Wired ... but frustrated

The keyboard of a computer. Need help setting up that home computer or Internet connection? Frustrated by that new cell phone? You're not alone. A survey released on Sunday found that nearly half of Americans need help from others booting up their new devices, and an even larger percentage need outside assistance when they encounter technical problems.

Need help setting up that home computer or Internet connection? Frustrated by that new cell phone? You're not alone. A survey released on Sunday found that nearly half of Americans need help from others booting up their new devices, and an even larger percentage need outside assistance when they encounter technical problems.

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• moj85 - Nov 17, 2008
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  2,054 people isnt really that many to justify this kind of survey..
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• deadstatue - Nov 17, 2008
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  we all have to remember the people were dealing with here. americans dont give a @#$% about anything that the television and tabloids arent blaring in their faces.they could care less about technology and the advancement of our culture.we are a nation of morons that cant work our toasters half the time. i dont think a larger sampling would improve matters any.
  say it was an online survey, then its only half of competent internet users that can work their gadgets, which puts the the numbers far above the real percentage of people that know how to work electronics.
  just for the record, born and raised in the u.s.a.
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• Keter - Nov 17, 2008
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  Actually, I'm fairly encouraged by the improved quality of online help - online chat with tech support, user forums, etc. That's saved my bacon a couple of times in the past year.
  
  But I have to say that my laptop still is on the disabled list from having Microsoft push out and install XP SP3 on it - turns out that SP3 isn't compatible with my microprocessor!!! The only cure will be to strip the system and reinstall the OS from scratch, and I just haven't had time to do that yet. And I also have a new Acer Aspire One that I can't get to work with my existing Sierra Wireless cellular broadband card - I'm not good enough with Linux to get it installed properly. I'm still doing research on the web to see if I can find a solution that is sufficiently detailed to walk me through it.
  
  For the record, I'm female, and I'm pretty tech-savvy in general. It takes something big, like a sneak attack from a bad OS patch or an unfamiliar and poorly documented OS to trip me up.
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• NeilFarbstein - Nov 17, 2008
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  some peopele; want to drop it in somebody else lap.
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