Since then, applications have become more and more complex. If you take a look at some of the applications today to just write a letter or do a spreadsheet, you are seeing 30 years of complexity piling up upon complexity. These applications are huge, and expensive. An industry grew up after a while just to teach people how to use these applications. I watched the applications developed by Adobe gets incredibly complex. I mean, have you looked at Adobe Dreamweaver lately? And the biggest winner has been Microsoft. They can charge anything they want, and they do!
The good news is that the trend is going to be back to simpler apps. It's already happening on your iPhone and your Android. Google will be leading the way, and in the future paying thousands of dollars for software, and the software it takes to run the software, and the hardware to run that software, will be seen as ridiculous as is now is. Trust me, it doesn't take thousands of dollars worth of hardware and software to make a spreadsheet, or to write a letter. When this stuff was first invented, it was small enough to run from tiny disks that today are no bigger than what is in your cell phone.
And that's the point. This monster in front of me (my computer) holding Gigs and Gigs of expensive software is on its way to becoming a dinosaur. Computers grew to handle the ever-growing software. And software has grown to such ridiculous sizes because we lost track of what we wanted to do. We wanted to do spreadsheets, to write letters. All of this is on the way back. They are called apps. Sure, most of them are goofy, tiny little things. But they are the future. And the future is gonna be a whole lot easier!
If you would like to get personal on-site software training in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Dreamweaver in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact me. Paypal accepted, morning appointments only.
The paperless office
The idea of the paperless office came from the Xerox Corporation. Xerox, as you know, made its fortune with paper copies. By the 1960s, there was some concern that computers would make paper completely obsolete. What an idea! And without paper, there would be no Xerox. So they set about inventing the paperless office, which is what we use every day on our computers, both Macintosh and PC.
Before the idea of the paperless office, computers were programmed either by punch cards or by someone typing commands on a keyboard. The paperless office was a way of using a computer screen looking same way that you would see a real office. The genius of it was to create files, folders and a filing cabinet just like a real office, only in little pictures. They even had a trash can! What office would be complete with a trash can? To make it all work, instead of typing commands, you rolled a mouse around and pointed and clicked. This was called the Graphical User Interface. Nobody says that anymore, and we just take it for granted.
By the 1980s, Xerox decided that they had been wrong in their panic about loss of business due to nobody using paper anymore, so they shelved the idea of the paperless office. A company called Apple picked up on the idea and invented the first user-friendly personal computer with the "paperless office". It had all of the things that Xerox had invented, a mouse, files, folders, and a filing cabinet (which didn't really look like a filing cabinet anymore, but it did the same thing). And yes, a trash can! All you had to do to use one of these new computers was to figure out how to use a mouse, point and click, and you were in business! I was fortunate to be starting my career in Computer Graphics in the late 1980s when these computers, called "The Macintosh" started becoming popular. By the early 1990s, Microsoft developed their own paperless office interface, called "Windows".
So, real, real old timers don't consider what I do to be "working with a computer". I was the first generation that grew up with the paperless office. To them, it's just like a silly video game, point and click! I like it.
If you would like to get personal on-site software training in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Dreamweaver in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact me. Yes, I will also do a training session on setting up your blog on Google Blogger. Paypal accepted, morning appointments only.
The difference between a software trainer and a computer support technician
A computer support technician can install more memory, or replace your mother board, or show you how to hook up an external drive for backups. If you own a computer, you will need someone like this at some time. I can do some simple stuff for myself, but beyond that, I go to MacMedia.
Since I spend the majority of my life on a computer, I am familiar with most of the usual day-to-day stuff. It's kind of like, well, putting gas in your car, or checking the air in your tires. You can do this yourself. But if your engine starts making a funny sound, you need a mechanic. I am not a mechanic on a computer, I am a software trainer. You can consider me anything from a driving instructor to a stunt driver. I can show you how to go fast on your computer, some cool techniques and tricks for getting the most out of it.
So, my recommendation to you is to get the best machine that you can afford, with plenty of power, and load it up with the latest software. Then let's go drive!
If you would like to get personal on-site software training in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Dreamweaver in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact me. As of the writing of this post, November 2nd, 2010, my rate is $95 per hour with a three-hour minimum in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area (within 25 miles of Glendale 85302). The deposit is $140, which guarantees your appointment on my calendar. Yes, I will also do a training session on setting up your blog on Google Blogger. Paypal accepted, morning appointments only.
Top ten mistakes software trainers make
10) Going too fast. Or too slow. Going too fast means that all of the information is just flying by. Going too slow is boring and tedious. A good software trainer sets the correct pace.
9) Not getting feedback. A good trainer will ask you questions in a polite way. I always say, "does that makes sense?", rather than "Get it?" And it's more than courtesy, it's my way of knowing that I am demonstrating and explaining correctly.
8) Taking the device away. A good trainer should be able to show you how to use something, such as your computer, without taking it away from you. Never, ever should they take your place, or reach over and take the mouse away from you. Ever.
7) Not giving time to practice and absorb during the session. Your trainer should give you a few minutes after explaining a particular item to let you do it again. If your trainer hasn't built this time into a session, they are making a mistake.
6) Letting the session go off-track. All questions lead to other questions, but some of them are not related to what is being covered at the time. A good trainer will not be rude about this, but will not let the session turn into something that it wasn't planned to be.
5) Not answering questions. In spite of what is in #6, a good trainer should answer questions immediately. If it's something that was supposed to be covered later in the session, it should be covered now. This takes some flexibility, but a good trainer should do that.
4) Allowing the training session to turn into just chatting. That is not to say that your trainer should be impolite, but the important thing is to stay on task. Stories and jokes are OK before and after the session, but really have no place during it.
3) Answering the wrong question. If your trainer jumps in and finishes your question for you, and answers the wrong one, it's a big waste of time. Your trainer should listen to your question and be sure of giving the right answer.
2) Not giving a test. I know that people really don't like "tests", but at the end of the session, there should be some time set aside to allow the client to "fly solo". This may lead to more questions, or it may just lead to a great big "Whoo-Hoo! This is so cool!" I love hearing that.
And the worst mistake of all
1) Saying that something is "really easy". I know that this might seem like encouragement, but it just makes your client feel stupid. Yes, it will be really easy after it is learned, but if it was "really easy", your client wouldn't have hired a trainer.
If you would like to get personal on-site software training in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Dreamweaver in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact me. As of the writing of this post, October, 30, 2010, my rate is $95 per hour with a three-hour minimum in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area (within 25 miles of Glendale 85302). The deposit is $140, which guarantees your appointment on my calendar. Yes, I will also do a training session on setting up your blog on Google Blogger. Paypal accepted, morning appointments only.
Not feeling foolish around technology
None of us want to feel foolish around technology. If you've just invested in a nice new computer, or an ereader, or a cell phone, the last thing that you want is to have someone make you feel stupid because of the way that you are using it. It is just human nature. But making the full use out of a piece of technology means setting aside prejudices, and being ready to learn what this new technology can do.
The first thing that I tell people is that they are already very comfortable with a lot of technology. Once you learn it, know it and use it, you take it for granted. And this is why people who are already using a computer, an ereader, or a fancy cell phone can seem so annoying to those who are not there already. To them, it just seems so simple! And you will feel that way, too, I promise.
Please allow me to give an example of people who are being introduced to a lot of new technology, The "Beverly Hillbillies". In this comedy show from the 1960s, the humor comes from how these "country bumpkins" react when they were presented with state-of-the-art technology. Their budget was unlimited, but they were unable to understand how the new technology would help them.
Consider the technology that they had never seen - and it just seems so basic. They knew nothing about running water, they carried the water they needed from their "cement pond", the swimming pool. The object that rang a bell every once in a while was a puzzle to them, they had never seen a telephone. And, of course, they had those porcelain devices for cleaning one foot, and then the other (toilets). If you've ever seen this show, I'm sure that you can think of many more!
So, if you are feeling foolish about the new technology, I can understand. No one wants to be a "bumpkin", and if the people around you just laugh at you for not understanding the technology, that just makes it worse. You have two choices, either ignore the new technology (and a lot of people do), or find someone who can explain it to you with patience. I'd like to believe that I am that kind of person.
If you would like to get personal on-site software training in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Dreamweaver in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact me. As of the writing of this post, October, 30, 2010, my rate is $95 per hour with a three-hour minimum in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area (within 25 miles of Glendale 85302). The deposit is $140, which guarantees your appointment on my calendar. Yes, I will also do a training session on setting up your blog on Google Blogger. Paypal accepted, morning appointments only.
The first thing that I tell people is that they are already very comfortable with a lot of technology. Once you learn it, know it and use it, you take it for granted. And this is why people who are already using a computer, an ereader, or a fancy cell phone can seem so annoying to those who are not there already. To them, it just seems so simple! And you will feel that way, too, I promise.
Consider the technology that they had never seen - and it just seems so basic. They knew nothing about running water, they carried the water they needed from their "cement pond", the swimming pool. The object that rang a bell every once in a while was a puzzle to them, they had never seen a telephone. And, of course, they had those porcelain devices for cleaning one foot, and then the other (toilets). If you've ever seen this show, I'm sure that you can think of many more!
So, if you are feeling foolish about the new technology, I can understand. No one wants to be a "bumpkin", and if the people around you just laugh at you for not understanding the technology, that just makes it worse. You have two choices, either ignore the new technology (and a lot of people do), or find someone who can explain it to you with patience. I'd like to believe that I am that kind of person.
If you would like to get personal on-site software training in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Dreamweaver in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact me. As of the writing of this post, October, 30, 2010, my rate is $95 per hour with a three-hour minimum in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area (within 25 miles of Glendale 85302). The deposit is $140, which guarantees your appointment on my calendar. Yes, I will also do a training session on setting up your blog on Google Blogger. Paypal accepted, morning appointments only.
Why do they make changes in software?
As someone who has been using, and teaching, computer software for many years, I know it well. And I'm sure you do, too. You are happily using a piece of software (or even a web site) that you have used many times, you go to do something, and it's gone!There are many reasons why software programs rearrange things. Some of it may be just human nature, like moving around the furniture in your apartment because you are bored of it. Some of it is just human error, like forgetting to add a button when new code is written. And most of it, believe it or not, is good intentions.
Software, and web designers, like to make things work. They listen to feedback, and if something isn't right, they like to fix it. If, for example, "Wiener Dog Ultra Violet Filter Extrude" was once under "View", it probably should have been under the sub-category "Wiener Dog Filters", or the sub-sub category "Wiener Dog Filters>Ultra Violet". You see how things can get buried this way.
Another thing that happens to software, and web sites, is they can outgrow their original structure. Lots of cool things that were in Photoshop were moved into Bridge. And I'm sure it makes sense. It doesn't make it any less irritating, though.
If you would like to get personal on-site software training in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator or Dreamweaver in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact me.
How computers work
I compare myself to a race car driver. I can make these machines go fast, and I can win races with them. I have a good understanding of how computers work, but I am not a mechanic. And I have great respect for people who are.
A race car driver is never ignorant of how his machine works, but he will never come close to understanding it the way his pit crew does. My suggestion is for you, if you want to do what I do, is to take the same attitude. If you want to win races, take a look at your machine. Is it so old that it is held together with tape? Is your software so out of date that causes you problems? Then, please let me tell you how computers work:
• Computers are machines. They work best with excellent maintenance, which includes keeping your software up to date. If you have a Mac, go to software update and be sure it keeps an eye on things for you. Say "yes" to updating your browser, and everything else.
• Computers are meant to be used. Drive it every day. Develop a feeling for it. It's not magic, but like a race car, it seems to know when there's an expert driver behind the wheel.
• Computers are "only human". They age. They are made up of plastic and metal, which wears with normal use. When it wears out, buy a new one. If you make your living, like I do, on a computer, buy the best one you can.
• Computers need expert medical attention sometimes. My computer's is MacMedia. They can be life-support for your computer, and your business, so treat them well.
I like computers and I would like to think that they like me back.
If you would like to learn Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Dreamweaver, please contact me. I do personal on-site training sessions in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area.
BradHallArt.com
How browsers work, or don't work
When your browser visits a web page, it reads the code and translates it for you. For example, if it sees "#039", you see the color blue. It also reads all of the rest of the information, including the position of elements on the page, and that sort of thing. If it does its job well, pages display and work correctly. If it doesn't, pages display incorrectly, and sometimes the page malfunctions and the browser crashes.
Oddly enough, Internet Explorer, the browser that is most widely used, does the poorest job of interpreting code, and it has done so for years. Web designers have had to create "hacks" (special code) to make the pages work for Internet Explorer. Hopes were high that the latest version would work better, but it has been a disappointment. And at this rate, it doesn't seem that Internet Explorer will ever work. That's the bad news.
The good news is that you don't have to use Internet Explorer. Browsers are free, and they all work on Windows. If you prefer, you can use Safari (and no, you don't need a Mac), or Opera, or Chrome. My personal favorite is Firefox. I started using it this year and it is everything that browser should be.
To get any of these browsers, just Google the name, go to their site, and click free download. All of them work on both Windows and Macintosh, except, of course, Internet Explorer.
If you would like to learn Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Dreamweaver, please contact me. I do personal on-site training sessions in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area.
Using your computer like a racing car
And chances are that your computer is plenty powerful, too. But are you getting everything out of it that you can? When I started teaching graphic design at The Art Institute of Phoenix, they also had state-of-the-art computers, and they still do! But, to my surprise, I was finding that a lot of people were spending a lot of time "looking for their car keys".
It doesn't do you much good if your computer can go fast if you can't get it started. If it takes you five minutes to find a file, or to find an email address, what if you need to find ten of them? You are already almost an hour behind! So, this is what I suggest: treat your computer like a racing car. In between races, find ways to make it go fast right from the start. If you say, "but I'm always running a race!", these techniques will get your speed up. To me, you are still in first gear. Pull over to the pit stop!
• Organize your files with folders and correct names. No, this isn't fun, but, compare it to a pit stop - when you need fresh tires during a race, this is no time to go looking to see if they are the right size.
• Get rid of clutter. If you haven't used something in a while, stop stepping over it. I don't throw away things, I create a folder and call it z-something (the "z" alphabetizes it to the bottom, you know).
• Sharpen up your skills on the latest software. Software developers don't just release new versions to get your money, there are a lot of cool things that have been added. Learn them, and use them!
Squeal those tires! Win some races! And wave to me as you go by!
If you would like to learn more about Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Dreamweaver, please contact me. I do personal on-site training sessions in the greater Phoenix, Arizona area.
One of the reasons I like Firefox
There are many reasons to use the Firefox browser. One of them is just so cool I can't imagine why all other browsers don't do this. To get back to any page that you have visited, just start typing in a word that you remember. I use this now more often than bookmarking. Computers remember things exactly. Humans remember bits and pieces. This is the perfect relationship between humans and computers. I remember that I visited a site about cycads. Firefox remembers all of them, just from that hint, and, of course, the exact URL.
Pretty cool. I don't work for my computer, it works for me.
Pretty cool. I don't work for my computer, it works for me.
Using your computer as a personal assistant
I am, however, wealthy enough to own a computer. And that makes for a great personal assistant. If you look at your computer the same way that you look at someone who is helping you with your business, the same rules apply. You have to be specific about what you need. You have to trust. You have to be willing to invest. And it's your responsibility to make the big decisions.
My computer knows all about me. It has my schedule, my emails, my documents. It knows when my dentist appointments are. If you are not comfortable "being watched" this way, I can respect that. But I don't mind. When I buy ink cartridges for my printer, my computer remembers which one is correct. I have been around computers all of my adult life and I understand what they do. Mostly, they remember things. Flawlessly. I'd like to believe that this frees up my brain to be more creative.
If you would like to use your computer as a personal assistant, here's what you can do: Think of using your computer the same way that you go to work, or shopping. I am assuming that you, like most people, are not engaged in any illegal or immoral practices. If you are, then this won't work for you. Consider that the barista at Starbucks knows how you like your latte, and the UPS guy at work knows to leave packages over at the side desk, not right in front of you. Use your computer the same way. Tell it what you want, and it will do it for you.
I like computers. You ask for things and they bring them to you.
If you would like to learn more about Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop or Dreamweaver, and are in the Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact me. I do personal on-site training for this software.
In defense of technology
I've always embraced technology for how it can enrich our lives. This is why I have always been so enthusiastic about teaching and training on the computer. But "technology", as I've often said, isn't just computers and ereaders. It is every invention and machine that makes life better.
When I was going to college, my refrigerator freezer in my apartment was never cold enough for me to keep ice cream. Believe me, even thirty years later, I think about that piece of technology that I have in my house. Being able to store frozen foods in your house is definitely life-enriching!
When the computer software for the Graphic Design field was invented, I jumped on it and loved it. Adobe Illustrator meant no more T-squares, or ink dripped or smudged. Page layout programs meant no more glue! I have been using email since the early nineties - and that meant - no more "phone tag"!
I like technology.
If you would like to learn more about Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Dreamweaver - and how cool they are and how they can make your life better - please contact me. I do personal training sessions in the Phoenix, Arizona area.
Upgrading to a new computer
I traded in my old 2007 iMac for a new one. It is essentially the same machine, but a modern version, which is pretty cool. The screen is larger and sharper, and there's more RAM and disk space. I've owned an iMac since the 90s - mine was "blueberry". If you remember those colorful bubbly-shaped Macs, they came in colors like tangerine, etc. And they were slick and very powerful. And they still are today.
If you are tempted to buy a computer, this is a great time. I was honestly surprised at how inexpensive this beautiful machine was. I bought mine in Peoria, Arizona at MacMedia and it was a great experience. They did a data transfer from my backup drive so when I brought the computer home and plugged it in, I was ready to go. All my stuff was there! The iMac itself cost about $1,200 and they gave me $250 credit for my trade in. The data transfer was an extra $75 and well worth it. And a couple of phone calls to iron out questions I had were answered with courtesy and knowledge.
I make my living on this computer. If you do the same, do yourself a favor and retire that sad old wreck that you're working on. MacMedia will even recycle it properly.
Interested in learning Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Dreamweaver? On a PC or a Mac, I can help. Contact me if you are in the Phoenix, Arizona area.
Should you get a Mac or a PC?
Get a PC if - You are working mainly with shared files in Microsoft Office. Yes, you could do this with a Mac but it will annoy everyone that you work with.
Get a Mac if - You are using software that is traditionally associated with the Graphic Design Industry, Video Editing, or Music.
Get a PC if - You want to be able to play a lot of video games. Many game developers can't afford the extra money it would cost them to produce a version for the Macintosh computer.
Get a Mac if - Your image is very important to you. I'm not kidding here - if you are wearing a Rolex watch, carry a MacBook. It doesn't matter how powerful your Dell Computer is, it won't make it here.
Get a PC if - You like to tinker with things. PCs are easy to add on to, to take apart, to modify. Macs aren't.
Get a Mac if - You have a lot of money and are willing to spend it. Macs cost more.
Get a PC if - You use freeware, much of which is just plain not available for the Mac.
Get a Mac if - You like to just plug things together and have them work. This is real "computing for dummies" - if it has a little "Apple" logo on it, it will work.
Get a PC if - Your main use of a computer is browsing the web and sending/receiving emails. Unless you are trying to impress people at a coffee shop, that is plenty of power for those tasks!
This post was written on an iMac. I have been fortunate enough, as a Graphic Designer, to have been working on Macintosh computers since the early nineties. But keep in mind that 97% of the people out there are viewing your web page on a PC. If you are designing a web page on a Mac, be sure to view it as most of your audience will - on a PC.
To me, computers are like cars. Give me the keys and I can drive anything. You just may have to give me a couple of minutes to figure out how to work the windshield wipers! Whether you're on a Mac or a PC I can help you. If you would like to learn Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, or Dreamweaver in the Phoenix, Arizona area, please contact me.
Losing your fear of technology
I like technology. That has helped me teach it. Most of this stuff is pretty cool. But technology didn't just start a couple of years ago. If I had lived in the stone age, I would have gone around telling people how cool the new invention "the wheel" was! In the middle ages, I would have been enthusiastic about the crossbow. When cars were invented, I would have been been one of the first people to own one.
For me, technology isn't cool just for it's own sake. It's what it can do that matters. If you think that you have a "fear of technology", consider how much technology you are comfortable with, and never give it a second thought. Your great-great grandparents wouldn't have had a clue on how to operate an elevator!
I teach Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and Dreamweaver software in the Phoenix, Arizona area. And you should try it! It's pretty cool!
Even more names of digital files explained
Abbreviations bother me. To me, if seems as if someone is trying to make something seem more complicated than it really is. I'd like someday to form an organization for the prevention of the use of meaningless abbreviations - but I would have to call it TOFTPOGUOMA, and I don't like that.
For those of you using digital images in the print world, you may have used a TIFF file, which stands for Tagged Information File Format. This file format supports higher image quality than the internet can display so it is best used for printing in process color.
If the image file can only be used by the software that created it, it is called RAW, which doesn't stand for anything. It just means raw, like raw meat.
An AVI file is Audio Video Interleave. I'm not sure I want to know what "Interleave" means, but I know what audio and video are. That part makes sense.
More names of digital files explained
As soon as you learn something in the digital imaging world, something else is invented and you have to learn that. This becomes a frustrating world of alphabet soup when you consider all of the abbreviations that are in use.
For example, a relatively new image file type is called a PNG file, which stands for Portable Network Graphic. This is a type of file, invented in the mid-nineties but just catching on now, that was specifically designed to work on the web. It will replace the old GIF format, which stands for Graphical Interchange Format. Like the GIF file, PNG files support transparency and are much smaller than JPEGS.
PNG files and GIF files will be replaced by SVG files. SVG means Scalable Vector Graphics. As you know, pixel-based images are usually much larger than vector-based ones. And on the internet, smaller file size is best.
The names of digital files explained
I have always believed that the first step of learning something is to learn what it is called. This is a tiny step, but a good beginning. In the world of computers, names are often confusing, especially if they are used as an abbreviation. "De-mystifying" names in the digital world is something I like to do and I am always happy to share what I have learned with my clients and my students.
JPEG stands for "Joint Photographers Expert Group". This group created the compression standard for this file type, which is used for images.
MPEG stands for "Motion Picture Experts Group". This format can be used for both audio and video (it's the type of file on your iPod), and since it has "outgrown" it's name, it's probably best to use the abbreviation.
By the way, iPod stands for "Internet Pod". When the internet was new, back in the 90s, the Apple Macintosh computer company introduced a small, inexpensive computer that was designed to be used mostly for connecting to the internet. I was called the "iMac" (see picture). This product was so successful that it helped to revive the company, and they started naming different products with the "i" (the iPhone, etc.).
My personal favorite has always been "TWAIN", which stands for "Technology Without An Interesting Name". Well, you gotta call it something!
Digital storage explained
If you've ever found out that an email wouldn't go through because the attachment was "too big", or if your iPod ever got full, or the memory card on your digital camera was used up, you know that digital information has a physical size. But without a reference point, what is "too big" or "too much?"
Let's ignore "memory" or "bandwidth" or other such concepts for now and focus on digital storage. The smallest unit of measurement, for practical purposes, in a digital file is called a "byte". And even that is really too small to use.
A kilobyte is 1,000 bytes. Most files can be measured as in kilobytes. For example, the Word document that you just wrote is probably about 200 kilobytes. A kilobyte is usually just called a "K".
A megabyte is 1,000 times more than a "K". You see it abbreviated as "MB". Audio and video files are much bigger than text files so they are measured in Megabytes
A gigabyte is 1,000 time more than a "MB". This is used to measure storage and large video files. It's usually just called a "Gig", or "G".
I won't go on and on with various trivia and other file sizes. That's what makes this all so confusing. As of this writing, in 2010, Kilobyte, Megabyte and Gigabyte is all you have to know.