How many computers do you have in your house?
We have one PC and one IPAD and frankly I don’t think it is anywhere near enough.
It appears that a blogging mum and two kids (one in high school and one in last year of primary) puts an impossible demand on the one, sad computer in the house.
My goal of posting daily is in serious trouble, if I don’t get up before six I lose my one opportunity of the day to secure access to the vital commodity.
Homework nowadays seems to revolve around the computer, maths is done on Moodle, assignments have to be typed or presented in Powerpoint. Everything has to be researched (and isn’t that fun, nothing like overwhelming the kids with a plethora of useless information that they have to spend hours digging through to find the one gem that actually relates to what they are researching – God I miss the World Book Encyclopedia).
Then of course there’s the computer games (Princess Child) and the music -I-tunes, You-Tube searching, watching, listening, buying (Hippie Child).
The husband had to fight us all off last night to get his tax sorted on the computer gotta tell you it threw us all into chaos. If HE starts to want to use the computer we are really in trouble – we simply can’t schedule him in.
We’ve tried roster systems, which only seem to work for five minutes before someone is swapping with someone else because of the “urgent” work to be done and then after a couple of days of “swapsies” we can’t remember where we are up to.
We’ve tried utilising the I-pad more but I hate typing on it – to go from touch typing at 70wpm to hunt and peck drives me insane! So although it’s OK for surfing the net or doing basic research, or playing a game or two the hard grunt work still seems to be done on the PC.
I’ve given up on the laptop computer the kids in high school were supposed to have been given we haven’t seen any sign of ours yet so I think we need to stop considering that as an option.
I’m still worried about giving the kids laptops and having them disappear into their bedrooms with them – Hippie Child has started negotiating about that – arguing that she doesn’t do anything bad on the computer so why should she always be in a “public part of the house” when she uses it! It’s looking like it could be another issue I cave on – which then means more policing and random checking – as if I didn’t have enough to do!
I really admire people who can embrace the simple life and not get involved in the whole “must buy” mentality. But HOW??? How do you live that life when the demands of modern life seem to be pushing you toward more stuff?
I don’t particularly want to buy more computers or laptops, however, I can see that it is fast-moving from a want to a need. Quite possibly everyone in the house may soon need a laptop. I can’t imagine us getting Hippie Child through the HSC sharing a computer with her sister and her mother.
How do you manage the use of computers in your house? How many do you have?
I am amazed that you have lasted so long with only one computer in the family! You could always get an additional machine which has limited (parental) access to the internet, less policing required, but still useful for many types of homework and supervision can be provided when online.
With respect to the iPad, have you considered a Bluetooth keyboard? They make typing a lot quicker and easier.
I have been looking at the Bluetooth keyboards, I am going to get one, I’m hoping that will mean I can do more “creating” on the ipad rather than just surfing – I even struggling leaving comments on other people’s blogs ’cause I make so many mistakes and it takes so darn long.
We have five laptops, an iPad and three iPhones. One of those laptops is a school-issued one, and another is a 10-year-old relic that is good for playing an old Sims game. (I really think this can go out in the next e-waste pick-up come to think of it.)
There is no way, and I mean no way, we could survive with one computer like you. Great idea about the bluetooth keyboard above – hadn’t thought of that.
Obviously I’m just a multi-tasking, roster making marvel to have managed to have coped for so long! We are about to kill each other, in the interests of avoiding manslaughter charges we are going to have to look into this situation.
How have you managed so long with one PC, Janine? OMG. We have one PC, one iPad, two iPhones, one Asus laptop and I just bought my own MacBook Pro (which I totally and utterly LOVE). Two out of the 5 occupants of this house are not remotely interested in computers so we’re pretty much covered most days here.
I think you might need to factor in a laptop in the family budget, perhaps? Good luck!
xx
I so want a MacBook Pro – although I’ve never used Macs before. We do have one iPhone I forgot about it.
MacBook Pros are fantastic! And they interface with iPads and iPhones so easily. Sharing networks is a pleasant breeze.
First of all – what the heck is Moodle?
Second of all, my dad’s a techie – always has been, always will be. Growing up I think we had up to 6 computers at any given time for 4 of us. I wasn’t allowed a computer in my bedroom until 10th or 11th grade though. I currently live with one roommate and between the two of us there are 4 computers (including our work laptops), and 2 iphones. It’s kind of insane. We can’t seem to disconnect from anything.
However, I always liked being on the computer in the public spaces when I was a kid – I felt more involved. There were days that I would carry my whole computer (not laptop, computer) from my bedroom to the kitchen and set it up in the middle just so that I didn’t have to be alone in my bedroom. But what can I say, I’m an extrovert. Oh, and there was no tv in my bedroom. I wanted to have my cake and eat it too.
This post has made me realise we really have been operating at a disadvantage – we must be the only house in the world sharing one computer!
I don’t actually know what Moodle is – however, the kids have a password and can log in there to access homework etc – it is linked to our school but is different to the public school website.
However, it must be some type of software because I know other schools also have “Moodle” linked to their schools too.
Yes Janine, time to go shopping…And good luck with THAT.. We are limping through on the bear technological minimum at the moment because I can’t face the thought of shopping for a computer. All that ‘stuff’ that we are supposed to need, when really all I want is a word processor and something that connects to the internet. I have no need or intention to purchase an ipod, ipad or iphone but apparently everyone else needs these things.
Who’s needs will win…Yes you are right an ipad, because that what’s on the 2013 high school booklist. Disappointing because the last thing our family needs is a another gimmicky gaming station, it’s so far removed from what our family needs. Oh well I owe, I owe, it’s off to work I go…
Oh no an iPad on the booklist! I didn’t even buy the one I have I won it in a competition!
One in each bedroom. Ipad with the youngest.