很多和我一起上学的人都有孙子（当然，我自己太年轻了）。当我浏览以技术为导向的博客和网站时，我注意到他们中的很多人都使用“grandma”作为“技术上无望和无能”的简写。这和什么有什么关系？本周的书是为老年人和更聪明的人使用 Windows 7 计算(Computing with Windows 7 for the Older and Wiser)。鉴于老年人无望和无知(hopeless and clueless)的看法，这本书有意义吗？不管你多大，请继续阅读。
经验之谈
这本书的作者阿德里安·阿诺德 (Adrian Arnold ) 让我们提前知道，他是本书所针对的“年长和聪明”群体之一。他多年来一直在教老年人使用电脑，他的写作风格(writing style)开朗、脚踏实地，不会对任何人说话。他是英国人，而且使用英国的拼写和表达方式(spelling and expressions)，所以习惯美国语言的人(American language)可能需要稍微调整一下，但在我看来，这只会让它变得更有趣。有时人们认为他们无法理解一个新概念，因为它是完全陌生的东西。但大多数时候，真正需要的只是有人用有意义的术语来解释它。现在 40 岁及以上的人并没有像年轻人那样在家中使用电脑长大，因此使用电脑所需的技能并没有在他们小时候掌握。小时候家里可能连电视机都没有的人不一定会认为电脑是一种有用的工具，而是一种复杂而可怕的东西。这本书就是为了克服这些恐惧而写的。
每一章都很短，而且切中要害。作者假设读者对该主题(subject and starts)一无所知，并从解释一切如何运作开始。我特别喜欢他知道老年人可能害怕打破某些东西或把某些东西弄乱而无法恢复的事实，并首先要求人们故意做一些事情（比如用双手用力按下键盘(keyboard hard)）向他们保证不会发生任何不好的事情。他还谈到了对看起来很愚蠢的恐惧（当然，它不分年龄界限）和其他可能与第一次使用计算机的老年人有关的事情。然后他解释了在家用电脑(home computer)中寻找什么，以及为什么拥有一些东西会很好，并指出学习基本计算机技能的真正优势。所有这一切都是以幽默的方式完成的，并且对人们的担忧有个人理解。然后，他介绍了Windows 7的基础知识，并谈论了操作系统(operating system)的工作原理，所用语言使他听起来像是坐在房间里一样。他还建议找一个“守护天使”，一个有更多技能的人，必要时愿意做一些解释或牵手，这对任何新手计算机用户(computer user)来说都是极好的建议。
实用技能是首要的
本书从基础开始——如何打开计算机以及启动时会发生什么。然后是桌面的简单解释（以及为什么这么称呼它）以及当Windows 7(Windows 7)完成加载时人们会看到什么。由于这些天 PC 都带有Windows 7，这是新计算机用户(computer user)会发现的，这也是作者解释事情如何工作的起点。我想在这里澄清一下：这本书不一定是教人们如何充分使用Windows 7。这本书是关于教人们计算的，使用Windows 7作为主要操作系统(operating system)。因此，您不会完全了解Windows 7 的所有内容(everything Windows 7)必须提供，但仅限于您需要知道的重要内容。作者通过将其与打字机键盘(typewriter keyboard)进行比较来解释键盘，老年人会感到熟悉，并指出哪些键与他们可能习惯的不同。由于使用鼠标可能是一项全新的技能，这里有一个简单的解释，说明它是什么以及它是如何工作的，以及一些通过玩纸牌来练习使用它的建议(Solitaire)（我认为这是一个绝妙的主意）。Windows 7 本身的解释清晰明了。对窗口的每个部分进行了描述，并附有插图。作者解释了程序是什么，以及库、文件夹和文件的基础知识（将它们与现实世界的对应物进行比较，以使概念易于理解）。然后是讨论个性化桌面和使用小工具的部分，其中包含对任何年龄的大多数人都有吸引力的示例。对开始菜单(Start Menu)、任务栏和 Windows 7 的特殊视觉功能（如Aero Peek、Aero Snap 和 Aero Shake ）等内容进行了很好的解释(Aero Snap and Aero Shake). 作者解释了每种方法的工作原理，并提供了一些有用的建议，说明如果更改不吸引人，如何将一切恢复原状。
保持简单和相关
这本书没有深入研究技术主题，而是讨论了老年人想要用电脑做的实际事情——写、读、发送和接收电子邮件、在互联网(Internet)上搜索、购物、安排旅行和组织照片。从磁盘和下载中安装软件也有很好的清晰解释。这是一个很好的方法。我知道我的母亲在 70 多岁之前一直讨厌电脑——然后有人给了她一台电脑，并教她如何发送和接收电子邮件以及阅读她最喜欢的报纸网站。从此，她成为了电脑爱好者(computer enthusiast)。因此，一旦克服最初的恐惧，发现所有这些实际的事情会变得非常容易，这是成功的关键，而这本书确实提供了。
本书引导读者使用写字板创建文档，这是关于(WordPad)文字处理(word processing)基础的简单课程。从如何使用开始菜单(Start Menu)中的搜索框(search box)开始，作者建议读者先玩一下键盘和鼠标(keyboard and mouse)，以便更轻松地了解发生的情况，并解释光标和鼠标指针(mouse pointer)以及如何使用他们工作。这个练习让新手可以轻松使用Windows 7。还有一个关于如何获得帮助的好章节，这对任何人都有用。我很惊讶地看到有关使用任务管理器的部分(Task Manager)在本章中，我认为这将被认为是一个更高级的主题——但读者按照这里的明确说明不会出错。
那么这个“互联网”的东西是什么？
Internet部分包括有关选择服务提供商(service provider)和设置电子邮件帐户(email account)的说明，以及对拨号和宽带(dial-up and broadband)的说明。这完全是针对英国读者的，但其他国家的人可以使用这些说明在自己的家中找到合适的服务。互联网(Internet)技能部分包括使用在线地图、搜索引擎、百科全书和YouTube的说明。同样(Again)，重点是提供实用信息且易于使用和导航的网站。还有网上购物的部分(online shopping)非常棒，它不仅可以帮助人们找到购物网站，还可以帮助人们克服将信用卡信息(credit card information)泄露给网站的自然恐惧。有一个插图很好的部分也解释了eBay 和 PayPal(eBay and PayPal)。
图片，但不是音乐？
数码摄影部分包括使用Picasa作为组织者的说明，以及一些关于如何改进照片（通过裁剪、更改颜色等）的简单说明。它还提到了人们可以上传数码照片和打印的网站。纸上的照片对于年长的计算机用户来说会更熟悉，并且(Photographs)知道(computer user and knowing)可以很容易地打印出数码照片是一个很大的帮助。我很惊讶没有真正提到数字音乐，特别是因为Windows Media Player使用起来非常简单。向读者展示如何插入音乐 CD会很有帮助(music CD)以及当检测到 CD 时会发生什么，并说明可以在执行其他操作时使用Windows Media Player在后台播放音乐。(Windows Media Player)
每章结尾都有一个总结和一个小测验，这样人们就可以复习他们所学的内容。由于一切都解释得如此清楚，我怀疑任何人在这些章末测试中获得满分都会有任何困难。虽然重点是Windows 7及其组件，但作者确实谈到了从其他来源获取软件，并侧重于廉价或免费的程序。这对于可能刚刚为这种新奇的计算机产品花费了很多钱并且不愿意立即将更多的钱花在其他任何东西上的新手计算机用户(novice computer user)非常有帮助。
我会做什么不同的事情？
老实说，我不会改变太多。尽管几十年来我一直在使用计算机，但我还是喜欢这本书以及它严肃而友好的方法。但我确实认为应该有一两章关于安全性。购物章节（在保证您的在线信息(shopping chapter)安全(Security)方面）和“高级电子邮件”部分（在恶意软件和垃圾邮件(malware and spam)方面）提到了安全性。由于即使是“更年轻、更聪明”的计算机用户也被弹出窗口、虚假电子邮件、病毒和其他网络恶作剧所愚弄，我认为除了章节中提到的之外，这些东西应该有一个单独的章节。
判决
这本书是你真的应该买给奶奶、爷爷或其他任何成年并愿意学习的人的东西。这种方法是实用的，不会对读者低语或假设“每个人都已经知道”基本的计算机技能。作者是“我们中的一员”，确切地知道人们可能害怕什么，以及学习新事物的最佳方法。我肯定会买给我妈妈的。
Book Review - Computing with Windows 7 for the Older and Wiser
A lot of the people I went to school with, have grandchildren (I myself аm far too youthful for that, of courѕe). And as I browse through technology-oriented blogs and websites, I have notіced that a lot of them use "grandma" as shorthand for "technologically hopеless and clueless." What does that have to do with anything? This week's book is Computing with Windows 7 for the Older and Wiser. Given the perception of older people as hopeless and clueless, does this book make sense? No matter how old you are, read on.
Speaking from Experience
The author of the book, Adrian Arnold, lets us know right up front that he's one of the "older and wiser" group this book was written for. He's been teaching older people to use computers for many years and has a cheerful, down-to-earth writing style that doesn't talk down to anyone. He's British, and uses British spelling and expressions, so people who are accustomed to American language might have to adjust a bit, but to my mind that just makes it all the more interesting. Sometimes people think they can't understand a new concept because it's something completely unfamiliar. But most of the time, all that's really needed is for someone to explain it in terms that make sense. People who are now aged 40 and above didn't grow up with computers in their homes as younger people did, so the skills necessary for using a computer didn't come to them as children. People who may not have even had a television in the house as children won't necessarily see a computer as a useful tool, but rather as something complex and scary. This book was written to overcome those fears.
Each chapter is short and to the point. The author assumes the reader knows nothing about the subject and starts right in with an explanation of how everything works. I especially liked the fact that he knows that older people may be afraid of breaking something or messing something up beyond all hope of recovery, and begins by asking people to deliberately do a few things (like pressing down on the keyboard hard with both hands) to reassure them that nothing bad will happen as a result. He also addresses the fear of looking stupid (which, of course, knows no age boundaries) and other things that might concern an older person using a computer for the very first time. Then he explains what to look for in a home computer, and why some things would be good to have, and points out the real advantages of learning basic computer skills. All of this is done with good humor and with a personal understanding of people's concerns. He then goes into the basics of Windows 7 and talks about how the operating system works, in language that makes him sound like he's sitting right there in the room. He also recommends finding a "guardian angel," someone with more skills who'll be willing do to a bit of explaining or hand-holding when necessary, which is excellent advice for any novice computer user.
Practical Skills are Primary
The book begins with the basics—how to turn on the computer and what happens while it's starting. Then there's a simple explanation of the desktop (and why it's called that) and what people will see when Windows 7 finishes loading. Since PCs come with Windows 7 these days, this is what a new computer user will find, and that's the author's starting point for explaining how things work. I would like to make a clarification here: this book is not necessarily about teaching people how to fully use Windows 7. This book is about teaching people computing, using Windows 7 as the main operating system. Therefore, you won't get full knowledge of everything Windows 7 has to offer, but only of the important stuff you need to know. The author explains the keyboard by comparing it to a typewriter keyboard, which older people will find familiar, and points out which keys are different from what they might be used to. Since using a mouse may be a completely new skill, there's a simple explanation of what it is and how it works, and some suggestions for practicing using it by playing Solitaire (which I thought was an excellent idea). Windows 7 itself is explained in clear and simple terms. Each part of a window is described, with illustrations. The author explains what programs are, and the basics of libraries, folders, and files (comparing those to their real-world counterparts to make the concept easy to understand). Then there's a section that talks about personalizing the desktop and using gadgets, with examples that would be appealing to most people of any age. There's a good explanation of things like the Start Menu, the taskbar, and Windows 7's special visual features like Aero Peek, Aero Snap and Aero Shake. The author explains how each works, and offers some helpful advice on what to do to put everything back the way it was if the changes don't appeal.
Keeping Things Simple and Relevant
Instead of delving deeply into technological topics, this book talks about the practical things that older people will want to do with a computer--write, read, send and receive emails, search for things on the Internet, shop, make travel arrangements and organize photographs. There's also a good clear explanation of installing software, both from a disk and from a download. It's an excellent approach. I know my mother hated computers till she was in her 70s—and then someone gave her a computer and showed her how to send and receive email and read her favorite newspaper's web site. From then on, she was a computer enthusiast. So, finding out that all these practical things can be quite easy once one's gotten over the initial fears is the key to success, and this book really delivers.
The book walks the reader through creating a document with WordPad, a simple lesson in the basics of word processing. Beginning with how to use the search box in the Start Menu, the author suggests that the reader just play around with the keyboard and mouse to begin with, to feel more at ease with what happens, and explains the cursor and the mouse pointer and how they work. This exercise lets the newcomer ease into using Windows 7. There's also a good chapter on how to get help, which would be useful for anyone. I was surprised to see a section on using the Task Manager in this chapter, which I thought would be considered a more advanced topic—but the reader can't go wrong following the clear instructions here.
So What is this "Internet" Thing?
The section on the Internet includes instructions for choosing a service provider and setting up an email account, and an explanation of dial-up and broadband. This is entirely geared toward the British reader, but people in other countries can use the instructions to find appropriate services in their own homes. The Internet-skills section includes instructions for using online maps, search engines, encyclopedias, and YouTube. Again, the emphasis is on web sites that provide practical information and which are easy to use and navigate. And the section on online shopping is excellent, helping people not only find shopping sites but overcome the natural fear of giving out one's credit card information to a web site. There's a well-illustrated section that explains eBay and PayPal as well.
Pictures, but not Music?
The section on digital photography includes instructions for using Picasa as an organizer, and some simple instructions on how to improve one's photos (by cropping, changing colors and so forth). It also mentions sites where people can upload digital photos and get prints. Photographs on paper would be more familiar to the older computer user and knowing that digital photos can be printed out quite easily is a big help. I was surprised that there was no real mention of digital music, especially since Windows Media Player is so simple to use. It would have been helpful to show the reader how to insert a music CD and what happens when a CD is detected, with a note that one can play music in the background with Windows Media Player while doing other things.
Each chapter ends with a summary, and a short quiz so people can review what they've learned. Since everything is explained so clearly, I doubt anyone will have any trouble getting a perfect score on those end-of chapter tests. While the emphasis is on Windows 7 and its component parts, the author does talk about getting software from other sources, and focuses on programs that are inexpensive or free. This is very helpful for the novice computer user who may have just laid out what seems like a lot of money for this newfangled computer-thing and who is understandably reluctant to spend any more money on anything else right away.
What I'd Do Differently?
Quite honestly, I wouldn't change much. Even though I've been using computers for decades, I liked this book and its no-nonsense, friendly approach. But I do think there should have been a separate chapter or two on security. Security is mentioned in the shopping chapter (in terms of keeping your information safe online) and in the "advanced email" section (in terms of malware and spam). Since even the "younger and wiser" computer users have been fooled by popups, fake emails, viruses and other online nasties, I think that besides the in-chapter mentions, these things should have had a chapter all their own.
Verdict
This book is something you really should buy for grandma, or grandpa, or anyone else who is of mature years and willing to learn. The approach is practical and doesn't talk down to the reader or assume that "everybody already knows" basic computer skills. The author is "one of us" and knows exactly what people might fear, and the best approach for learning something new. I definitely would have bought it for my mother.
