Microsoft is Not Really a Boomer’s Friend

Tip-toeing into today’s digital revolution that’s moving so fast can understandably be daunting to many baby boomers. But BoomerCafé co-founder David Henderson has found a solution — at least, he’s found a reliable, user-friendly computer:

As a baby boomer, I get mad as hell when I hear someone (always younger) suggest that anyone over 50 probably doesn’t keep up with today’s computer and online technology. I bet you know what I’m talking about.

But then, I have sobering reminders that there might be some truth to it. Arriving at Washington’s Union Station recently for a train trip to New York, I first went to a ticket kiosk to retrieve the train tickets that I had booked online at Amtrak.com, as I always do.

I stood behind a man who I guessed to be in his mid-50s who was holding a credit card in his right hand and staring, frozen, at the kiosk.

After a few moments, I asked him whether he was waiting because the machine was broken. I thought that was a polite thing to say.

He answered that he was just trying to figure out how it worked … that it wasn’t clear to him. Here’s what it said on the kiosk screen:

1. Touch here to buy tickets or touch here to retrieve prepaid tickets.
2. Insert and remove credit card quickly.
3. Confirm purchase.
4. Retrieve tickets.

Duh. I nearly clamped my hand over my mouth to keep from asking him what was so difficult about understanding the instructions. Just then, another kiosk became available, and I moved over, punched the screen in the appropriate places, swiped my credit card and got my tickets … all in about 20 seconds. I left the poor fellow standing and staring.

The experience made me realize that perhaps technology remains a little overwhelming to some in our generation. Many of us learn and adapt, others move along a little slower and take their time. That’s okay.

The stark reality is that the day of the online digital revolution is today, and if you don’t force yourself to learn and adapt, you just might be left standing in a frozen position, holding up the queue. But at the same time, getting in step with the digital revolution should not be rocket science.

Microsoft hasn’t made it any easier for boomers. If I had a nickel for every hour wasted trying to figure out some damn Windows problem, there would be fresh caught salmon on the table tonight. Windows has become (maybe it always was) an astonishingly difficult computer operating system. I believe it’s a harsh, overly complicated, unstable and costly environment, and if you need to contact them with a problem … good luck! Nearly everyone has some horror story about attempting to contact Microsoft for help with some Windows problem.

Let me share with you an alternative to all the persistent crashes and lock-ups, all the viruses, spyware and crap found with Windows. At the risk of sounding like an ad, there are none of those aggravations when you use an Apple Mac. A Mac is the ideal computer environment for a baby boomer — easy, intuitive and (trumpet blast!) it works!

What I found with a Mac is that it becomes a creative extension of yourself, whether you want to write a letter or a story … or express yourself online … or put together a slideshow of digital photos … or buy a train ticket. Apple provides a high level of quality service that is unmatched by other computer makers, such as Dell (which has the worst, in my opinion).

You can visit an Apple store and get friendly advice from people who don’t talk down to you but rather focus on helping and clearly answering your questions. (Tell me the last time you saw a Microsoft store.) If there’s not a store nearby or you don’t want to put on your shoes, call Apple’s toll-free AppleCare service and get a real person on the phone within a couple of minutes (it’s not off-shore, either). Apple is that rare company that stands solidly behind its promise of quality customer service.

Apple’s hot new laptop … the Macbook … is quickly becoming one of the most affordable and popular computers on the planet. Perfect, in my opinion, for a baby boomer … especially any baby boomer who has been tentative about becoming more tech savvy. Check it out.