Not so much a question but a commonly heard remark. How to avoid getting frustrated while trying to benefit from desktop computing.

In some cases the people who say this did not really try. They looked at something, decided immediately that they don't know anything about computers and didn't bother more than that. No problem; they can try again some day.

Many people, though, will ask me for help with something really important. When they try, they try hard. Very Hard. So hard, in fact, that they build up a severe frustration with computers that works against them for a long time after that.

More to the point: They were trying so hard that they failed to notice many useful details and they failed to try many things that would have made everything easy. They were in such a hurry that they didn't have time to investigate and tinker - so they missed all the answers to their questions. Everything ended-up being so terribly difficult that they couldn't do what they wanted to do.

Don't do that! Relax, take your time, go slowly, enjoy yourself. Computers can be very useful tools but only if you take the time to learn how to use them.

Little children and elderly retired people learn the fastest because they have no real interest in any results - they just tinker until they become experts. The rest of us have to learn to set aside our goals for a short while. We need to find our way around a new program. Learn a little about a new concept. Above all: Read the manual and google the net to find out what other people have learned.

Have fun! Then get your work done.