📙 Part 2: Describe a technological product you own that you feel is difficult to use

This episode's vocabulary

Be no/without rhyme or reason (idiom) -

Authority (noun) - an expert on a subject.

User interface (noun) - the way in which the information on a computer, phone, etc. and instructions on how to use it are arranged on the screen and shown to the user.

Icon (noun) - a small picture or symbol on a computer screen that you point to and click on (= press) with a mouse to give the computer an instruction.

Accustomed to something (collocation) - familiar with something.

Mains (noun) - the system of pipes or wires that carry water or electricity into a house, or the pipes that carry sewage away from a house.

To sneak (verb) - to go somewhere secretly, or to take someone or something somewhere secretly.

Teething problems (noun) - problems connected with a new product, or problems at the beginning of a process or activity.

Setup (noun) - all the equipment or machines necessary for a particular purpose.

To go cold turkey (idiom) - stop doing or using something unexpectedly and completely.

Remotely (adverb) - from a distance.

To persevere (verb) - continue making an effort to do or achieve something, even when this is difficult or takes a long time.

Questions and Answers

M: So tell us your story.

R: There's not much rhyme or reason to this, I'm afraid. I just struggle with change when it comes to technology. It's the same when I update my phone or change microphones. It just takes me ages to get used to it. In the case of my laptop, the screen and the keyboard are smaller and the user interface is slightly different, so all of the icons aren't, well, where I'm accustomed to finding them. Admittedly, it is faster than the old one in terms of processing power and the battery isn't completely useless, so it doesn't rely on mains power, making it more portable. But all of this has been cancelled out by the time it takes me to set everything up and get it ready, I'm sure it'll improve in time, but at the moment it can be a bit frustrating at times. So much so in fact that, like I said, I sneak back to my old one. Just for the sake of comfort, to be honest with you. And despite these teething problems, though, I'm still glad I have it. And I'm sure I'll be working away on it just fine when I'm better with finding everything and switching from the old setup to the new one. Now I think about it, I probably should and could go cold turkey and just use the new one all the time. If I didn't have it, I'd be in real trouble when it comes to working remotely. Recently I went on holiday to Cyprus and I couldn't carry my laptop around, connected to the mains all the time. So having this new one definitely helps. And I think that's reason enough to persevere with trying to become more accustomed to it.

M: And have you talked to your friends about this problem?

R: I'm not sure they'd be interested, to be honest.