Generational IT Differences

malachi said:
Then you must be trying to repair old tech from mid 2015 and below :D Have someone drop you an MacBook Air M1 with an failed logic board or Surface Book with RAM issues.

Im not a car person but my friend who is a car maniac said you cant just pop open the hood and do simple work on an electric car like you can do with an motorised car. There is a reason when a Tesla breaks down you, cant just call the AAA or RAC to take a look.
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Replaced the battery of my s20+ as well as batteries and screens on 2020 iPhones.

Neither are particularly difficult if you have the right tools for the job.
 
Nasher said:
Shouldn't need it for either. Nothing else which uses them does. It's a scheme to get people in to dealers and pay them money to change a battery.
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It's more a safety feature, the bms is encoded to ensure the batteries are upto scratch, if there was no encoding and it was a standard lipo, you'd end up with knockoff battery packs from China which may not be able to safely handle the necessary charge/discharge requirements of the car.

I know from my own experience with lipo batteries it's fairly common for some Chinese manufacturers to massively over state the capability of a cell, I see it all the time with 18650 batteries, where China claim they are 9000mah when in reality they are barely 2000mah. Yet decent quality Sony cells are rated at 3500mah and provide exactly that sometimes even slightly more but rarely less.
 
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Adam_151 said:
This article popped up on my home screen this morning: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/feb/27/gen-z-tech-shame-office-technology-printers and it clicked with something that has been in my head for a long time now (perhaps even inspired by a reply to something on here, or it could have been somewhere else)

I was born at the end of '86, that I think makes me a Millennial I think, and in a way that will liklely be typical for most users on here, I was brought up using computers, I remember using windows 3.11 on a 486DX, and later windows 95. I remember Risc Os onn acorn machines at school (BBC micros were kind of on the way out by them, but there were still some around) While I've never been one to keep up with the absolute leading edge, I have always through the years built and upgraded PCs myself, and normally managed to understand enough about them to sort issues out by myself, could navigate MS DOS, I have a rapberry pi, I've written code (albeit probably pretty bad code!) in vb.net and php. So all in all, I'd like to think I'm quite good with computers.

Heres my confession, I struggle with phones, stuff doesn't seem intruative, each app seems to abide by completely different UI rules, nothing seems to behave in a standard-ised way. The other thing is, that it seems to be like to hide a lot of what its doing away from you... ok, this apopplication has stuffed up, how do I stop it, doesn't seem easy, how do I uninstall it?, again not straightfordward, where is it installed , arguably probably don't need to know, but thats just as well, because you can't! As for serious work, a Laptop is a minimu, ideally if I am doing anything more than a word document, I need a desk and a machine with at least two screens, I had a similar conversion with a colleague and he told me his daughter came to him having trouble getting a CV she had created properly to print, she had done it on a phone (the concept of that is just so bizzare to me)

So I feel about twenty years older when I'm struggling to make my phone work for me (which is about what my colleague has on me), and I am guessing, as the article alludes to, more and more younger workers are the otherway around, they can navigate the strange environment of phones, but a proper PC and general office equipment is difficult for them. The worst thing is, that I feel other things going the same way, The app store in windows for instance, you download something in there, ok where has it installed it, oh it hasn't as such, there is no exe, its like a runtime environment that half baked apps run in, it took me half an hour to put a shortcut to the new whatsapp desktop client on my desktop (it had created one in my start menu but I use program called fences that creates groups on my desktop I can put shortcuts to) and applications that run inside a brower, SAS type things, with all the processing done in the cloud, we again have unstandardised UIs with elements not behaving as you'd expect they ought to)

Anyone else the same?

Adam
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It's an interesting take and something I have thought about through observing people in and out of the workplace for some years now. I was born in 83, so also one of these millennials lol - but since 2001 have been building my own PCs, and since the late 90s, using PCs owned by relatives, gaming on Amiga and Commodore 64 (consoles don't count since we are specifically on about computers here), then from 2006 my career in IT and technology began.

Since 2006 then I've been involved with helping people understand the internet and IT hardware whether smartphones, laptops, desktops, cloud, whatever else is used in corporate environments, I also did stints writing eLearning courses in another role to help users learn some of these things.
I think it's because of that experience out in the wild that I've built up a resilience to being confused by specific things like modern smartphones. Where there's an issue with a platform, I have always found a way to ignore it or work around it. When Android phones throw a curve ball, there's an app utility to fix it, when Microsoft removes features in Windows, there's an app or tweak to bring it back and so on and so forth. A large chunk of my roles also involved being a direct contact point for boar members and other directors who are not technically savvy so need things being translated in a language they understand so I was able to figure out both sides of the field this way.

The problem I find is that whilst I know and understand ways to get a round stuff, and ways to fix or improve stuff vs the out of the box experience, it is difficult to get others to understand who don't have (or care to have) much tech knowledge. To them everything should be perfect out of the box, whilst for me, tweaking and bespoke the experience doesn't take me much time and is something that comes naturally, even though I dislike faffing about with crap in all other areas of my life. I am both digital and analogue, I dislike the nannying and aids of modern world stuff like cars, smartwatches and the like, I prefer analogue and being able to interact and "feel" the experience but when it comes to tech like computers and phones, I'm all about the latest advances, more power = more speed = a better experience, regardless of the limitations in the software side of things, because as mentioned, I just work around that and make it my own.

The funny thing is though that a lot of things around the house that I set up many years ago like my network configuration, I did those so long ago and they just work so it was a case of set and forget, I now have to read back up online on to figure out how I managed it because what was once a skil is always forgotten unless practiced at least a few times a year.

The bits about the different app stores is a valid point, they are not consistent between them, I sussed that Windows Store was doing things differently right away, but then was annoyed at how they all do things their own way as I like a bit bit of organisation and order across all the platforms I use. The most recent thing I set up and tailored to exactly how I like is RTSS for in-game overlays. When I first looked at it years ago I thought "this is a whole load of faff CBA with that) - but now that I've actually started to look at it, it just twigged instantly and I thought "this makes sense" and within an afternoon had it all configured and set up in a productive way.

On the flipside, it does seem the younger gen prefer an out of the box simple experience hence why a recent Forbes article (iirc) reported that they are preferring Apple phones over Android - The young seem to want instant results without having to actually do much to get something personalised. And it doesn't help that the kids of today are growing up around automation in basically everything, making them lazy in the process.

I think I am basically a Frankenstein with modernisation of tech, but still have nuts and bolts stuck out of my neck which won't budge, ever :p
 
Most things I learn from not reading the instruction manuals. I learn from using it or see others using. Love it when a colleague says they can't see/do something. I come over and do the thing which was easy.

When my colleagues with 20 years plus experience started work, there was no using of computers, handsets and tablets. Now we need them to do training, reporting stuff etc. Many don't use a computer outside the home. When some of these colleagues have training to do, such as the biannual age restrictions, I am the one that once a colleague has signed in to find what their training is and open it for them.
 
Born in late '79, first PC was a VIC-20. I'm an Android user, so I don't find iOS intuitive, but I can use it if I need to.

Some modern UI changes aren't the friendliest,I agree. Whoever decided that Copy/Paste/Rename etc needed replacing with icons for Windows 11 should have a word with themselves.

Oh, anyone who doesn't like inconsistent UI/UX - do yourself a favour and stay well away from Atlassian's Jira because it will drive you beserk.
 
Born in 83, first computer was an Amstrad CPC 464, used BBC Micro's and Risc OS in secondary school, they got Pentium 2 PC's when I was in year 11, first smart phone was a HTC Hero, used Android up to the iPhone 6 and have used iPhone's ever since. I get to use both Android and iPhone's at work and can't see how Android is more intuitive at all.

I have no issues using old and new tech and don't tend to need help or manuals, I can usually figure out new software by myself.
 
mrk said:
a recent Forbes article (iirc) reported that they are preferring Apple phones over Android
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How much of that is down to 'brand value' amongst their piers, and the fact that Apple doesn't really support cross platform standards (green bubble/blue bubble stigma is a thing in youngsters - wall street journal has an article on it)...

Apple is more of a 'fashion' brand than a tech company with youngsters these days imo... it's a bit like Rolex and watches, there are far better watches out there but Rolex has mastered the marketing side of things so that even the 'common person' knows Rolex as a luxury watch brand type of thing.
 
I think a lot of it is a generational thing rather than not being able to do it. You do what you are comfortable with.

I always print off tickets at home for example even though it works with phones. I just like having that physical thing in my hand and what would happen if my phone became damaged or lost?

I have zero problem adapting to new technology but at the same time will not use it if it is pointless. (My only social media is Facebook and only because that has basically replaced forums). Twitter and Instagram is of no use to me.
 
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I was born at the end of the 70s, so went through the schools BBC era.

A generational thing I've noticed is how everyone uses voice chat these days. I grew up when it was all text chat. The voice chat felt like it's for the younger generations.

Feek said:
What surprises me is how some people these days have no idea when it comes to using a PC. I know there's always been some people who struggle but it's the basics.
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It's when computers went mainstream, from the nerds to the normies. I think the masses of adults who had never been in to computers, maybe also looked down on those who were, suddenly had to act like they knew what they were talking about.

I also find it interesting many have no curiousity. I can't imagine using a device and not knowing the basics of how it works.

My first serious relationship was with a girl in the US. I'd met her on one of the chat programs around the late 90s, maybe 2000. I thought because she was using the messenger program she might know something about computers, or at least be in to gaming. But nope. Zero knowledge or interest. The computer in the family house was just sitting there mostly gathering dust.
 
The vast majority of the people at my work place use iPhones, with a few using Samsung Androids, not sure if it's 'fashion' or just what people think is the best due to advertising, but it's the way it is.

Something that is definitely a generational thing is that a lot of my younger friends will use voice messages far more than texting.
 
OH I forgot about this generation of people:

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lsg1r said:
How much of that is down to 'brand value' amongst their piers, and the fact that Apple doesn't really support cross platform standards (green bubble/blue bubble stigma is a thing in youngsters - wall street journal has an article on it)...

Apple is more of a 'fashion' brand than a tech company with youngsters these days imo... it's a bit like Rolex and watches, there are far better watches out there but Rolex has mastered the marketing side of things so that even the 'common person' knows Rolex as a luxury watch brand type of thing.
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The brand value/loyalty from peer pressure is definitely a factor, and that social influencers mostly use iphones as well and followers have to be like those they follow I guess.
 
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BowdonUK said:
I also find it interesting many have no curiousity. I can't imagine using a device and not knowing the basics of how it works.
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Not even just curiosity, there's so many people that I know that will say they are crap with technology and just basically give up, they have no desire to learn or get better, if they have a problem they will just ask someone else, every single time.

I can't imagine being that way, I'm constantly trying to learn all the time, I hate not knowing how to do something.
 
smartphone dependency -
coincidentally - r4pm article about App only parking in Westminster borough (or scratch card you buy in a shop)
- needs to be some legislation like proposed for ev chargers where a contactless card option must be provided, otherwise smartphone just becomes insidious,
besides I don't install unknown crap on my laptop (the apple app store compromised in the past) so similarly why would I install stuff to park.

todays announcement digital cameras no longer in the cost of living basket - people want to take inferior quality pictures with their precious.
 
I think we're at a point where tech is changing its role somewhat. Where previously we'd be in full control of our tech, able to configure it fully to benefit us how we see fit. But now the tech is becoming less optional and almost a requirement for day to day tasks. The tech has less customisation outside of basic UI and the ones really in control are the corporations. Telling you what you want and when you want it.

A bit tin foil hat-ish, but it does feel like it with ADs on TV home screens and constant hounding for some needless updates. A seemingly endless list of moaning about how X was less hassle in my day. But i do think the subject is more complex than that.
 
The_Arbiter said:
constant hounding for some needless updates.
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It's all due to gathering advertising data... I'd go as far as to say things have been dumbed down so people 'forget' about it, the youth of today are the sorts that would be like, if there's no option to turn it off then it's not going to affect me....and then the older tech savvy users (adblock users and the likes) get moaned at because we don't want to be tracked etc
 
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