My background with computers goes back over two decades, and I have worked in support since 1993. That includes proprietary hardware and software, numerous computers and other hardware, Microsoft products, industry-specific software, and more.
My experience has mainly been in the PC and DOS/Windows spheres. Despite having laid hands on older Macs, dabbled with OS/2 and Linux, used pre-PC computers, and touched AS/400 systems, even for money and to the delight of a client, officially I can claim only to support your basic PC and Microsoft operating system combination. Not that I won’t try most anything, if you’re willing to risk paying for a chance. It’s just that that’s more viable when it comes to unfamiliar software.
Without getting ridiculously detailed, here’s a partial, representative list of relevant experience:
Built, upgraded, repaired, used and supported many PCs and peripherals over the past 20 years.
Used and in some cases supported almost every version of Microsoft Windows and DOS, with lesser exposure to other operating systems.
Supported multiple versions of Microsoft Word, both as part of Microsoft support and for law firms and other users. Specialized in macros, drawing tools, and interaction between Word and other software. Used several other word processors, text editors, and mixed software packages/suites from 1985 onward.
Used and sometimes supported Microsoft Excel, other spreadsheets, personal and business finance and accounting software, including Peachtree, Quicken, and Juris.
Worked extensively with Paint Shop Pro. Used and sometimes supported various other graphics, presentation, scanning software, and associated standalone or networked scanning hardware.
Supported Microsoft Access, SQL Server and MSDE. Used or less extensively supported several other database tools.
Supported Dragon Naturally Speaking versions 3.0 through 9.5, tested alternatives, and supported a handheld digital dictation device and associated software and hardware for download and transcription.
Online or connecting remotely to other computers in some form since 1993, involving BBS, PC Anywhere, or internet, involving modems, DSL, T-1, and FiOS.
Supported all things computer-related in law firm environments for several years. That includes industry-specific applications such as those from Juris, Westlaw and others.
Used and supported various backup and file consolidation/compression software, including PKZip, Winzip, ARCserve, Backup Exec, Retrospect, and more.
Installed, used, supported — informally or formally, troubleshot, and sometimes even wrote and maintained countless software applications, from the obsolete and obscure to the recent.
Cleaned viruses and malware from dozens of machines, manually and with software tools. Installed, ran, troubleshot and supported antivirus, spam filtering, and malware scanning software, including Norton individual and corporate, Sybari Antigen and Spam Manager, Ad-Aware, Spybot Search & Destroy, and others.
Set up, troubleshot and supported peer-to-peer and client/server networks since 1993.
Supported Microsoft Visual Basic 3.0 through 6.0, and the final DOS Basics, assisting developers in solving problems, learning how to accomplish what they wanted, and supporting in turn the varied programs they created. Helped pioneer Microsoft’s web-based support. Ultimately supervised VB support staff, managed, reorganized and taught parts of new hire training.
Supported interaction and synchronization of PDA, mobile phone, camera, and portable dictation devices with computers.
Created, maintained and promoted blogs and traditional web sites.
I could go on. I could list every software package I’ve touched, by category, but from having done it elsewhere, I know that would be overkill. Bottom line: I didn’t start using computers a year ago and say to myself “hey, this is cool, I could make money helping people with these!”