Noobie is the Noo-est Thing in Town
Greenwood-based company is set to help the technology-challenged tackle everything from iPods to digital cameras
June 28, 2006
GREENWOOD--A Greenwood-based company was recently launched with one goal in mind--to help the countless souls out there who are "technology-challenged" learn how to manage everything from cell phones and iPods to digital cameras and high definition TVs.
The new company--Noobie, Inc.--is even named for those who don't know the difference between a megabyte and a memory stick.
"The term 'noobie' is actually somewhat of a derogatory term used among tech experts to refer to people who don't know what they're doing when it comes to technology," said Patric T. Welch, president and founder of the new company.
Welch decided to put a fresh, more positive spin on the term, in hopes of empowering the countless legions of noobies out there by making them technology-savvy.
"Noobies are people who don't really understand any given technology. They want to learn more about it, but they're either afraid of it, intimidated by it, or they just don't have the time to learn about it on their own," said Welch.
To help the technology-challenged, Welch has designed a company that will educate noobies in three different ways. Noobie Education offers hands-on workshops, Noobie Consulting provides one-on-one consulting and Noobie Magazine will help unravel the mystery in a variety of technology topics.
Workshops are now in registration to help people in a group setting, but personal consulting is also available for those who need the one-on-one tutorial. Noobie will even provide private consulting to business professionals who feel uncomfortable turning to their in-house technology staff for help.
In the fall, Welch plans to launch Noobie Magazine, which will feature a wide range of interests from cover to cover. "There are a lot of other computer magazines out there, but they're rather technical. The people I'm trying to help really need a bare bones approach, a really simplified explanation of things, and that's what we're here to provide," he said.
The self-professed "techie" has seen the need for such educational tools first hand. When visiting his brother-in-law last October, Welch spied a new iPod still in the box, collecting dust on a shelf. When prodded, the brother-in-law admitted he hadn't the time or talent to figure out how to use the gadget since receiving it on Father's Day.
"I got it out and hooked it up for him and taught him how to use it," recalls Welch. "Once he got the hang of it, he was like a kid in a candy store."
As the veteran "family tech expert," Welch now hopes to help noobies on a broader level. To get started, he's offering two workshops to help people learn the essentials on iPods--from 9 to 11:30 a.m. July 22 and Aug. 12 at Lee's Inn in Greenwood. Classes will be limited to 20 to 25 people.
"These are hands-on, educational workshops. Bring your iPod if you have one, and don't be afraid to ask questions," said Welch, who will instruct on everything from basic iPod functions to purchasing music and creating playlists.
To help noobies stay up-to-date on technology, Welch also maintains a "What's Noo?" techie blog at http://www.noobie.com/whatsnoo, where he addresses the latest technology news from a Noobie point of view.