Where is the Any Key?

ricembr noted that compaq has finally provided a FAQ to the world to ask that long standing question where is the any key? Pray that this was added to the FAQ as a joke, and not in response to legitimate need ;)

Comments

It's Likely True

[iCharles]

Unfortunately, the FAQ probably is a legitimate point. I've done too much desktop support where things just as stupid have come up.

There was the time (many, many years ago) I sent a 3.5" floppy to someone with both a 3.5" and 5.25" drive. She calls me up and asks which one to put it in, claiming the big one looks ike it can hold both sizes.

Of course, the any key one is a bit of a mystery. Not so much because I don't think people would ask that question, but rather becuase it's been years since I've seen that asked (usually it's the "click OK to continue").

true story

[KingRamsis]

I was teaching the father of a friend of mine how to use computers, in our first day, he looked at me and then looked at the keyboard and said "I want you to explain to me what every key does"

he was thinking that the keyboard is like a giant remote control with every key doing one specialized job.

few years later windows keyboards with "email", "web", and "support" buttons emerged, I guess he was a visionary in his own way.

Label your computer for the user!

[jhines]

I got a set of labels from cyberguys, which allows all the ports to be labeled, with a matching label for the cable.

Included is the "any" label, which can be applied as needed.

Great if your building a PC for a less than technical user, like a family member.

Re:Don't confuse stupid with unfamiIiar

[be-fan]

To validate this point:

This summer, we drove from Amsterdam to Paris in a rented car. (We're from the US, FYI). Well, it came time to fill it up, and it occurred to us that the car might be a diesel. So we called up Hertz, and unfortunately for us, the phone system was in Dutch! Looked at the manual, and it was also in Dutch. The gas station attendent, who spoke only French, insisted that the car was a diesel, because he saw the word "diesel" written in the manual. So we go ahead and try to put diesel in the engine, only to find out that the nozzle is too large to go in! It was shaped so you could only put in gasoline!

So yes, in unfamilier situations, even relatively intelligent individuals can act rather wonky...