Where's my Windows!?

[Pezzle]

Last month a couple bought a computer that they had set up by us, the technicians. We put on Norton Internet Security, Webroot Spysweeper, things like that. I offered them Microsoft Office but they did not take it, as they argued over how much money was being spent on this little tiny HP Slimline.

So a few days later I am working on some sort of virus removal when one of my co worker's interrupts me. "Phone call on the back landline," he said. Disgruntled, I shifted my way past customers to the back phone and picked up... "Thank you for calling Firedog this is Pezzle speaking how can I help you?"

"YOU DIDN'T PUT WINDOWS ON MY COMPUTER!!!" she shrieked. I was perplexed. I was sure every computer I pre-installed had windows on it. After some banter I identified who it was. I asked her what she saw when the computer came on.

"A bar at the bottom and some screen but no windows! I don't see Windows!!" I was very confused. I asked her why she thought windows wasn't on her computer. She replied that she did not see an icon on her desktop for windows and she wanted to use windows RIGHT NOW.

... This argument of what windows was went on for quite some time.

I finally convinced her that Office and Windows were two separate things. Took me an hour.

[anode_probe]

Hahaha!!! Now try explainign that to a Mac user :P

[IT Grunt]

I can't tell you how many times I got asked about 'Windows 97'. :lol: I also get people who don't understand what 'Office' is. I say, "I've put Office 2003 on your system." Their response: "Don't forget, I need Word, Excel and Powerpoint too!" :rolleyes:

[Captain Trips]

I can't tell you how many times I got asked about 'Windows 97'. :lol: I also get people who don't understand what 'Office' is. I say, "I've put Office 2003 on your system." Their response: "Don't forget, I need Word, Excel and Powerpoint too!" :rolleyes:

That one reminds me of my brother in law, back in 97 bragging to me how he had Windows 97 on his computer. I tried telling him that there was no such thing, it had to be 95 as 98 hadn't come out yet. But he insisted to the point where I gave up. (He'll deny it to this day, I'm sure.) Now OFFICE 97 is probably what he had -- but so many people confuse one for the other! (Even my b-i-l, who is not dumb by any means!)

[Rapscallion]

There was an update for 95 that included a splash screen upgrade to say "Windows 96", but that trend didn't seem to last.

Rapscallion

[Sandman]

Couldn't be as bad as the question

"How big are the Windows?"

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

SC: "I DON'T SEE WINDOWS!"
Me: Have you checked your walls?

[technical.angel]

Their response: "Don't forget, I need Word, Excel and Powerpoint too!" :rolleyes:

I get that too and it drives me CRAZY!

On my computer upgrade form, I ask faculty and staff to list any programs that they use, and note that Office 2003 and Firefox will already be installed. I can't even count how many had Word, Powerpoint or Excel listed.

A DUH!

Jenni :angel:

[Mr. Rude]

.....................openoffice.org


Nuff said :)

[mrtauntaun]

Gah! This used to happen to me ALL THE TIME when I was in computer sales. People just don't get it.
And openoffice, while a wonderful piece of software, I would not even FATHOM trying to explain that to one of these people. You would get stuck in an endless loop of "So it's Microsoft Word? No? I need that? ...explain again... So it's Mircosoft Word?"
Loop

[IT Grunt]

There was an update for 95 that included a splash screen upgrade to say "Windows 96", but that trend didn't seem to last.

Rapscallion

My brother did that with his, modifying the splash screen and wallpaper to say 'Windows 97'.

I think my favorite splash screen mod was one where the clouds were replaced with storm clouds, with flashing lightning. The Windows logo was filled with cracks and holes, and the title said "Cracked Windows 95." The smaller "with Plus!" logo had been modified to say "with Bugs!" :lol:

[Darkmage]

That one reminds me of my brother in law, back in 97 bragging to me how he had Windows 97 on his computer. I tried telling him that there was no such thing, it had to be 95 as 98 hadn't come out yet.

The company I work at has been on the Microsoft Developer Network for a long time. We have an old Windows 97 Beta CD with the attached NDA that we have kept around for no readily apparent reason.:lol:

[sld72382]

Speaking of dumb Office incidents, I would get a lot of people calling in asking why it says their Office is expired.

When I told them their PCs came with a trial of Office and they need to buy the full version, half the time most of them would understand, others would bitch that they were misled at the store, that they were told the PC comes with everything they need, etc...

Yeah, like HP is going to bundle in a $400 software program with your $600 computer. Get real. :rolleyes:

[Pezzle]

Yeah, then they end up calling you on the phone "OMG I HAVE AN IMPORTANT FINANCIAL REPORT THAT IS DUE, LIKE, TOMORROW AND OMG I HAVE NO OFFICE!!"

Ma'am I told you it was a trial...

At this point I cave and tell them about openoffice.

[sld72382]

Yeah, but we are not able to tell them about OpenOffice or any other freeware "because what if it hoses their system when they download it." Translation: they don't want to cost the store we are affiliated with a sale. :rolleyes:

[Pezzle]

Screw that, if they need it they, well, NEED it. And if I needed something and couldn't afford to drop 200 bucks on a new piece of software, I'd be damn happy the technician on th eother end told me about a solution ;)

Salll' about the customer service I guess.

[anode_probe]

I hate office for mac, it makes me unhappy in the most uncomfortable way. Almost like watching The Ring, you know the part where the nail goes through the finger and you actually see it lift the fingernail *shudders*

Neo Office all the way! I have been known to tell customers about it, because the Mac Office Trial doesn't even allow you to print!

[Dreamstalker]

.....................openoffice.org


Nuff said :)
I installed that on my stepfather's new computer until such time as I could get the data off of his old hard drive (but you can bet that his pirated copy of Office will not go back on the new computer).

Cue about fifteen minutes of neeping "But it doesn't have Powerpoint/Excel!" and patient (maybe too patient) explanation that yes, it could both read and save in those formats. I'm thinking that RTFM is beyond him. He's too cheap to pay for the full MS Office, so he better learn OO.

College was fun as the majority of instructors didn't believe that I could have found a non-MS program that handled most formats (one went so far as to delay grading classwork until I could "prove" to him that the program I was using was legit, luckily that didn't take long and I had my computer science advisor to back me up).

[MadMike]

I'm another one who recommends OpenOffice to people. My one friend runs her own business, and she mentioned needing MS Office so she could access the documents people send her. I told her not to waste her money on that, and told her about OpenOffice, which is free. She must have thanked me a dozen times. It's not that she couldn't afford it, but why spend the money if you don't need to?

[Rapscallion]

My brother did that with his, modifying the splash screen and wallpaper to say 'Windows 97'.

I think my favorite splash screen mod was one where the clouds were replaced with storm clouds, with flashing lightning. The Windows logo was filled with cracks and holes, and the title said "Cracked Windows 95." The smaller "with Plus!" logo had been modified to say "with Bugs!" :lol:


I remember altering a friend's to say "Cab smells".

We call him Cab, by the way. It's a laugh riot around here, I can tell you...

Rapscallion

[yahurd]

Gah! This used to happen to me ALL THE TIME when I was in computer sales. People just don't get it.
And openoffice, while a wonderful piece of software, I would not even FATHOM trying to explain that to one of these people. You would get stuck in an endless loop of "So it's Microsoft Word? No? I need that? ...explain again... So it's Mircosoft Word?"
Loop
as hawthorne (slagoon.org)once said JUST SAY YES

[mrtauntaun]

as hawthorne (slagoon.org)once said JUST SAY YES

Oh heck no. When that happens, they will inevitably call back and scream "You said I have Microsoft Word! I don't! I want money back for Office I never spent in the first place!" or some other unreasonable demand.

And the owner of the company was such a moron, he always caved to those demands.

I hated that job.

[RogueOne]

She replied that she did not see an icon on her desktop for windows and she wanted to use windows RIGHT NOW.

... This argument of what windows was went on for quite some time.

I finally convinced her that Office and Windows were two separate things. Took me an hour.


I'm sorry ma'am but we will be by to pick up your system. You are too stupid to own a computer.



Ironically, I was planning to pick up a copy of Office this weekend.

[yahurd]

Oh heck no. When that happens, they will inevitably call back and scream "You said I have Microsoft Word! I don't! I want money back for Office I never spent in the first place!" or some other unreasonable demand.

And the owner of the company was such a moron, he always caved to those demands.
id just tell them to draw a shape in draw and right-click select convert to->3d
then i tell them i did them a favor and hang up
at barnes and noble i heard a woman say "my puzzle lost three pieces and ive had it three years i dont know if it came from here"AND SHE GOT A RE(if you can call it that)FUND:eek:

[Gawdzillers]

So did she think Office was Windows, or did she think Windows was a program that you can click on, like the Internet?

I'm a bit confused about the OP.

[rvdammit]

I get that too and it drives me CRAZY!

On my computer upgrade form, I ask faculty and staff to list any programs that they use, and note that Office 2003 and Firefox will already be installed. I can't even count how many had Word, Powerpoint or Excel listed.

A DUH!

Jenni :angel:

A quick check shows at least two different versions of Office 2003 available retail, one of which does not include Powerpoint.

And if they've been around long enough ( like me :P ) they may even remember when they were sold as individual products.

[Spankmonkey]

Hahaha!!! Now try explainign that to a Mac user :P

Honestly, whether it's Mac or PC, one thing is for sure, Stupid people saturate both platforms making life complete hell for tech support. The only downside about knowing Macs at an ISP, is that you're always the dedicated "Mac Guru". PC users always cut down the Macintosh platform constantly, but when it comes to having to troubleshoot them. I always hear this beep in my ear following a voice "Yeah, I have a customer with a Mac, Can you help them"

Even with a Mac some people are way beyond the boundaries of "Help".

[yahurd]

SC: "I DON'T SEE WINDOWS!"
Me: Have you checked your walls?
typical windows joke

Hahaha!!! Now try explaining that to a Mac user :P

id just tell them the hilarious story about the windows user(most mac guys are pretty smart, before windows this was not the case as msdos was a doozy to master,yet as mac os x is bsd in disguise teh are unix 1337^o^)

but honestly, all kidding aside, they can be just as bad.