Poll: Are you computer-literate?

[Skeleon]

I'm pretty good with software and I can do basic hardware stuff like replacing the fan or adding RAM and simple stuff like that. More complex things I let the guys at the shop deal with, though, so I chose the middle option.

 

[Nemu]

I'm slowly-but-surely getting to the point of building my own. I've bought "built" sets from major companies previously, and have always added/replaced parts (slave drives, RAM, video cards, etc) so I'm kinda of teaching myself (with instruction from manufacturers of course). I'm thinking that my current machine's motherboard is about on it's last leg, so I've been pricing new ones with the idea of just going for it and building a new one from scratch.

 

[Threesan]

I wouldnt even try and fix it, it most likely make it worse, waaaay worse.

If i can ill try and edit in a xkcd picture that shows that you shouldnt even try.

Probably this guy? http://xkcd.com/349/
It happens that sometimes something breaks without your knowing how to fix it. But then you figure it out. And you learn things along the way that help you figure out future problems more easily. The harder something is, the more you learn.

 

[Sven und EIN HUND]

I'm pretty much the same as you.

 

[ace_of_something]

I know an average amount for someone of my generation. Maybe a slight bit more. Though all my friends are super tech nerds. About half of them are IT guys, server maintence for Paypal or things like that. So I always think I'm much less computer savvy then I actually am because by comparision to those guys I know as much about computers as a chipmunk does.

 

[TheFacelessOne]

Well, I can make it work, type at 120 WPM (that blows away my 30 WPM peers), but in terms of the inside crap...I bet I'd break it if I tried to tamper with it.

Luckily, my dad is VERY good at the inside stuff. He doesnt actually buy the computer, just the parts. He built everyone's computer in this house from near-scratch. He's like a personal Geek Squad!

 

[iJosh]

I can do that if I was dead. Oh also, I'm in college taking IT.
... and in about 30 minutes, I have a lab where I'm taking apart a laptop and putting it back together.

 

[Mentalgen]

I put my PC together, fixed 9/10 of it's faults myself, and honestly, recommend everyone at least try to build their own. It's the closest I'll get to giving birth. For guys.

this.

 

[wonkey20]

I loves my computers!

 

[Robyrt]

When I was a kid, I knew how to edit AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS to get my games to run. I wanted to be an astronaut.

When I was a teenager, I built my own computers. I knew what all the numbers and letters meant, and how to tweak the graphics settings. I wanted to be a writer.

Now, I buy computers from Micro Center, and I don't really care about reverse bling mapping or whatever. I work as a programmer, and I know just how fast an expensive computer depreciates, so I don't bother.

 

[McClaud]

I'm 37, and I'm more computer literate than some high schoolers.

I realize that being an 80's nerd made that a requirement for my survival in the future.

 

[McClaud]

Just made a powerhaus of a PC myself, so yeah, pretty computer literate. As I wanted to make sure I got a future proof PC without spending over £600, I did a load of research and sadly now know probably way too much than is good for me on PC components.

Weird, anyone who is computer literate would never use the words future proof.

Really?
So you are saying someone who got themselves a 12gb 2000Mhz DDR3 CL7, i7, watercooled, 3x 5870 in crossfire running off a 1200W PSU, with a 120Hz 23" 2560x1600 monitor, bluray player, 12USB ports, and 2TB's worth of SSD isn't future proof?
...Let's see. It's windows 7 capable, has more than enough RAM with the Hz making up for the latency, the monitor is 3d vision ready, the GPU's are DX11 capable (with games still being made for/having 9.0c support...) and you don't really get faster than SSD's now do you?
Granted that is not at all my PC but just proving a point. Future proof always means to a reasonable point, not till infinity, as that would be an absurd notion.
And by the way, PCI-e 3.0 isn't out until 2011 at the earliest, in case you wanted to try and bring that up, with many cards not even using data transfer speeds available in PCI-E 2.0...

You made it future-proof for your needs, really.

I bet you get a new one in about 8 years anyway. Since hardware usefulness runs out on average of 6 years.

 

[ElephantGuts]

I am moderately computer literate. I know the basics and can do a degree of troubleshooting, but nothing too complicated. I don't know as much as some of my friends do, which is sort of frustrating because it seems like one of those things I should be good at. I wish I knew more.

 

[QuirkyTambourine]

The only thing that I can really do decently well on computers, and this isn't even technically a computer issue, is fixing signal issues for recording audio. So that's like, 3 software programs that I can troubleshoot fairly well

 

[Jon Etheridge]

I know several programs like the back of my hand but when you start talking processors and internal parts I'm about as clueless as they come. Luckily I rarely have any computer problems.