In recent years, the devices have also entered homes as multimedia centers of information and entertainment.
To game-enamored young people, they are a dream come true. To gadget-minded curious folks, they're a haven. To many, they are a work-related necessity.
Techno-phobes
To others, computers can be mysterious, unfriendly, uninvited intruders. Computer games don't interest them. Surfing the Net seems as far off and unlikely as hanging 10 at Hawaii's Waimanalo Bay. They feel baffled, jealous and even angry because they, the non-users or infrequent users, are out of the loop.
Yet, there is good news for nonbelievers in the magic of computers: There is a new and exciting world on the other side of the computer screen. As amazing as it may sound to the gigabyte neophyte, lives can actually be improved by computers.
But one has to start with a positive attitude. A stroll through a nearby software store can provide a glimpse into the opportunities available.
Menu
After moving through the aisles and aisles of games, games and more games, there are a variety of computer programs that relate to everyday living and everyday challenges, including financial planning, medical information, cooking, gardening, home construction and improvement, desktop publishing, fitness, photo storage, vacation planning, education, daily planning, relationships, and, even, spirituality.
Most people in our hurry-scurry society have busy schedules and numerous day-to-day tasks. An organizer program can help sort some of these out, such as acting as a daily calendar, keeping track of important dates, phone numbers and addresses to remember, and listing household chores and grocery items. The computer can prove to be the one place that the family keeps current information, much like the outside of the refrigerator except with much more space.
With money concerns being a primary source of worry in many families, financial programs can help lessen the load and provide a much more complete picture of the household fiscal situation. Programs can write out checks for monthly bills to be paid, reconcile records with the bank statement, record financial information for the year and be a tool to complete the annual tax returns.
Fun, too
Not all programs are quite as serious in nature. Desktop publishing provides family members a chance to design their own greeting cards, holiday letters, personal stationary, posters and sophisticated school projects.
Remodeling, adding to or building a house are all exciting projects that take time and planning. Architectural programs provide the home planner with blueprints of various styles and designs, including floor plans, exterior views and three-dimensional room perspectives.
Interior decorating programs give the decorators different styles of furniture, windows, rugs and colors from which to choose. The furniture is moved and walls change color by the click of a button. The process is helpful in visualizing what any new room design will look like, so that the user can see how the finished project will look on the screen even before spending a penny. Extending beyond the walls of the house, there are programs for landscaping and gardening. Yard space can be transformed into more beautiful scenery. Details about proper care of plants, variety of plants and designs ideas are included.
For kids
The computer can be a valuable tool for parents to expose their children to new information and information sources, to teach valuable lessons, to serve as a reference for school projects, and to open them to the sights and sounds of new worlds. Programs are available which range from interactive reading, writing and math to full encyclopedias complete with video and audio clips. Adults may also have a desire to continue to learn. Programs are available for a wide variety of hobbies, such as cooking, sewing, music, model building, photography, and games, like chess and golf. For the adventuresome, flight-simulation programs will enable a wannabee captain to fly a plane anywhere in the world and land at actual airports throughout the globe.
For those who have vowed year after year to learn a second language, French, Spanish, Italian and other language programs are on the shelf just waiting to whisk the user into another culture.
Most programs are reasonable in price, easy to install and use and provide opportunities for growth and learning at the click of a mouse.
(Copyright, 1996, Catholic News Service. Reprinted with permission.)