| It is very easy to get caught up in the hype about how intelligent computers are, and how they can make our lives easier. While computers can make our lives easier, if we don't learn to use them properly, they can also make our lives much, much harder, as many people have found to their cost.
If you are about to buy a computer but haven't had a lot of experience, make sure you get some independent advice on what to buy before you hit the shops, otherwise you're likely to get a very good deal on a computer which is not matched to your needs.
It is at least as complicated to drive a computer as it is to drive a car, so make sure you budget for a few lessons with us on how to manage you disks, and how to protect yourself when your system breaks down. You need this information because your machine will break down or crash - we can guarantee it - if you are not prepared for this, you will lose a lot of your information, and a lot of sleep.
The knowledge gained in just two or three lessons on basic computing skills will help you learn how to use your computer more efficiently, and protect you from losing hundreds of hours of your work.
Be just as careful buying your software as you are with your hardware. Most computer programs are very powerful, however, don't believe everything you read on the box. For example,
accounting packages can be very useful but they won't turn you into an accountant - if you put garbage into a computer you will get garbage out of it. Many people have learned this the hard way, so don't be over ambitious. Another good strategy is to try to make sure you have a ready source of help for those times when everything seems to be going wrong. So don't always shop around for the cheapest price - it is well worth paying a little more for your software if you buy it from someone who will help you when you get stuck.
We can also give you advice on learning various software packages. Our approach to computer training is to show you how to learn the programs rather than teaching all the fine details.
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