Windows User's i don't understand them.

[comtux]

I just feel like bitching!

I have a customer she has like 4 Dell desktop computers.

Everyone is running a 3GHz P4
With 1 Gig of ram
2 200 Gig hard drives in each.
Ati Radeon 128 videocard of somesort.
All running windows Xp Home
Dvd Burner
You name it.

Every fucking day she call's me at 8am because windows xp is fucking up.

And every day i tell her i don't offer support for windows call microsoft or dell.
And every day she tells me that the microsoft and dell people have no idea what the hell there talking about and i am the onlyone she trust touching her computers.

So i tell her let me build a custom linux for each of her pc's.

Now this woman doesn't know the first thing about computer's but she think's that linux is a hell of a lot easyer to use than windows.

But she won't let me build her a linux because dell won't give here tech support?

WTF

The only thing's she does is copy Music & Dvd's
And play with her pictures.

Well kde comes with a cd ripper i built a 1 click dvd copy app.
And there is god knows how many apps for pics on linux.

My girl friend is getting mad at me because i have a hard time chargeing this lady every time i visit.

I figure if i go to her house that is down the street just to show her how to password protect her pc's from the bios takes about 30 sec what am i going to charge her 20 cents?

She is wasting my time but she is one of my paychecks from time to time.
$100 Here
$20 There

So what should i do.

[N0thing]

All right comtux i know exactly what you mean.

This happens to me in highschool as well at home. I get calls from people from my school asking for tech support.

One time my school even asked me to graph the state test scores from 95-2003. Anyhow heres how I do it dont set a fee. If their grateful theyll pay, if not give them worst service. Im sitting in computer class and have just been running around fixing bout 10 computers and a printer. Do i do it for cash no. Like open source i beleive some things should be free.

Anyhow my suggestion i did this to a couple of people who constantly ask for help. In order if they dont listen.
1. Hint to them like youve been doing, to make a switch.
2. I wrote a 10 page document on how to keep your computer clean, and included a cd of free windows software. For some that helped.
3. drop a custom live cd in their drive. I mean one that looks like xp and feels like it.

Also you can charge on say a monthly basis a number of 20 cents visits can add up so set a fee. Again i dont ask for money.

But she says dell and the microsoft support is shit point her here she will see people are willing to help.

I know alot of people like this there really isnt anything to do. My dad is one of them, he only sticks with windows because its the mainstream thing. The only real thing is to hold your breath and put down the fists and help them, or not.

[Pugio]

"Windows Users, I don't understand them."

Well, as my friendly neighborhood windows user down the block usually says: "Ach Nish tung uch nid feingen ma brechen vis da lechen." - I can't understand him either.


On a more serious note, I have exactly the same problem. I too have a horde of people each day asking me to help with their problems. I too have hard time charging them; after all, it's so easy to do, how can I possibly charge them?

What I've started doing is offering basic support for free (ie. the first incident). At subsequent episodes, I usually charge around $25-$35 an hour. I've only just started doing this, but it seems to be working out great. People are amazed by my "low prices"


One other thing that I've taken to doing to both advertise my services as well as raise some extra cash - I walk around the neighborhood with my iBook searching for wireless networks. Then, I log into their router (uname: linksys, pword: admin) and walk into the store/business. A few minutes of explaining to them why I'm displaying their files on my laptop and I have a new service contract.

I would love to recommend linux to the people who I troubleshoot for. The problem is, if something does go wrong then I know that they'll blame me and this weird OS called Linux. When (not if) something goes wrong on windows, I can just smile, blame M$ and windows, and reinstall their system.


As a last point, N0thing mentioned a CD with free windows software. I've been thinking of putting something like this together myself. So far, all I have is Ad Aware, Spybot, and SP 2. What other apps would be good for this sort of windows tuning?

[comtux]

I uselly install the basic's
Flash , Java
I install Mozilla , Firefox or , Netscape for there browser.
Ad-aware
Sp2
Some form of free Anti Virus
It really depends on what there useing there computer for on what i install.
Then i have them ajust there system to there likes and i use
Acronis True Image to back every thing up.

That way if thay ever f up there system i just go over pop the backup in and 15 min latter everything back to the way it use to be.

[Fatal Error]

C..T.. Help em out, politely push Linux. Someone like your neighbor its hard to charge and not feel like you are cheating a friend, but, talk to them and explaine that this is how you make a living.

Dude, you are an ambassador for Linux. Linux folks are the nicest people in the world, eh maccorin?

[ZennouRyuu]

I only do windows support for family..................whom I never charge anyway, and will never switch to linux (well most will never switch some have changed) Other than that I make my living on linux support.

[comtux]

Most people that i deal with when i introduce linux to them really really like what it has to offer BUT there so brainashed by microsoft that it just make's my job that much harder.

The lady above i sliped a custom slax live cd in when i go over .
And surf really just trying to get her use to the idea of linux as an alternative.

Tonight i had to go to her house to fix her daughters dell the ntfs fileing system corrupted and i had to do a reinstall she told me that she doesn't under stand why her computer keeps messing up so i pop'd in slax and left her for a couple of hours and when i came back i ask so how many popups spyware and error's did you get she just looked at me and fliped me the finger.
I do use the live cd's not only to kinda show what linux is but also as training aides.

I will convert my city to linux before long.

[ZennouRyuu]

I will convert my city to linux before long.

Hahah thats the spirit!

[comtux]

[maccorin]

Dude, you are an ambassador for Linux. Linux folks are the nicest people in the world, eh maccorin?

heh. I'd say they are some of the most moral people in the world (at least those that stick to writing free software because they believe all software should be free, when they could easily sell their services in a commercial setting much easier), but moral != nice.