NEEDED: CO-LEADERS FOR SR COMPUTER CLUB!

 

Before You Sell Your IPHONE or IPAD

The Computer/Tablet Club

 COMPUTER/TABLET CLUB

Have you been considering dropping your landline?  Is your cable bill getting too high? What can I do with my windows 7 computer now that it is no longer supported by Microsoft? I'd like to get a tablet or ipad, but I don't know how to set it up or use it. My kids bought me a smart home device, but I don't know what to do with it. If any of this is something you think about, we are here to help you through it all.  We discuss computer problems, streaming tv shows, using apps on our tablets, which cellular devices we like, etc.  We welcome anyone to join our monthly roundtable discussions.  There are no dues or fees.

So You got a Smartphone?

SO YOU GOT A SMARTPHONE? But what do you do with it?!?

It's almost getting to be impossible to get along without one these days.  Want to log into your bank accounts...they send you a text with a code to make sure it's you.  Need to pick up your grocery order?  They send you a text and you text back when you get there notifying them which stall you are in.  Have a doctor appointment?  They text you.  Now with the covid rules, some places make you wait outside and check in from your phone.  They text you back when it's time to come in.  Getting your hair done or blood drawn?  Have to check in online.

The first thing you should know about having a  smartphone is that it won't kill you.  LOL  But seriously, just start slow.  Go through all the settings to make sure it's to your liking. You will come to find out what you prefer. Then, just learn how to make and accept a call. And then learn how to do texting.  Most people like to dictate their texts on the phone since our arthritic fingers make it difficult to hit the right keys all the time.  Learn to speak slowly and distinctly so as not to confuse google or siri. Good job! Once you feel comfortable with the two basics, most people like to use the phone for photos.  You have a front and a back camera which you can toggle from the screen or you can do videos.  If selfies is your thing, go for it.  Or perhaps you would like to do a video to show your kids your new tv. You will be an old pro in no time.

There are a variety of ways to send your photos either to others or to save.  Each phone is different, so googling your model may be helpful to you.  There are many YouTube videos to help you. You can back up your photos to Google Photos or any other number of venues. You can email them to family/friends. And you can text them to someone.

 We talk about all these things at our computer/tablet club which has been on hiatus due to covid-19, but we hope to return in September.  I am more than happy to take phone calls if you have questions.  (549-9237)  STAY WELL, EVERYONE!

Be Careful on Social Media

 BE CAREFUL ON SOCIAL MEDIA!

Until we can safely meet in a group, we will not be having monthly meetings.  It would be very difficult to have our roundtable discussions while being distanced from one another.  If anyone is interested in having a Zoom Meeting, please let us know.  

Many people have taken to social media as a way to pass the time.  Many people are using Facebook that don't quite understand the concept of it. Personal and private messages should not be posted on your timeline or that of a friend.  That's what Messenger is for....privacy.  Only you and the person that you are directing the conversation to can read it.  What you put on your timeline or someone else's will depend on the settings.  You can set them to public, friends only, etc.  You can't control what others have their settings at, so be sure before posting something there. There are too many hoaxes being passed around. It causes others to panic and pass it on without checking it out.  Please don't do that. You can check them out on snopes before spreading the pandemonium.

We talk about all these things at our computer/tablet club which has been on hiatus due to covid-19, but we hope to return as soon as conditions warrant it.  I am more than happy to take phone calls if you have questions.  (549-9237)  STAY WELL, EVERYONE!

Are you getting a Smartphone?

 ARE YOU THINKING OF GETTING A SMARTPHONE?

When it comes to smartphones, there are so many choices out there.  But what is the right one for you? Should you consider getting the IPhone or an Android phone?  And what else would you want to use it for besides talking and texting?

First, you should think about what service you will be using....Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile (Sprint is in the process of merging with T-Mobile), AT&T, etc.  There are also prepaid phones that you can think about as well....Tracfone, Greatcall, Consumer Cellular, Metro by T-Mobile, Boost, etc.  They use the lines of the ones mentioned above.  There are two technologies that the smartphone uses....CDMA and GSM. So you want to purchase a phone that will work with the service you choose. I suggest that once you have chosen a service, then you learn what phones will work with it.  They all sell phones as well as the service. When you switch or are a new customer, you may get a free phone.

Secondly, you need to determine if this is going to be your only phone or if it will only be used occasionally such as when you are away from home.  You can spend as little as $7 a month or $100. If you join a family member's plan, that will save you some money. If you will be using it to do things on the internet, then you may need more data. The more you need, the higher will be your cost. If you will mostly be using your phone where you also have WIFI, then you would not need a lot of data. Most plans will include unlimited talk and text and a small amount of data (unless you get one of the discount plans...then you would estimate how many minutes you need.)

Once you choose a service, then you will have to select a phone that will work on that service.  Whether you purchase an IPhone (IOS) or an Android (Google) phone, they all can pretty much do the same thing.  As a general rule, IPhones are more expensive, but they are coming out with a cheaper model.  Which one you choose is mostly a matter of opinion.  When Apple puts out an update, then all the IPhones that are not considered obsolete are updated.  With Android, when they put out an update, each individual manufacturer decides when to update their phones.  There are many different brands of Android phones. Androids were the original smartphones. I use both android and ios (on my ipad) and find them pretty much the same as far as everyday use goes.

All of the above information can be mind boggling as to which to choose, so let me give you an example.  I gave up my landline some years ago and only have a smartphone.  I chose to go with Metro by T-Mobile. I get good reception and the store is close by.  I am a fan of Samsung phones.  In my opinion, they are the most user friendly of the android phones. I am on the $30 a month plan which includes unlimited talk and text and 2g. data and taxes.  I don't even use 1g of data since I am on WIFI most of the time. If everyone in your family uses IPhone, then you may want to consider getting an iphone so you can FaceTime with them.  But if you have some people on Android and some on IPhone, you can use one of the many other apps for video chatting. 

I hope this hasn't been confusing, but all of the above needs to be considered.  We talk about all these things at our computer/tablet club which has been on hiatus due to covid-19, but we hope to return in September.  I am more than happy to take phone calls if you have questions.  (549-9237)  STAY WELL, EVERYONE!