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I'm a retired software engineer, and I feel I should know a thing or two about how software is supposed to work. But I left the industry in the mid 2000s, and times have changed since the days of rigorous testing before programs (I guess they call 'em "apps" now) leave development and enter the field.
But these days I can hardly seem to get from Point A to Point B without some sort of software glitch, necessitating a call to the Help Desk.
How's technology working for YOU lately, now that (if) you're retired?
Today my husband wasn't home. He normally turns the music on (a classical music station we stream from the iPad). I wanted to listen to it, but didn't know exactly how to do it---it was turning off the BlueTooth to get to the sound bar in the living room. I finally got it on, but it wasn't easy. I am determined to understand this stuff better. Things were so much easier back in the day when you just turned off a transistor radio! (Not that the sound was great and it's nothing short of a miracle to get music from NY or anywhere else.)
Works just fine for me. I love the convenience/safety technology in my car, like adaptive cruise control with stop/start functionality, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert and forward collision warning. I also have and use Apple CarPlay in my car and my truck. And all of my vehicles have Bluetooth for hands free talking. I have wireless cameras in each house and use them to keep an eye on things via an app on my smart phone. The garage door openers have gateways that allow me to remotely open and close them through an app on my smart phone. I can also check to see whether they are open or closed and when the last cycle occurred. I have smart TVs that I can stream any content to that I want to watch. Computers, printers, tablets and smart phones are all wifi connected. I'm 63 and have no problem adapting to new technology.
Works for me at age 69.1
But, I build websites for a living.
All my computers (iMac, iPhone, iPad) work just fine.
Started coding in 1965.
Programs → Software → Application Software → Applications → Apps
The Windows operating systems continue to amaze me. Microsoft makes obscene amounts of money and has huge numbers of employees. How can they do so poorly with operating systems? Windows 8 was a disaster. I am still using 7 which barely works, has constant updates, is prone to viruses and hacking. Every morning I make a pot of coffee while waiting for my Windows 7 software to load. Usually the coffee is finished brewing well before the software. And that is on my powerful desktop. I could walk around the block and brew coffee waiting for it to load on my laptop.
Most of my apps work relatively well. They are tried and true photo processing apps that have been in use for years.
Just today I got a new credit card. Instead of simply calling an 800 number to activate they instruct you to download the app, then scan the card. Nope nope nope, not going to go to all that trouble just to activate their card. So I looked again and sure enough, in smaller print there is an 800 number to call.
Just today I got a new credit card. Instead of simply calling an 800 number to activate they instruct you to download the app, then scan the card. Nope nope nope, not going to go to all that trouble just to activate their card. So I looked again and sure enough, in smaller print there is an 800 number to call.
This frustrates me.
Yes - some things are stupidly difficult - small example - if an online form doesn't automatically fill in and you have to put in "state" - it's much faster to type in 2 letters than to have to scroll down and click on your state (you're lucky if you're an "A" state!). Dumber yet is that you have to put in your city AND zip. Your zip should suffice. But hey - programmers love "cool" more than KISS - users hate it.
Not really frustrated in the way OP meant I think. I enjoy my streaming radio & podcasts more & more & have lived without cable tv/landline for several years now, all my entertainment - & I am a huge film/news/documentary consumer - comes through the Interwebs now & usually pretty good. Youtube is far better than I realized especially for how-to's & music. It's the numerous remote controls that are the tollbooths to hell & I can see that the voice controlled devices are really being pushed to replace them & for buying more stuff through them.
Being a graybeard I am resisting the call of all these new voice controlled devices - Alexa, Dot, Echo, Home, Siri.... not only because I am getting set in my crusty ways but I don't want to impulse buy everything that occurs to me in the moment. Also I'm leary of the privacy issues of a live mic/speaker in my room connected to the world we live in today & tomorrow.
So that brings me to my actual frustration with tech: it is so helpful & entertaining & addictive that I fear we are being manipulated, without realizing it, by those in charge or who want to influence us. Just a few hours ago the chimps in charge now ended Net Neutrality to allow corporate interests ever more influence over the digital landscape. People have shorter attention spans, we run to get our fix of what's happening on Facebook/Twitter right now & pile-on against events/villains, half of which aren't even real things. I won't join Facebook because of the huge privacy issues & fake information/rumors that get passed around us digital addicts next to the photos of our grandkids... insidious.
The Microsoft makes obscene amounts of money and has huge numbers of employees. How can they do so poorly with operating systems? Windows 8 was a disaster. I am still using 7 which barely works, has constant updates, is prone to viruses and hacking. Every morning I make a pot of coffee while waiting for my Windows 7 software to load. Usually the coffee is finished brewing well before the software. And that is on my powerful desktop. I could walk around the block and brew coffee waiting for it to load on my laptop.
.
switch to an Apple MacBook laptop or a Mac desktop, and you'll NEVER ever go back to Windows!
I always had Windows up until 4 years ago, then tried a MacBook and I was so happy!! ALL the problems disappeared - and there had been an intense stream of problems. I had read how there would not be any problems with MAC - plus the functionality is first-rate.
I got frustrated with my on line bank not responding and always asking me to change my password. For a while I thought they were doing it intentionally. Picking on me, and me alone ! I told them I was going to quit them and I did. Now I have a bank with a real building. It has online banking too and it actually works !!!
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