Can’t Figure Out Your MP3 Player? Upscale London Store Schedules Tutorials

By Michael Santo
Contributing Writer, RealTechNews

One of the biggest fears I have with giving my mother-in-law (or, to a lesser extent, my wife) anything new technology-wise is the learning curve. Frequently I have to spend quite some time teaching either of them the ins-and-outs of whatever it is I give them.

An example would be the digital camera I purchased for my mother-in-law for Christmas. She only decided she wanted to enter the digital age for cameras after seeing my wife’s year-old camera. So, despite the fact that I could have purchased her a newer camera with more features and more megapixels, I bought her the same model as my wife so my wife could teach her how to use it. Before my wife gets a chance to read this, I should add that once she gets a jump-start she can usually figure out the more complex parts of a device or piece of software on her own.

An upscale London store (Selfridges) is now offering tutorials on iPod usage, 40 minutes for 65 pounds (95 euros, 115 dollars). The tutorials are one-on-one, and encompass using iTunes, installing and deleting videos, creating playlists and downloading Podcasts. Lessons can be at home or in-store.

We Say: I guess as one of the people who refuse to crack open a manual unless absolutely necessary I’m certainly not going to use this. My mother-in-law, yes. But what’s funny is that just down the street Apple’s Regent Street store has iPod workshops for free. Oops.