Main      Site Guide    
Computer Stupidities

Hardware Requirements

Many people do not understand the concept of "minimum requirements." There's a reason software packages list quantities of hardware and say, "You must have a minimum of the following to run this software." Nevertheless, this doesn't stop some from trying anyway.

Seen on a web page:

Sometimes it's better to go along with the customer and not ask questions.

My husband tried to install a new networking card. He said he opened it up, and all he found was a TV tube and some electronic parts -- no slots at all.

Recently, my friend told me some recent computer game of his would not work with his computer. I already knew that he had a rather dated computer and told him that he needed to buy a new one, or at least a more up-to-date video card. But no matter how I explained it to him, he kept insisting that the video card had nothing to do with what you saw on the screen, and what he really needed was a new "monitor card."

That weekend, I took him to the local Radio Shack and watched him walk up to the counter and start complaining about his "monitor card." The cashier told him the same thing I did, but to no avail. He refused to buy a video card and walked out of the store, muttering about lousy service and shoddy products. To this day, he is still looking for a store that carries "monitor cards."

This is common. We have people who will tell us they saw the error message 10+ times but have absolutley no idea what it said. We are not psychics.

There's the problem -- the customer doesn't have the minimum requirements to run the software. You would think that once the person finds out he doesn't have the right equipment to run a piece of software, it would end the conversation...but, alas, the following dialogue is more representative of customer responses in such situations.