Geek Eye for the Average Guy

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?"

Comments

Some things for most people:

[DeadSea]

For the Audio Visual setup:

1. Get them down to one remote - Nice receiver, learning remote - properly programmed, buttons all labeled
2. DVR - TiVo or Replay TV, its a must have. Enable the 30 second skip button on the TiVo remote.
3. Adjust the TV properly - turn the sharpness the whole way down, go through all the test patterns and balance the colors.

For the computer:

1. Open source software - Install software from the Open CD, Linux if they are up for it..
2. Decruft the mouse and keyboard (although even most geeks could use this)
3. A decent home network, add more computers as needed.
4. A nice office chair and good ergonomics - switch them over to the dvorak keybord and make them practice.

For the kitchen:

1. Print out list of all pizza delivery options
2. Stock fridge with Mt. Dew and Guinness.

Personal grooming:

1. Pocket Protector ;-)

Re:Some things for most people:

[Schwartzboy]

For some reason, I'm reminded of "Query Eye for the Database Guy" (anyone read Foxtrot? Bueller? Bueller?). Remember, a null pointer doesn't have to be a dull pointer!
But really....
"and stacks random CDs behind the TV and on top of the dryer."? *shudder*
Pearls before swine, says I.

Re:Some things for most people:

[ichimunki]

Why would you buy a new keyboard? Just rearrange the keys on a QWERTY and choose a new keymap file (or change your Control Panel settings). Should handle most of the differences. I haven't tried this myself, but now I'm tempted. :)

Re:Some things for most people:

[atheken]

"I grew up learning querty (learned to touch type when I was 9 I believe)."

and they didn't teach you how to spell it?

QWERTY - it's on the keyboard if you've forgotten.

This is slashdot, of course I am going to split-hairs! :-D

Re:Some things for most people:

[Trigun]

You'd give him the finger too, if it weren't for that damned carpal tunnel.

Dear Fortune,

[teamhasnoi]

I enjoyed your article immensely, especially when the Geek starts calling everyone 'bitch'. However, I can't quite get the gist of it.

Please repeat your experiment of 4 guys installing 15,000 dollars of equipment at my house, so that I may understand *exactly* the trials of learning to use technology.

Many Thanks,
Teamhasnoi

Average Eye for the Geek Guy

[blchrist]

It should be the other way around. A group of average people can tell a geek how to shower. They can teach him that long greasy hair in a ponytail is not a fashion statement. They could even take him shopping to buy clothes that aren't just t-shirts with nerdy slogans or anime characters on them.

A grim outlook...

[Gefiltefish11]

"Ok, the first thing you need on your PC is Linux. And forget a GUI, you need to do everything in text. Windowed interfaces are so not cool. Once you're set up with this, we'll go to the de-tanning booth to get your skin a nice white pasty color..."

"But why..."

[Anonymous Coward]

"But why is my homepage www.slashdot.org? What is this site? What's it good for? Are there games? Oh wait, I see the games section!"

Re:"But why..."

[IIRCAFAIKIANAL]

Heh, I just thought of how the movie "The Ring" could have been ten times scarier.

"When you see the Goatse... you die."

Alright, but only if...

[Neuracnu Coyote]

...the last few paragraphs of the forthcoming Fortune article are dedicated to the team of geeks sitting around a monitor on the other side of town, packet-sniffing the new network for leaks and shreeking at what horrible things the new users are doing to the whole system.

What's new? I'm always doing this for friends.

[MurrayTodd]

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.

Hmm.

[grub]

Does the $15,000 include the $699 for SCO?

A waste of $15,000

[rjstanford]

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...

Simple!

[AndroidCat]

If the avarage family doesn't anything about the stuff or how to install it, they won't miss it if they don't have it.

1. Install cardboard box with "Really Neat Box!" written on it.
2. Pocket $15,000.
3. ???
4. Profit!

(I think ??? involves running away very fast, but doesn't it always?)

It's a sham

[Eponymous Cowboy]

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.

Re:Requirements?

[Wakkow]

Here's the requirements from the article:

"really, all they wanted to do was send digital pictures of the kids to Grandma."

Of course, it continues on with:

"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"

HA! You think a group of geeks would only buy a camera and maybe a new PC? HA! GPS is definitely needed to send photos to grandma.

Linux for the Average Guy

[barryfandango]

[Geek] Okay, now you're running Linux! Your computer will run faster and be more stable. Also it's politically and morally superior, and the software is all free!

[AverageGuy] Awesome, thanks! So what games are on here?

[Geek] I have to go now.

Damn, it's time for lunch when...

[justMichael]

You read the end of the article as

They pause. Ross fingers his goatse...

instead of

They pause. Ross fingers his goatee...

Damn you /.

Utter failure.

[sahala]

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.

GPS?

[donutz]

HA! You think a group of geeks would only buy a camera and maybe a new PC? HA! GPS is definitely needed to send photos to grandma.

GPS: Know your exact location in your own home!

Without GPS:
Wife: "Kids, dinnertime!"
(no answer)
Husband: "Maybe they're in the toy room, dear!"

With GPS:
Wife: "Kids, dinnertime!"
(no answer)
Husband: "Kids are at 33 56' 52" N, 118 8' 5" W, dear!"

Re:I call BS

[swilver]

...suggesting Apex to your friends or family will just make sure they don't ask you for your advice ever again...

That's perfect, I'll recommend it to all my friends and relatives right away!!

Re:No Fair

[drivers]

you can have gentoo, kde, and gnome built in three days, easy. Hell, maybe even two days.

Because as we all know, gnome wasn't built in a day.