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Just wanted to relate a story from my salad days, back when I did returns and technical support for an electronics store in NYC. The sales guys had sold a computer ($500 IBM PC compatible, single floppy drive, in a single-piece unit much like an old Apple; I think it was made by Franklin) to a woman for her two kids to use. She called in to complain...
W: "This computer doesn't do anything!"
Me: "Well, you need software to use it..."
W: "It's supposed to do something! I'm not gonna spend more money just to make it do something!"
Me: "Uhh..."
W: "I bought it so my kids could learn, if they can't learn anything I'm bringing it back!"
Me: "Well, your kids can learn on it..."
W: "How?"
I got her to put me on with her kids, then talked them through loading BASIC and entering a simple program. (Print something, GOTO 10). Explained that it was actually a pretty powerful computer (not state-of-the-art for the time, but leaps and bounds above what I'd taught myself on). She was quite awed, and decided to keep the computer.
Return prevention mission accomplished!
W: "This computer doesn't do anything!"
Me: "Well, you need software to use it..."
W: "It's supposed to do something! I'm not gonna spend more money just to make it do something!"
Me: "Uhh..."
W: "I bought it so my kids could learn, if they can't learn anything I'm bringing it back!"
Me: "Well, your kids can learn on it..."
W: "How?"
I got her to put me on with her kids, then talked them through loading BASIC and entering a simple program. (Print something, GOTO 10). Explained that it was actually a pretty powerful computer (not state-of-the-art for the time, but leaps and bounds above what I'd taught myself on). She was quite awed, and decided to keep the computer.
Return prevention mission accomplished!
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