How computer savvy are you?

[elitesystem]

How How computer savvy are you?

-- I write my own programs.
-- I built and configured my desktop.
-- I'm comfortable editing my Registry.
-- I upgrade my hardware and install software.
-- I upgrade programs and maintain my hard drive.
-- In my world, the words "computer" and "savvy" don't mix.
-- Computer? Is that what I'm using?

Here are a few questions to start the discussion off:

If you're pretty computer savvy, how did you get to your level of expertise (books, Web sites, school, etc.)?

What kind of sound advice would you give computer newbies who are just getting their feet wet in the computer world?

If you're a newbie, what is your greatest fear about the computer?

Have fun with this discussion everyone!computer savvy are you?

 

[mi1ez]

I wrote my own programs at university. C, Java, Pascal, Ada, HTML, PHP, CSS

I edit old programs to improve compatibility

I built and configured my desktop.

I'm comfortable editing my Registry. Makes Vista more bearable!

I upgrade my hardware and install software.

I upgrade programs and maintain my hard drive.

I have built and maintain our school's website and am about to start another one for a local company.

I still utilise the Dell next business day on-site repair at work though!

 

[snow naval]

I write my own Programs.

I was an "Elite PSP Developer"

I have made Custom Firmware for both the PSP & iPod Touch, although the iPod touch Cfw is still undergoing surgery.

Editing the Registry doesnt really bother me lol.

I know 8 Programming Languages Fluently.
HTML, CSS, PHP, XML, C, C++, C# & VB.NET
I am beginning to Learn Coldfusion & Java (God help me )

I do alot of Web Designing. =]

Just starting getting into knowing my "stuff" with Hardware though.

 

[liljone]

back in 1970s my mom was a beta tester for the mac before the public release of the mac and she also worked at the mac fest in the 1970-80s cant rememeber. Around 1989 ( I was 3yrs old) she put me on a 386 and ever since then I been addictive to computers. Everything I learn about computers was thou personal experance and when I was 12yr old (around 1998) I had a computer tech as a roommate he thought me all about hardware then last year I took the A+ certification.


I cant program yet :/ ( i can program .bat files but dont think that counts lol)

I tweak pograms to improve compatibility

I built and configured my desktop.

I'm comfortable editing my Registry.

I upgrade my hardware and install software.

I upgrade programs and maintain my hard drive.

 

[snow naval]

Ewww Mac

Have you tried Programming before? Best bet to get into Programming, and possibly the easiest way is to go download Visual Basic 2008, and play around with it. You can make almost anything with that program (and with the know-how) You can make programs which safely edit the Registry too which i have done many times. One example, is my Recycle Bin Renamer I made for WinXP.

 

[liljone]

Yea been thinking of taking c++ class. Is that a easy/good program lang to know? i'm a noob when comes to programming.

 

[snow naval]

It is really easy, Most Devs start with using Visual Basic. I did =]
And theres possibly everyguide you would want to know about VB on the net (youtube is very useful for vb too!)

 

[liljone]

sweet thanks

 

[Flakes]

-- I write my own programs

ive written programs in Java and C. and know i develop websites in PHP, SQL, HTML and javascript. http://www.portfolio.j-henderson.co.uk

to snow, HTML and XML and PHP arnt programming languages there scripting languages.

-- I built and configured my desktop.

I work with laptops on a daily basis taking them apart and rebuilding them.

-- I'm comfortable editing my Registry.

yes i am.

-- I upgrade my hardware and install software.

wouldnt have it any other way.

-- I upgrade programs and maintain my hard drive.

yep, i have a RAID 5 setup and a linux server with another RAID 5.

 

[snow naval]

Why the double post? :S

 

[Flakes]

EDIT

double post...

well i might aswell put something usefull here..


i learnt how to fix software problems, by trial and error really, i would "accidently" break the computer then have to look up solutions to fix it, this taught me lots about software and how to recognise certain problems.

for programming it was something ive always been interested in, i started with visual basic at A level, and built a bandit machine outta VB, i then expanded on this at university with Java and C.

now my main interest has been website development and in this area i have gained alot of knowledge by working my way through books and online tutorials, all of which have contributed to my knowledge today.

 

[jsc]

Your computer survey is a little short sighted in that it's primarily focused on software, but "yes" to everything except the first question.

On the hardware side, I was building computers when "build" meant taking soldering iron in hand.

 

[mi1ez]

On the hardware side, I was building computers when "build" meant taking soldering iron in hand.

CRIPES!

 

[skittle]

<--helps with x264 ASM.

besides that, I OCd my TI-82 way back in the day... OH, and the occasional command prompt batch script every now and then.

 

[radnor]

How How computer savvy are you?

-- I write my own programs.
-- I built and configured my desktop.
-- I'm comfortable editing my Registry.
-- I upgrade my hardware and install software.
-- I upgrade programs and maintain my hard drive.
-- In my world, the words "computer" and "savvy" don't mix.
-- Computer? Is that what I'm using?

-- Yes, ussually VB. Fast, enjoyable and i already have a bunch of code for small apps. PHP, SQL and a bit of java are in there aswell. and other older languages (C, Turbo Pascal, Clipper, a bit of assembly).

-- I always builted my own computers. My first machine specs below. that was top end. Really Top End.
From my :386 SX 25Mhz,
2 Megas RAM,
89 MB HDD,
Cirrus Logic VGA (512kb),
Floppy 1.44"
AT PSU,
Supercom 640x480 Vga Monitor

-- Very confortable.
-- See reply nr 2.
-- See reply nr 2.
-- They mix, informatics in general are so broad, you can NEVER know it all. Or be a savvy about it.

1 - I got my knowledge mostly alone. Some from classes, some from reading , some from talking, but mostly, trial and error.

2 - Dont worry if you burn anything.Sometimes things burn on their own. You cant run if you dont know how to walk. Baby steps

4 - I like to think so, but i needed more $$$ so i can be more savvy *Ask santa for CrossFireX ATIs fer Xmas, or better, talk to the wife.*

 

[njalterio]

It would be unlikely to find someone with the "Computer? Is that what I'm using?" response in a computer enthusiast forum.

 

[Nik_I]

did you by any chance get these questions from the cnet email newsletter?

I fall into the "i built and configured my desktop"

 

[stan116]

I have been building and selling highend computers for 12+ yrs. Yes to all of your questions except writing programs.

 

[jsc]

CRIPES!

Yep. Been doing this for a few [strike]years[/strike] decades. The first computer that I had a hand in building (my friend's soldering skills were abysmal) was a Mark-8 (Intel 8008, predated the Altair by about 6 months).

And I can say, without a doubt, that I do not miss the "good old days".

 

[jonisginger]

I do everything bar write code. I learned it all through experience. I am 18. I started when I was 13ish. I find coding boring. loooooooool. I'll have to learn to use C++ in Uni for my Maths masters.

 

[Zenthar]

Yea been thinking of taking c++ class. Is that a easy/good program lang to know? i'm a noob when comes to programming.

I wouldn't call C++ "easy"; it's not tough, but I think Java is better to force the Object Oriented Programming mindset C++ doesn't enforce. Moreover, most of the Java syntax was taken from C/C++ so nothing is lost. Then I suggest playing with plain C for a while to get familiar with pointers and the like. Then I think you could jump to C++.

 

[snow naval]

I think you have overlooked he is a Newbie...

 

[1971Rhino]

Your computer survey is a little short sighted in that it's primarily focused on software

Also the irony of it being on a "hardware" site.

I had a C64 way back in the 80's. I tried to program on that thing...a friend of mine had one too....he had some kind of cartidge with a turtle on it.....I just remember lines of lines of code saving it to the cassette drive, and trying to load it about a million times. That pretty much ruined me from writing my own programs...other than basic

I had an HP P166 in 1997 and a friend of mine at work conviced me we could put in the chips to double the memory of the intergrated graphics card. The next thing you know we were upgrading everything.....then we started building our own systems....

So I build my own and I'm comfortable in my own registry.

 

[aznguy0028]

what? computer? i thought i was using my windows OS through my pda

 

[xx12amanxx]

I upgrade my hardware and install software.


I also build computer's for my family and have got pretty fond of OC'ing.I used to drag race rx-7's decided computer's would keep me off the wall at a 100+mph..Didnt realize how addicting these thing's can be!