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Geek Eye for the Average Guy

Posted by michael on from the tech-support-on-speed-dial dept.

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?"

4 of 507 comments (clear)

  1. What's new? I'm always doing this for friends. by MurrayTodd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The $15K money would be a nice change, but I'm always spending my free time setting up WiFi home networks, etc.

    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.

    --
    Murray Todd Williams
  2. A waste of $15,000 by rjstanford · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From the article, "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."

    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...

    --
    You're special forces then? That's great! I just love your olympics!
  3. It's a sham by Eponymous+Cowboy · · Score: 5, Insightful
    From the article:
    On the way out they pick up a MAG Innovision 17-inch CRT monitor for a hundred bucks, hop in the Chevy Malibu rental, and floor it back to the Burkes'.
    I, too, had a 17" MAG CRT monitor--in 1990. These so called "geeks" should be able to do a heck of a lot better than a 17" CRT if their goal is to bring the family "up to date." I lost all faith in them after reading that. As far as I can tell, they did nothing more than buy whatever was on page two of the Best Buy circular that week.

    The idea as a whole is intriguing, but with posers instead of real geeks, it's pretty pointless.
    --
    It's hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
  4. Utter failure. by sahala · · Score: 5, Insightful
    The 3 geeks were setting up stuff that they themselves would enjoy. They didn't focus on what the family really desired, nor did any analysis of any real goals. That's not to say that other "improvement" shows do any better...most of them overlook this obvious, but important, step in the process.

    Ahh...and the remotes. This is the kind of stuff that has ALWAYS needed a lot of work. Check out this Cooper article on an elegant solution.