I finally relented to John's pleading for the return of his computer after, in November, my mother board decided she did not want to be either a mother or a board. So I now am the proud owner of a new HP Pavilion with a wonderful sixteen inch screen.
Windows 8 is just one of the widest, longest, most aggravating, computer program learning curve I have worked with. I do not even see a hint of a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.
Soooo, what do I do. I go out and find the
biggest, baddest, heaviest WINDOWS
8 FOR DUMMIES that I can find. This book is just short of three inches thick filled with a plethora of instructions and illustrations.
Right now, all I want to do is download all my photos from my phone camera into my photo album on the computer, in addition to the Google / Picasa programs.
Do you think it will Windows for Dummies will work? I just do not want someone to come in, take over my computer and do it for me. I never learn that way. I am a seeing, doing and hearing learner. I use all senses to learn. Maybe it is my dyslexia or attention deficit. I have never been stymied for ever. This will not change that statistic.
Time will tell. And maybe, just maybe out there in blog land is a person that can give the good guidance.
The person that could have fixed this problem is no longer a follower of this blog and that is okay. She/he was a person was that would take over and fix it leaving no real understanding of the process anyway.
My walking is going great. So far this week I have walked 17.84 miles with a daily average of 4.43. Tuesday, I walked over five miles and it was eighty eight degrees with high humidity. But it felt so good to have accomplished that much on a day like that.
Wednesday, I cheated and walked Greenwood Park Mall. Once around is 1.12 miles. I could not stand going around all those times, so I started walking into Macy's, Penny's, Von Mar, Sears and Dick's sporting goods to make the walking more interesting. Now, I know what is style, what colors are "in."
What makes this more fun is the walking coach I purchased last week. I am sure that some of you have heard of it and maybe some are using the Fitbit.
Personally, I really like it.
Each time I have completed my daily ten thousand steps, it lights up and vibrates. You can find and purchase the Fitbit through my Amazon link near the top right of this blog where it says "AMAZON - year end deals".
Is it worth the money? Definitely Yes. It keeps me from sitting around too much. Fitbit makes me aware of my health.
Fitbit syncs with the other programs, My Fitness Pal and Map my Walk that I discussed previously. Would you believe that it also tracks sleep patterns? It informs me how many times I awake in the night.
You wear the Fitbit twenty four hours a day even in the shower. How cool is that.
It has just started sprinkling so I am off to the mall to do my walking. That is a bit sad since the temperature right now is a marvelous sixty six degrees! What a change from our high eighties and low nineties.
Until next time..... God bless!
I don't know why 8.1 was so intuitive for me, but it has been the easiest transition I've had to a new operating system. I'm sure that's not helpful, sorry :-(. Bill struggles with it and refuses to use the Home page. It is clearly a system designed for touch screens, which I don't have on my 17" laptop, so the constant "incoming" from all sides when I move across the screen with the mouse is annoying. I wish I had some pearls of wisdom to pass on, but I just sort of find my way "through" it. I am sure that six months from now you will be the expert and I will only be using about 50% of the system - and probably not correctly! Have fun, you have time. And congrats on keeping fit - I'm looking into that Fitbit as soon as I hit Publish.
ReplyDeleteJodee, some of 8.1 has come easy peasy. Other things, I struggle with. I am also a bit impatient. just a wee bit....not!
DeleteTo easily transfer photos from your camera to your computer do the following:
ReplyDeleteTake your SD card out of your camera
Insert it into the SD card slot on your computer
A Window will pop-up in the right-hand corner advising that you have new options for this device
Click to view options
Click on Transfer photos to Picasa
From then on, whenever you insert an SD card into your computer it will automatically transfer your pics using Picasa.
Oh, how I wish it were that easy. Thanks for the tips, though.
DeleteI never feel that walking in a mall, or through Wal-Mart or Costco is cheating - every step counts, and sometimes it's nice to accumulate them without thinking about it.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, there is a program you can download that makes your 8.1 look like the old versions of Windows. That's what I did, and my problems were solved. I have learned the underlying 8.1 program little by little over the last year, but I still use the Classic Shell program because it's easy. It's safe and free - Classic Shell. Do some research and if you want it, just find it on-line and download it. I'll bet you'll love it.
Thanks Barb, I just might have to do that.
DeletePlease disregard my previous comment as I misread what you had written (my fault). I noticed now that you wrote "phone camera" and not just "camera" so obviously there is no SD card to take out and insert into your laptop as I suggested.
ReplyDeleteSorry for the mistake, but the same kind of principle applies with phones. For instance, with my iPhone when I connect it to a USB port on my computer a message immediately pops up asking me to choose an option. One of the options is to transfer my photos from my iPhone to my computer using Picasa.
I'm pretty sure the same would apply to an Android phone. Have you tried this method?
No, but I have it underway now. First Java had to be downloaded and now Motocast (something Motorola) is loading. One problem is the cable....it is wobbly and I have to either put something on top of the cable or under it to hold it steady. Think I need to head to best buy to get a better cable. I may have to let you take control, if you want to.
ReplyDeleteA window just popped up asking what I wanted to do and Picasa was not an option. Go figure
Do you actually have Picasa installed and was it running at the time?
DeleteI do now! :-))
DeleteBe sure to check out these links
ReplyDeletehttp://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/tutorial
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/jj687764.aspx
Hope these help.
Great job with the walking. You must be getting into really good shape.
Thanks so much for the links.
DeleteI love the walking, but since I am soooo out of shape, overweight, etc., it is going to take a few weeks to even show. But that is okay......I know.
Good old Rick, he knows all the answers. :c)
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, with the aggravation you've had with Windows 8 and the way it raised your heart rate, you might be able to cut back on all that walking! :cD
Rick is great. And I just keep walkin.....made 7.8 miles yesterday. Weather was perfect. Are you getting anything from Arthur?
DeleteMy new computer came with Windows 8 as well. . .I have adapted although I'm probably not doing it correctly.
ReplyDeleteI still download all my pics to Windows Photo Gallery, which looks like a normal computer screen when it comes up. . .(I know that sounds crazy). . .but there's not all the gobbledy gook icons on it. . .just my folders, and the side bar down the left side that lists everything. . .there's probably an easier way, but it works for me, so I will just continue to do it that way.
I use search a lot by putting the pointer all the way up into the top right corner, which brings up the little row of icons. . .I click on the search one, and type in whatever it is I need to find. . .I know it's not very technical. . .but it's what I've figured out. . . (big smile.)
That just might help. Thanks
DeleteRick knows the answers if we give him the right information! Tell ya what, the walking feels soooo good as soon as you pass the point where you feel that you cannot go further.
ReplyDeleteYou know I won't be giving you any computer advice. And you need to be grateful for that. Way to go girl with your walking. I definitely think all the walking we do in Walmart and the grocery store has got to count.
ReplyDeleteEvery step you take counts. The location does not matter.
DeleteCongratulations on your walking. Exercise definitely makes us feel better although I don't lose a pound doing it sadly enough. Good luck with Windows 8. IMO Microsoft just keeps making things more and more difficult. I know I'll be up against a wall when my windows 7 machine bites the dust. SIGH, if it weren't for live writer, I'd move to a Mac. :-)
ReplyDeleteMy weight is not melting very fast now. Extremely sluggish in the last 4 days. Actually, the scales said I gained 3 this morning.
DeleteI just bought a new computer yesterday too. I've been working on it all day transferring stuff from my old computer, sorting and downloading. I'll be glad when it's behind me. However, it's not my first association with Windows 8.1 since I have had the Microsoft Surface and then Terry's computer that I needed to set up. Good luck and I'm sure you'll adjust to it just fine.
ReplyDeleteWin 8 is getting easier each day. In about 2020 I will have it all down.....in time for another 'puter
DeleteRick will get you up and running thats for sure.
ReplyDeleteHappy July 4th!
Rick asked a key question that made me think....and now I have photos!
DeleteCome on, get walking! We all need to form a group to encourage one another.
ReplyDeleteI am sure that someday, I will "get it".....it is just coming slowly. I prefer instant pudding....
ReplyDeleteI still (after 5 months) have not figured out how to print off of my Windows 8.1. I have quite given up. When I need something printed it's back to our old XP.
ReplyDeleteOh, oh....I have yet to try printing.
DeleteJust read Al's post and my first thought was "Nan is going to either be jealous or proud" :-)))). Then I saw your comment and laughed so hard - scaffolding? Really? You rock! I don't have a rig to polish (yet) but I can get off my butt and walk, so I'm going to go do that now :-).
ReplyDeleteWell, it was a bit of both. We will see when Al tells the cost. Actually, I enjoyed the exercise even though it was really hard work. Yep.....you get out there and walk....but remember to drink lots of water!
Delete