For you other IT consultants out there, if your family and friends are anything like mine, you probably provide them with 24/7 computer support at their request. I definitely don't mind helping out (in fact, many times it makes me feel more intelligent than I really am), but I often wonder how much money I could have made if I charged only half of the price that my company charges its clients for my support.
My sister has had unbelievable luck with computers. By luck, I mean bad luck. Actually, I think it must be worse than bad luck...more like some type of electromagnetic signal that she gives off that gets her computers in a bad mood so that they refuse to cooperate. Whether its simply slowing down to annoy her or having a complete meltdown, it's happened to her...several times over.
Being the loving brother that I am, I try to help out where possible. Several times it has meant helping to find a good deal on a new computer due to damage beyond repair or simply due to the cost/benefit ratio compared to effort and/or cost of fixing it. Her latest problem apparently may have been due to a lightening strike (or so she says ;-)).
Anyway, I've digressed far from my original intent. Although I provide support to help fix these types of problems often, I get the feeling that many of my co-workers and others in the industry are not in the same situation. As much as I believe that I am no more computer savvy than my average colleague in the same or similar field, I am regulary surprised and amused by the simple things that people have trouble with. Most people (like my family and friends) have pretty valid excuses for not knowing or caring to know about computers and technology, but what about the rest of the people who do this type of thing on a daily basis who can't set up duplex printing??
