Off-Topic Questions Thread - closed. Open new threads for specific questions please.

[hallicks]

You're right there, I haven't outright suggested it, but I asked my brother if her current phone could do it (it can't). My mum is especially technologically incapable and she might struggle, though I suppose she could have an entry level smart phone just for that.

[Chest Rockwell]

My 86 year old grandma can use messaging apps; she has telegram on her iPad. She records voice notes because it's easier for her than trying to type in English. It's really easy. I'm sure you can sell your mum on it if you can handle having to show it to her several times until it sinks in.. It's a tedious process but worth it!

[Tommy!]

Does long term use of a travel plug cause issues with electronics?

 

So if I took my laptop, ps3 and such to Germany and used them with an adapter for the next few years is it going to fuck them up?

[Otto Dem Wanz]

Does long term use of a travel plug cause issues with electronics?

 

So if I took my laptop, ps3 and such to Germany and used them with an adapter for the next few years is it going to fuck them up?

 

I used a Boots travel adaptor plug for my netbook for the year and a half I lived in Barcelona. I had no issues in charging it or using it and it retained its battery life well enough for me to sell on when I wanted to upgrade. You’ll be fine. 

[chokeout]

This is going to be a really dull question about using computers for illustration and other creative stuff, save yourself the bother of reading the rest unless you can give me advice (which I'd really appreciate)

 

I've always been a mac user but my 9 year old powerbook should've been put to sleep years ago. I can't afford to get a mac and I've never had a PC but I need a new computer. I'm looking for a PC laptop that would be good for photo editing, illustration, animation and stuff like that, ideally I'd like to be able to use any programs like that that come out in the next couple of years. I also want to spend as little as possible (like £400 or under). Can anyone point me in the right direction? I'm clueless.

 

Cheers in advance if anyone replies.

 

Only just seen this.

 

Im assuming you'll be using Adobe suite or similar based software for all that. you can get a laptop that will run all that for that price but it might not do it well. just look for the best processor you can get with at least 8gb of ram (most seem to have at least that now and, idealy, have a GPU as well) Keep in mind that most Laptop GPU's will get hot and affect performance because everything is crammed in there. You will really only have issues with the higher end usage stuff like Animation, most photo and design work will be fine. PM if you want me to have a look at any specific ones for you

[Tommy!]

Thanks Otto, really appreciate the info.

[Steve Justice]

What are some good competition websites (i.e. win a PS4, washing machine, holiday for two etc.) that won't result in me having to sign up to other websites or get inundated with spam? I know a lot of the national paper websites run weekly competitions for this sort of thing, but what other sites are good to use?

[HarmonicGenerator]

I've spent the last two days inputting data into Excel, and I'm trying to turn some of it into graphs and charts. But I can't for the life of me get that to happen. Not even the easiest online tutorials are helping: no matter what I'm selecting, what kind of chart I'm picking, I don't get any kind of graph showing up. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong, unless I've completely inputted everything incorrectly. Can anyone help? Someone with even the slightest understanding of Excel would do, to explain it in absolutely the simplest way possible, because I just can't understand what to do.

 

An example: I'm working with a sample size of 60 people, and I want to make a pie chart to show how many of them are female and how many are male. Whatever I try, when I try to make this happen all I get is a blank box with the title 'Gender Female Female Female Female Male Male Female Male Male Male'…… Does this mean I have to make a separate spreadsheet for every single thing I want to make a graph of, formatted completely differently each time? Because I thought it would be easier than that.

 

Does the data need to be numerical for it to be turned into a graph or a chart? Can Excel not understand words or number ranges even if they're formatted and written identically?

[Keith Houchen]

Guy Bifkin is the king of excel.

[Onyx2]

I've spent the last two days inputting data into Excel, and I'm trying to turn some of it into graphs and charts. But I can't for the life of me get that to happen. Not even the easiest online tutorials are helping: no matter what I'm selecting, what kind of chart I'm picking, I don't get any kind of graph showing up. I don't understand what I'm doing wrong, unless I've completely inputted everything incorrectly. Can anyone help? Someone with even the slightest understanding of Excel would do, to explain it in absolutely the simplest way possible, because I just can't understand what to do.

 

An example: I'm working with a sample size of 60 people, and I want to make a pie chart to show how many of them are female and how many are male. Whatever I try, when I try to make this happen all I get is a blank box with the title 'Gender Female Female Female Female Male Male Female Male Male Male'…… Does this mean I have to make a separate spreadsheet for every single thing I want to make a graph of, formatted completely differently each time? Because I thought it would be easier than that.

 

Does the data need to be numerical for it to be turned into a graph or a chart? Can Excel not understand words or number ranges even if they're formatted and written identically?

 

It sounds like it needs to go in a PivotTable first. Or summarised with formulas, then chart that.

 

I guess it looks like this:

 

http://imgur.com/iHQWINL

 

But you need it to look like this:

 

http://imgur.com/6OPNLqN

 

It's kind-of hard to describe without seeing the data. Either post screenshots or feel free to PM for help.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Yes - that's pretty much exactly what it looks like, Onyx. A formula like the one on those screenshots sounds like it'd be more achievable than a Pivot Table - how does that =COUNTIF one work? 

[Onyx2]

So yer COUNTIF formula is this:

 

=COUNTIF(A2:A51,D2)

 

=COUNTIF(range, criteria)

 

=COUNTIF(cells to search, what to count)

 

So A2:A51 is my list of data (males and females in this case), and D2 is the cell containing the search criteria. You can type your criteria directly in the formula, but I like to put it in a separate cell for readability.

 

A PivotTable is about a thousand times easier, but harder to describe over text! Well worth learning, and a brilliant skill for anyone who messes with spreadsheets regularly. There are no end of tutorials for them, Simon Sez does a good range:

 

 

 

"Females..."

[HarmonicGenerator]

Fantastic! Thank you very much Onyx. I did a course that included a whole thing about Pivot Tables a few years ago but it all left my head about half an hour after the course finished, so the formula will do me well for now. I'll probably have to re-learn about Pivot Tables though, won't I, if I need to delve into my data in more depth, or look at multiple criteria, i.e. what proportion of males have [this other characteristic] or how many females also [have this quality]?

[Onyx2]

I'll probably have to re-learn about Pivot Tables ...if I need to delve into my data in more depth, or look at multiple criteria, i.e. what proportion of males have [this other characteristic] or how many females also [have this quality]?

Yes. You could also branch out into COUNTIFS (link is SUMIFS but COUNTIFS is discussed too, and Chandoo makes it very chatty) for multiple criteria. But a PivotTable will allow you to throw that data around and keep playing with the 'shape' of the answer.

[WyattSheepMask]

Is there a way to find out the clothing worn in tv shows? I'm currently watching the final series of Peep Show on Netflix and Jeremy is wearing a lovely beige tshirt in episode 4, but I've no idea how to even go about trying to find the make or where to get it from or anything