks and $15k" method is like a Microsoft Windows wizard. It may help you with the problem at hand, but it's not revealing anything about the hows and whys behind the problem.
In short, the end user isn't learning. They're still beholden to the geeks, because as soon as the carefully orchestrated setup hits a snafu, Abbie Normal won't know how to fix that problem.
Immersive, hands-on teaching works. It takes time and patience. Unfortunately neither are in ample supply these days, so everyone keeps on looking for silver bullet "solutions". This attitude is everywhere, even in large corporations, where managers want the latest shiny packaged product, because they actually believe that they can get results without having to learn anything first.
The computer industry is a victim of its own hype. Or rather, society is a victim of the industry hype. If we actually acknowledged the value of learning, we might collectively be able to harness the power of computers instead of spending huge chunks of time dealing with trivial annoyances.
Sounds like fun but ... (Score:3, Funny)
Hopefully, the geek-eye guys have unlisted phone numbers ...
Utter failure. (Score:5, Insightful)
Ahh...and the remotes. This is the kind of stuff that has ALWAYS needed a lot of work. Check out this Cooper article [cooper.com] on an elegant solution.
Coming next week on TDC/TLC (Score:4, Funny)
$15k wasted (Score:5, Funny)
Easy. (Score:3, Interesting)
You know they didn't buy a Mac, that's what.
Seriously, get 'em DSL, an AirPort base station, iBooks and iSight for each family member, and now they have high speed wireless internet with videoconferencing.
Pile on a TiVo, any DVD player, and a $1000 30"+ CRT TV, and a decent sound system.
Total cost: way under $15k.
The key is, don't buy the best of everything, buy the stuff that's proven to work.
They were almost there. (Score:4, Insightful)
They should have gone one way or the other (I'd have gone Mac myself), but introducing a mixed system to non-tech people is not a good plan. They basically demonstrated no degree of ability to interconnect systems, where all the REALLY cool features you could have nowadays come from.
The interesting thing to me is that these guys, being geeks, must read
Re:Easy. (Score:3, Funny)
They got DSL, Powerbook G4, Airport Extreme, 2 TiVo's, plasma tv, and yes a killer sound system (among many other things).
They failed in their execution only with the remotes. That's the "it" in your quoted text.
Advertise that you just got $15k worth of gear... (Score:3, Funny)
Did they get them some high-tech security?
the geeks (Score:5, Funny)
If that happens, they send someone out to buy them a preposition.
This isn't a show. (Score:3, Funny)
Stupid. (Score:3, Funny)
So for a family of complete techo-illiterates, they bought a PC _and_ a Mac. That way they'll never figure out how to use anything. Bravo.
misreading (Score:3, Interesting)
The point is that these guys were SUPPOSED to go overboard. Hell, on Queer Eye the only thing really wrong with the guys are that they're messy and slobish. All they really need is a maid to swipe through and vacuum their apartment and do the dishes. Is that where the show stops? Of course not, where's the fun in that? It's more entertaining to see a guy's guy get totally redone by a bunch of flamboyant fashion kings/queens going the whole nine. New pimpish wardrobe, new interior decoration, a preplanned meal that rivals most 5-star restraunts', etc.
Sorry for the rant. It just seems that a lot of people read too deeply into the whole purpose of this "experiment". Have fun, enjoy. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go find the family's address so I can sniff their wireless traffic and blackmail 'em for that plasma tv.
The Real Difference between Queer Eye and Geek Eye (Score:3, Informative)
Geek Eye just said "Here's a bunch of technology, which you have no idea why you need it and not something else... now use it." There was nothing beyond the How To UseExpensive Technology for Dummies crash course that they were given.
If you want people to actually grow and learn, you need to explain why. Honestly, technology is a more difficult beast to master than fashion... although looking at many
*prepares for mod down*
What's that? (Score:4, Funny)
"The PC sports a 2.08GHz XP processor"
XP processor, what's that? Is that what I use to run Windows 97 for my Outlook Explorer?
Setting up is not really the problem (Score:5, Insightful)
It's when you say goodbye and leave the house that the problems start happining. Computer drivers become muddled. Wifi networks magically stop connecting. Stereo settings become off.
And you end up dreding answering your phone because you're going to have to do tech support.
To the average person, keeping a hi tech setup in good working order is difficult. (My stereo doesn't work. After hours of troubleshooting over the phone, you discover it's because they hit the 'a' speaker button while cleaning the recevier).
Keeping a computer system in top condition is even harder. "Of course I clicked on that attachment. It said it was from microsoft and it would clean the virus out of my computer".
Geeks? (Score:3, Insightful)
1. Buy expensive things based on the brochures,
2. Yell when the standard lack any due diligence or research left them in a jam,
3. Demand a bonus for staying on the sinking ship! / Get the geeks to come up with a workable interim kludge. -- omitted
However, in this case, they didn't have actual geeks to pick up any slack. And, they also were forced to omit their core competency of writing memos "We are excited to announce the strategic alliance with $VENDOR! We will be rolling out $BROKEN_PRODUCT beginning next month!"
Re:Not real geeks (Score:3, Funny)