Monday, April 25, 2016

I Am So Over It

Years ago, in another life, I worked for a software training company.  I sold seats in the classes, I scheduled the classes, I loaded the software on all the training computers, and I taught a few of the classes.  I also helped break down an entire room full of hardware so it could be set up on-site at the customer location. 

This was back in the day of bulky monitors and MS Office on a bazillion 3 1/2" diskettes.  (Thankfully, it was also in the day of not needing a code key, so I could take one copy and load it 12 times.  I had an assembly line going with each new version of each piece of software.)  It was fun at the time.  Really it was.  Now?  :shudder:

But that's beside the point I was driving at.  Not that I'm not over loading software and schlepping hardware.  I am.  So.

No, this morning I realized I am totally over learning new software. 

Lemme back up a bit.  Last week, I got a new computer.  Well, a refurbished version of my old computer.  I did that so I wouldn't have to learn Windows 10.  Yuck.  Even that, though, didn't bring the realization to the forefront.  What did?  Well, it started when I couldn't find the installation CD for my image manipulation software.  And in my desperate need to have a copy of that, I even almost loaded a free copy of it from one of those virus-laden venereal sites.  (Yes, I applied internet penicillin almost immediately after I unzipped what looked like but wasn't MS Image Composer.)  Then I got the bright idea to go look for the damn CD online.  Surely someone has a copy they aren't using.  Yep.  Thank goodness for eBay.

This morning, Hubs asked when it was going to arrive.  Poor guy.  I gave him the answer and then launched into a diatribe about learning new software, which was when I realized that I am SO over learning new software. 

So.  Over it.

And I traced it back to the those couple of years at the training company.  In the course of two years, I learned:

Lotus 123 version 2.4 and 3.1 for DOS, and whatever Windows version was out then.
Excel
dBase
Word
Wordperfect for DOS and Windows
ACT!

Windows 3.1 and 95
(there were others, I'm sure, but this was 20 years ago)

And I beta tested countless others.  YOU try learning 3 different spreadsheet programs in varying versions and see if you don't end up a little tetched. 

So, why am I talking about this on Outside the Box?  Because I use that antiquated software to create book covers.  Sure, it has limited functionality on Windows 7, but I can get around some of that and I've learned to work with it.  And that's the point - I already learned it.  I spent the past decade plus learning everything about it.  And I ain't got time to learn the new software - which, btw, doesn't let me do what I can do with the old stuff.  (Not that I've figured out anyway.  Don't talk to me about GIMP.  Ugh.)  And I do not have the inclination.

Anyway, the software is ordered and will be on its way shortly.  (Fingers crossed they ship today.)  Luckily, I already finished the ebook cover for Fertile Ground.  If you want to see that, sign up for my newsletter and you'll be one of the first people to lay eyes on that - otherwise, you'll have to wait a week for the worldwide reveal. 

What's something that you are so over?  And feel free to rant about learning software or the constant 'new version addiction' that the programmers seem to foist upon us.  Misery loves company.  ;o)

2 comments:

  1. I hate learning new software. Win 7 is comfortable but there will come a time when MS stops supporting it and we will be forced to move on. My laptop is a Mac. The Only loves Mac. She loves her MacBook, her MacAir, and her Mac desktop. She wants to me to switch to a Mac desktop when the Toaster Box comes to the end of its viability. (Shhhh. I don't want it to hear me.) I'm resisting the Mac because...learning curve. It is NOT intuitive me and even though I gritch about MS, Windows is...comfortable. Not sure what I'm going to do. Nothing for awhile. I have to get a new phone and talk to people about switching cable providers. That's all the technology I can handle this week!

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  2. My laptop was a Dec 06 purchase and it's a great machine. Still works perfectly an all, but I've just received an email from dropbox saying that it'll no longer support the application because I'm still on XP. I understand the Microsoft / Apple etc want to provide up to date software, but I'm not a 16 year old kid any more. I don't need new stuff every 5 minutes. I like XP, it works! It ain't broken so why do they keep trying to fix it?

    I even understand why people change to a Mac - at least they don't mess with everything every couple of years.

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