Guide to computer experience

Every person has to work their way up to becoming a power user or a "geek" on a computer. I would classify myself more in the power user category because I haven't taken the dive into Linux yet, and I don't build my own machines--which I plan to learn to do in the near future. If you want to learn what advanced or power users do with their computer, and also the things that novices learn along the way, look no further than this guide to progressive computer experience. I've tried to break the items into categories, but some may overlap so bear with me.

I welcome any suggested additions or changes to this list, especially for the Power User and Savvy user categories. Please see my email address to on the right hand column, or feel free to post a comment.

Beginner

• Uses their computer to type the occasional document and may send a few emails a week
• Don't use more than 3 or 4 programs on their computer
• Enlist someone else to help them buy a computer
• Purchases software they don't end up using, or only uses the software pre-installed on their computer.
• Don't know what degragmenting is and why it needs to be done
• Are using a computer with less than 1GB of RAM, especially a new Mac or Windows XP/Vista
• Are running Vista because a salesman told them it was the best new operating system
• Pays more than $60/month for high speed internet
• Pays for their anti-virus/anti-spyware software
• Are extremely wary of using the internet because of viruses, fraud, phishing (if they even know wha phishing is of course), etc.
• Have lots of unchecked spyware and adware sitting on their machine
• Open obviously SPAM messages.
• Pay for their email service
• Uses regular English words as passwords (not safe, time to get educated).

Novice

• Has switched to Firefox because a friend recommended it
• Uses a different photo editor beyond what came pre-insalled on their computer (or had someone add this for them)
• Uses software to burn an audio CD
• Uses software to burn mix CD's
• Has heard of Skype but is not convinced enough to use it
• Purchased an external hard drive to backup their photos (even though most people will never use more than 30-60GB to backup every photo)
• Knows what zip files are and possibly how they work
• Are aware of sales pitches when buying a computer
• Have heard of torrents, but don't know how to use them or what they are
• May have recently started using online banking
• Calls a flash drive a "thumbdrive" or even worse, a "zip drive"

Savvy user

• Uses Firefox
• Uses Firefox extensions for productivity
• Use Firefox search plugins
• Knows what open-source software is and may have used some OOS beyond Firefox.
• Doesn't pay for Anti-virus/Anti-spyware software and uses perfectly good alternatives like AVG Anti-Virus and Comodo Firewall Pro or ZoneAlarm (free)
• Use advanced search queies on google to search only education sites, pull up local information, or filter results with special operators
• Have used social bookmarking regularly
• Uses a webmail service other than Hotmail or some no-name email service
• Has used Gmail with POP or IMAP
• Got Gmail before 2006 when it was still by invitation only
• Has used online banking for at least a year, before it became all the rage and every adult discovered it.
• Have switched from an ISP's email service to something free or otherwise not from their ISP
• Rip songs from an iPod to another person's computer (or help someone recover the songs on their iPod)
• Upgrade the RAM on a computer (the easiest hardware upgrade to perform, and especialy simple on a laptop)
• Knows what Linux is
• Uses Skype and understands its benefits
• Purchased an external hard drive
• Has used DVD Shrink to copy DVD movies
• Rip DVD's to movies files
• Have successfully downloaded something with a torrent
• Has made minor registry tweaks discovered online
• Can recognize most file extensions
• Use or have tried an alternative IM client that supports multiple IM services
• Has purchased something on Newegg.com or Tigerdirect.com for computer hardware
• Purchased an external drive to store DVD rips, DVD ISO files, TV show downloads, software downloads, etc.
• Uses dual-monitors (also Power users and geeks)
• Use an extra monitor with their laptop
• Read RSS feeds (with an online or desktop reader)
• Does not use regular English words as passwords, may use strong passwords
• Understands why more people should be using Macs
• Have used msconfig to clean up their startup items (some savvy users don't know about this)
• Doesn't use Windows Media player
• Have changed their media player settings to rip music in an unprotected, higher bitrate format
• Use VLC or Mplayer to play video files (some savvy users have never heard of these, so Mplayer also extends to the Power User category).
• Doesn't pay for software very much.

Power User

• Have upgraded the optical drive (CD/DVD) on their desktop
• Knows what Linux is, why people use it, and may have dabbled in Linux
• Have reinstalled Windows before
• Has used DVD Shrink in conjunction with DVDfab Decrypter or DVD43 to copy a DVD movie
• Has burned an ISO/IMG or other disc image file to a CD/DVD
• Has made registry tweaks to clean up their system or tweak more advanced settings
• Knows just about every common file extesion and what can be used to open it
• Never uses Internet Explorer whenever possible and cringes at the thought of using it, Firefox is the only way to go. Sorry Mac-heads, Safari is still inferior, especially for web development
• Regularly reads articles on LifeHacker.com
• Purchased a flash drive before fall 2005 (AKA thumbdrive or incorrectly called a zip drive by newbies)
• Always uses strong passwords (min. 8 characters, alphanumeric, mixed case, with a symbol)
• Runs Windows virtually, or dual-boots with Bootcamp
• Uses the command line occassionally
• Rarely pays for software except when it's from a small developer, they want to go legit wit something professional like Photoshop, or something awesome like Parallels that's relatively cheap ($80 list) and extremely invaluable.
• Uses a separate FAT32 partition to store their data, drivers, etc. for faster Windows reinstalls and as a contingency in case Windows kicks the bucket
• Would like to own a Mac, but they're just too expensive for their budget most of the time

Geek
(Note that geeks can be lacking in some of the skills in the "Power User" Category because geeks tend to be especially proficient in a specific area, such as hardware, or linux for example. Just because someone is a Linux geek does not mean they know how to copy DVD movies.

• Build their own computers
• Have setup and use a dual-boot or triple boot machine (yes, it can be done)
• Can comfortably diagnose hardware problems
• Reinstall Windows more than twice per year (this
• Are completely comfortable with the registry and have no problem editing it
• Uses the command line frequently
• Have written their own software
• Use Linux, swear by Linux, or will avoid Microsoft products like the plague
• Program Java/C++
• backup their essential files regularly and without fail (even geeks can forget to do this and we should all strive to do this with our irreplaceable photos and home movies).