The Radio Show

Remembering a friend

Dr. Dave reflects on friendship and the everyday people who make a difference.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-12-20

Why people turn to one another for help

Respectful support, shared knowledge and the value of community.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-16

Your question helps other listeners too

Dr. Dave reassures a caller that there is no need to apologize for asking questions.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-11-19

When a quiet voice can be persuasive

A conversation about making a point calmly and standing by your principles.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-04-18

Thanking the station

Dr. Dave thanks the station as the show prepares to move to the office studio.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-10-24

Helping a new computer user

Taking things one step at a time with someone learning to use a computer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-11-10

Are we any different off the air?

A little studio banter about being goofy with the microphones on or off.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2014-02-01

Childhood neighborhood memories

Old neighborhood personalities, childhood adventures and boxing matches.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-05-04

Frustration with politics

An exchange about political frustration and wanting to get on with life.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2015-01-31

Remembering the Commodore 64

Looking back at a much-loved computer and the appeal of retro computing.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2010-09-04

Steve finds the missing detail

Dr. Dave is working through a flash drive that appears on other computers when Evil Steve recognizes a U3 behavior from his own experience. The caller confirms the detail, and Dr. Dave immediately says it is the key and thanks his brother for solving what he had missed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-13

A “PhD in making things work”

Dr. Dave admits that his urge to try everything sometimes leaves him in a technical rat's nest for an entire day. Because he experiments on machines he does not depend upon, the mistake becomes on-the-job training: when a caller or client later does the same thing, he recognizes it, knows the work required and jokingly calls that experience his “PhD in making things work.”

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-10-19

Know the responsibility before helping

Dr. Dave warns that helping a friend or neighbor with a difficult computer problem means deciding in advance how deeply to get involved and who will be responsible if a well-meant repair fails.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-02-19

Protect what cannot be replaced

Laura's planned Windows update becomes a layered backup lesson: applications can be reinstalled, but documents and family photographs cannot. Dr. Dave keeps asking questions, discovers her hardware and experience level and changes his recommendation rather than forcing a standard procedure.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-15

Use the computer, but do not let it run your life

Listener Will, a farrier, writes that a new computer finally made the Internet useful for his business. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve admire the balance of using technology as a tool, then warn him not to trade a full working day for another night spent behind the screen.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-08

Callers deserve respect

Dr. Dave calls rude talk-radio screeners a personal pet peeve and says Computer Talk goes to great lengths not to imitate them. Even as Evil Steve supplies the punch line, the policy is clear: every caller deserves respect and the show's screener will be kind when callers treat him kindly too.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-12-01

Family photographs and the limits of the cloud

A father calls back because he is uneasy about storing his young daughter's pictures online. Dr. Dave validates the concern, explains that privacy controls and companies can fail, and urges people to keep local copies and move their archives forward as formats change.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-05-23

A smartphone became a nervous habit

At Dr. Dave's son Nick's homecoming football game, Dr. Dave realizes he is pulling out his smartphone for no real reason, almost like biting his nails. Evil Steve notices the same reflex among students in the cheering section, turning a small family-night observation into a candid early portrait of habitual phone use.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-09-29

Electronic voting and paper records

A caller and Dr. Dave discuss voting safeguards, with the conversation’s qualifications intact.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2004-07-17

Even Dave once clicked the phishing link

After a listener helps explain an unfamiliar credit-card verification screen, Dr. Dave returns to the uncertainty that criminals exploit. He then makes the lesson personal: while distracted, he once clicked an email link that looked right, recognized the mistake immediately and had to change his account credentials. Expertise reduced the damage but did not make him immune to a human lapse.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-11

How computers became Dave's calling

When Evil Steve asks how computers captured him three decades earlier, Dr. Dave says plainly that he needed a job and began selling them. His inability to stop asking why initially drove his trainers berserk, but within two or three years those same people were calling him for help—a compact story of the curiosity and persistence that shaped his career.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-05-25

What am I really seeing?

A printer problem sends Dr. Dave down several wrong paths before he spots a cable connected to the wrong box. Evil Steve admits making the connection, and the repair becomes a lesson in questioning the obvious explanation.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-04-14

Data, information, knowledge and wisdom

Dr. Dave asks whether constant devices and social networking replace real relationships or simply create busyness. He reaches for an old consulting principle: data is not information, information is not knowledge and knowledge is not wisdom, a distinction that captures the show's concern with what technology actually produces in a life.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-09-29

Where is the sweet spot?

After helping a caller investigate an apparent infection, Dr. Dave says his work often places him between people who neglect obvious risks and people too frightened to plug in their computers. He wonders aloud how to communicate well enough to protect both groups without creating more fear.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-08-06

Darlene's first computer

Darlene says she has never sat at a computer but listens every week and hopes a mail-order laptop will let her contact her brother from a remote home. Dr. Dave separates the inflated offer from the machine's real value, learns that connectivity is the harder problem and apologizes that he cannot give her an easier solution.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-06-27

DJ Fresh and Pops call together

Regular caller Mark brings his father on the air, and their joking about thrift and how Mark learned computers becomes a collaborative lesson about finding an unseen drive.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-04-24

If you do not know what it is, do not remove it

Dr. Dave warns a caller not to launch an aggressive cleanup merely because an error mentions the registry, then remembers a friend asking to uninstall a program he could not identify. His response is simple: first learn what it is, because impulsively moving in any direction during trouble can compound the original problem.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-02-02

Imperfect and on time beats perfect and absent

After a caller's document loses its formatting, Dr. Dave remembers deadlines when he abandoned presentation quality, copied the text into Notepad and printed something usable so business could continue. Evil Steve turns the practical lesson into a joke about their mother having taught Dr. Dave to use Notepad all along.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-06-09

The caller who followed through

James calls to thank Dr. Dave after a problem that had prevented reliable Internet use for almost a year finally clears. Dr. Dave returns the credit, explaining that people often ask for advice without following it because a simple sounding answer seems too easy, and congratulates James for staying with the plan instead of abandoning his computer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-05-27

A popup does not control you

Evil Steve's uncertainty about a security prompt leads Dr. Dave to say nothing is an emergency: breathe, read and remember that neither a screen nor a ringing phone controls the choice to respond. Their mistaken show button becomes the perfect comic payoff.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-13

Control technology before it controls you

Dr. Dave says constant communication can prevent the focused state needed for creative work and describes limiting connectivity during his family vacation. His choice is simple: control technology so it adds something positive to life, or allow the technology to control the person using it.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-23

Early to test, late to buy

As 4K televisions begin to push down the price of ordinary HD sets, Dr. Dave sums up a personal rule: he is an early adopter when testing technology, but a late adopter when spending his own money because price matters. It is a short, practical glimpse of the judgment behind his recommendations.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-02-14

Focus on friends, family and clients

Dr. Dave says that attention and energy are finite, so he wants to direct them toward himself, his friends, family and clients rather than every detail of the wider world. He and Evil Steve then consider how social media can encourage oversharing and dissolve the ordinary judgment people use about whom they trust with different parts of their lives.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-06-23

Get into the trenches and do the work

Dr. Dave says that much of what looks like unusual technical knowledge comes from ordinary experience multiplied by willingness: do what other people do not do, get into the trenches, get dirty and learn from the details. He does not demand that every listener become a tinkerer, but he insists that nobody can safely sleepwalk through the technology they use.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-20

If you don’t know, say “I don’t know”

A young phone-store employee surprises Dr. Dave with an informed, enjoyable conversation about Android and Linux. The experience lets Dr. Dave distinguish ignorance from pretense: he has no problem with someone who does not know an answer and gives full credit to the person who simply admits it, but reacts strongly when someone tries to bluff him.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-12-21

Julie thanks Dave for helping from the beginning

Near the end of the year, longtime listener Julie calls simply to thank Dr. Dave for helping her with computers from the beginning. Dr. Dave receives the appreciation warmly, remembers her machines and thanks her in return for listening so long.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-12-16

Learn what to ignore

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember being overwhelmed by a radio mixer until they learned which controls mattered. Knowing what to ignore, they explain, can be just as useful as knowing what to do.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-06-08

Money, time and children

An anonymous office worker tells Dr. Dave that technology has left her family feeling out of control in three central areas: budget, time and children. He argues that the real issue is no longer only bits and bytes but how tools affect family life, emotions, play, judgment and the ability to handle other people in the real world.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-11-24

Protection cannot protect you from you

Dr. Dave admits that his own family computer became one of the hardest infections he had faced in years and forced him beyond his standard routines. His conclusion is that protection cannot save a user who authorizes the wrong download, especially when malicious software is designed to look legitimate.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-07-25

Remembering the value of familiar work

A respected friend reminds Dr. Dave that skill can become invisible to the person who has practiced it for years, whether the work is driving a truck, repairing a refrigerator or fixing a computer; Dr. Dave connects that gratitude to an apology for withdrawing during the previous difficult show.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-12-11

Technology, politics, business and people

Previewing the antitrust guest, Dr. Dave explains why the subject particularly motivates him: he is excited by technology, politics, business and people, and comes alive when one topic brings all four together. Evil Steve's repeated teasing about the word excited keeps the reflection rooted in the brothers' on-air rhythm.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-09-29

The drive that passed every test and failed

Dr. Dave tells how a new server drive displayed one strange warning, passed every manufacturer and independent diagnostic, yet repeatedly corrupted its partition. He refuses to lie to support, tests it in an entirely different computer and finally gets it replaced, reminding listeners that experts encounter maddening failures too.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-05

The intellectual fight

An old DOS memory question leads Dr. Dave to remember teaching Quarterdeck classes and to explain that his knowledge came from spending the time other people would not, even when not knowing was personally painful.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-10

What the show meant to Scott

A listener thanks the brothers for their honesty, humor and useful advice. He tells how the show helped his sailor son and shipmates with their computers, and says listening matters far more than winning a giveaway.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-09-06

When technology costs time, money and relationships

Dr. Dave remembers an unexpectedly deep conversation with a mother at a client's office who felt that phones, games, computers and Internet service were consuming her family's money, time and relationships. He adds an important professional caution: years of consulting can reveal patterns without making those difficult cases representative of everyone.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-09-29

Withdrawing a recommendation on air

After further testing and a damaging firsthand result, Dr. Dave urgently reverses his earlier favorable impression of a rollback tool, while Evil Steve turns the product’s name into an elaborate time-travel joke.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-04-24

A listener asks the question Dave forgot

Len challenges Symantec’s price increase after the guest has left. Dr. Dave declines to speak for the guest, explains the market logic, admits he forgot to ask about price and tells listeners they can vote with their pocketbooks.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-09

Attitude affects everyone around you

A longtime listener thanks Dr. Dave for his spiritual, patriotic and positive attitude. He and Evil Steve agree that the way a person looks at things changes the world around him, then undercut the earnest point with a joke about Dr. Dave being angry.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-05-12

Computer help that lowered a listener's stress

James tells Dr. Dave that the show has reduced his stress and perhaps improved his longevity, then respectfully criticizes how difficult the website's recommended free downloads can be to locate. Dr. Dave explains the tradeoff, acknowledges the criticism as valid and promises to try to improve the links while respecting developers who give useful software away.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-05-05

Fixing things in a disposable age

A failing three-year-old television prompts Dr. Dave to describe how much he likes learning to repair things and how much a disposable mentality bothers him, while still admitting that cost, obsolescence and available improvements sometimes make replacement the realistic answer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-21

I would be a millionaire if I charged for every answer

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve imagine helping a frightened caller when Dr. Dave remembers an email suggesting he charge one hundred dollars every time he answers a question for free. Their response, that he would be a millionaire but cannot do that, is a funny glimpse of how naturally he gave people his time and expertise.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-02-22

Keep your head when the problem makes no sense

After an experienced caller describes a baffling hardware problem, Dr. Dave reflects on twenty-five years of similarly maddening cases. Even a seasoned professional can feel overwhelmed when a failure seems arbitrary, but detachment matters: just as panic would not help a surgeon, losing one's head does not help solve a computer problem.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-12-15

Steve's eye for white space

A caller planning a presentation prompts Dr. Dave to say the purpose comes first, to warn against overdesign and to credit Evil Steve's commercial-art background for teaching him the value of white space and silence.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-15

The vengeance factor is often a waste of time

After joking about a vague caller who asks whether a sender can be traced, Dr. Dave considers listeners determined to hunt down spammers. The effort may work, but he applies an 80–20 judgment: spend energy on controlling the incoming problem and moving forward, because the desire for vengeance can consume more time than the result is worth.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-04

Dave calls the races at Tucson Raceway Park

Dr. Dave is openly thrilled to join his friend DJ John in the booth, imagines himself as the color commentator and invites listeners to share the evening. The exchange shows his love of broadcasting beyond the computer show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-11-22

Dave sent the wrong link

Dr. Dave admits that one missing zero in a scanner model led him to send a friend the wrong purchase link. He apologizes without excuses, and the retailer's nearly immediate callback and painless return turn his mistake into a lesson about excellent service.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-01

Everything revolves around the Saturday show

After correcting the Halloween date, Dr. Dave says his life revolves around the Saturday broadcast and that he knows the rest of the week by its distance from the show. He and Evil Steve remember once having to push through high water to get there and tell listeners that the effort reflects how much they care about the program and its audience.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-10-29

Forty-five Hungry Man dinners

The novelty of ordering food by computer becomes a family conversation when Dr. Dave says their mother already has groceries delivered and reports that the produce arrives unbruised. Evil Steve imagines his own six-month order as 45 frozen turkey dinners, liters of Pepsi, pizzas, milk and boxes of Cap'n Crunch, with no fresh produce necessary.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-01-19

Halo 3 and the entertainment-addicted society

The enormous Halo 3 release prompts Dr. Dave to praise the game while worrying about students skipping school and adults abandoning work to play it. Evil Steve remembers losing days to Nintendo with his friend Randy, and the brothers arrive at a simple distinction: children need parents to say stop, while adults must learn to say it to themselves.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-09-29

Julie's photograph is personal

After a short browser answer, Julie says the photograph she is sending will be larger than planned. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve tell her that a personal gift like that means a great deal and sincerely thank her for the trouble she is taking.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-03-03

Keep important things local too

A discussion of cloud services leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to distinguish privacy from availability and explain why family pictures and passwords should not depend on one remote provider.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-19

Make fun of yourself first

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve imagine Microsoft embracing its own “dark side” reputation by putting Bill Gates into a Darth Vader parody. Beneath the joke is a practiced lesson: when people already know what can be mocked about you, make the joke first and take the wind out of the attack.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-09-13

Put down the devices and live in reality

A commercial about an overconnected father leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to urge listeners to set aside phones, beepers and BlackBerrys and spend real time outside with their children. They extend the point into a playful declaration that reality is the ultimate three-dimensional game, complete with genuine feedback and consequences.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-05-26

Seasonal toppings for the Computer Talk pizza

The arrival music announces the official Computer Talk pizza, and Dr. Dave and Evil Steve thank the local restaurant that knows their order without being told. They extend the bit by claiming the show has separate summer, fall, Christmas, New Year and spring topping schedules.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-10-15

Take several steps back

A car appears to have half a tank but will not start as Evil Steve helps their friend Randy complete a purchase. One added gallon reveals the gauge is wrong. Dr. Dave answers with an RV whose desperate owner replaced major parts yet overlooked the same basic problem, showing how stress narrows thinking and why a consultant should step back before attempting intensive, expensive work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-04-14

Technology cannot substitute for being there

A discussion of divided attention grows into one of Dr. Dave’s clearest statements about balancing high tech with high touch. He says checking email constantly is not a vacation and argues that a camera phone, email or any other useful tool cannot replace family time, friendship, social contact or being physically present.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-02

They're just Steve or Dave

A friend thoroughly researches a printer without ever asking Dr. Dave, then makes the right choice. Dr. Dave finds it funny and recognizably human that expertise can disappear from view when the expert is simply a friend or relative, while also appreciating that doing the research yourself can be satisfying.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-05-12

Twenty-five light-years was not outside the galaxy

After confidently arguing that decades of Computer Talk broadcasts must already have left the Milky Way, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve finally study the numbers supplied by listener Robert. The galaxy is vastly larger than their intuition allowed, and the brothers turn the correction into an affectionate on-air argument about scale, the Orion Arm and just how little twenty-five light-years really is.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2015-04-11

Walking up and talking is my Facebook

As MySpace and Facebook try to reach people over thirty, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve wonder whether adults simply grow out of social-networking sites. Evil Steve says his Facebook is walking up and talking to someone face to face, then lists email, phones, get-togethers and family occasions before Dr. Dave reveals that he does, of course, have a MySpace page.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-12-08

Why we built CelebrityHypocrites.com

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember creating CelebrityHypocrites.com after September 11 and the Afghanistan and Iraq debates gave them a need for a political outlet beyond the computer show. Dr. Dave says the hostile responses expose a contradiction in people who praise tolerance and diversity but reject anyone whose ideas differ from theirs.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2005-06-25

A repair becomes a boxing match

An email about a browser hijacker leads Dr. Dave to remember a stubborn client repair that failed again only hours after appearing fixed. Discovering a suspicious blank startup entry finally solved it, but the lasting story is his refusal to let the machine outsmart him and his description of difficult troubleshooting as a personal boxing match.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-04

Friends helping friends can strain a friendship

When a caller’s friend damages a Windows installation, Dr. Dave jokes that the only friends one should help are those one does not want to keep. He then explains the real problem: even a capable helper can be blamed when an unrelated failure occurs, placing the relationship under pressure.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-04-29

From DOS demonstrations to a national show

A longtime listener remembers visiting Dr. Dave's Tucson office for a DOS software demonstration. Their shared history reaches back well before Computer Talk became a national show.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-04-21

Listening is a powerful tool

A listener suggests a cause for a network problem, and Dr. Dave readily admits he may be right. Evil Steve praises that willingness to listen, prompting his brother to explain how much he learns from other people.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-04-28

Remembering Mr. Wizard

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember Don Herbert, known as Mr. Wizard, after his death. They praise his low-key ability to make science understandable and interesting for children and adults, recall growing up with his programs and send condolences to his family and fellow fans.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-06-16

The other Dave Mason and DaveMason.com

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember years of forceful messages from musician Dave Mason, including a purported demand that the broadcaster stop using his own name. Dr. Dave's answer captured both his humor and fairness: if the musician wanted DaveMason.com, he could make an offer and begin an equitable negotiation.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-05-09

Waking up to reality is uncomfortable

Dr. Dave says confronting reality is unpleasant even when the result is useful; Evil Steve immediately turns the phrase into a joke about discovering Dr. Dave was his older brother before they agree that change itself is not automatically good.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-11-06

Why he is called Evil Steve

A caller asks where the nickname came from. Dr. Dave explains affectionately that his little brother earned it the way any younger sibling might.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-05-17

A caller adds a better Windows answer

Caller Jeff follows up on a prior hard-drive answer with the option of creating a Windows XP installation disc that already includes Service Pack 2. Dr. Dave recognizes the solution immediately, explains it clearly and thanks the listener for improving the show’s answer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-05

A listener calls back to say it worked

Mad Max reports that Philip called back after the prior show to say Dr. Dave’s advice worked and that he loves the program. Dr. Dave jokes about his own certainty but says the positive follow-up is welcome because people usually call only when something is wrong.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-03-19

A listener corrects Dave

Caller Victor points out an important step Dr. Dave omitted when discussing a hijacked email account. Dr. Dave immediately says the caller is absolutely right, admits that he dropped the ball and then clarifies when contacting the provider is useful.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-02-05

An on-air brain fade

Unable to recall the converter he wants to give caller John, Dr. Dave says so plainly, promises to look it up and laughs with Evil Steve about a light bulb burning out over his head.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-06-19

Back away from the display

Dr. Dave openly questions why his approach to the show feels more critical than it once did. The first years were spent urging people to stop resisting technology; by 2012, rapid change and his own daily experience sometimes led him to tell himself and listeners to back away from the display.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-11-24

Big John and the work you are made for

The show’s original nationwide producer calls from a law-enforcement career. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve thank him for his service, while Dr. Dave remembers the danger of traffic duty and John says both men are hardwired for the work they do.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-11-15

Choose guests who make a difference

Dr. Dave explains his on-air standard for guests: he should genuinely like what they offer, and the subject should make a practical difference when listeners use technology in daily life. It is a concise statement of how he tried to make Computer Talk useful rather than merely promotional.

Consulting Philosophy · Air date unknown

Do not turn a small problem into a catastrophe

A caller needs family photographs from a computer that no longer boots. Dr. Dave refuses to assume the worst, recommends qualified help and warns that inexperienced repair attempts can turn a small corruption problem into a major data-recovery failure without the user realizing it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-18

Even Dave has to stop and check

A caller’s use of David sparks family-name banter, then Dr. Dave admits his on-screen directions are not working and checks them during the break. The follow-up shows fallibility and persistence rather than a falsely effortless repair.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-06-12

Good judgment grows from bad judgment

Dr. Dave repeats the idea that good judgment grows from experience and experience often grows from bad judgment. Most of what he knows, he says, came from trying something the wrong way, discovering that it failed and then using the lesson to help listeners avoid the same struggle.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-09-10

Help people through the Salvation Army

Evil Steve asks listeners to use the long-standing DaveMason.com link to support people who need food, clothing and warmth, and Dr. Dave joins the appeal. It documents why the charity remained prominent on the original site.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-22

Helping clients move from unaware to afraid and back again

A difficult infection leaves capable clients so frightened that they plan to keep sensitive work on a disconnected computer. Dr. Dave respects their choice while trying to restore a practical sense of risk rather than promise perfect safety.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-13

Providers must help ordinary customers stay secure

A router warning leads Dr. Dave to recall spending months in the late 1990s pressing Sprint over broadband wireless security. His principle is that a provider cannot simply blame customers who were never equipped to act as system administrators; it must protect them or teach them.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-06

Technical support as an adult timeout

Dr. Dave warns that frustrated remarks made while waiting for technical support may be recorded, then admits that the long hold often gives him enough time to think through the problem and find the answer himself. Evil Steve calls the wait an adult timeout designed to calm callers and reduce support costs.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-01-15

The paperclip in Dave's briefcase

A sounder boasts that Dr. Dave can repair a computer with a hairpin and duct tape, and Evil Steve says he has actually watched him do it. Dr. Dave explains that he always keeps a paperclip in his briefcase because it can reset hardware, open a stuck optical drive or bridge a jumper.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-11-10

The secret to life is learning what to ignore

New studio meters prompt Dr. Dave to turn a technical adjustment into a compact life lesson, followed immediately by advice not to ignore one’s wife and to ignore an evil brother.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-10-03

The shattered 1927 RCA radio

An old-radio caller prompts Dr. Dave to identify fountain pens and radios as his two collecting interests and remember rebuilding a 1927 RCA tombstone radio that had literally been shattered, simply to learn whether it could be done.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-07-11

Users are human, not stupid

Dr. Dave rejects the technical habit of blaming users, explains the functional tradeoff that makes perfect protection impossible and admits that even he makes simple mistakes.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-20

White space is as important as text

A published lesson about Jobs’s attention to design turns into Evil Steve’s own explanation of why the last flourish can make work exceptional—or why the right extra step may be removing something. Dr. Dave says one lesson he learned from Evil Steve was that white space can matter as much as the text.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-10-08

Why Dave started the Tech Blog and Truth Blog

Dr. Dave explains filtering information into what matters to users, recording discoveries while fresh and giving political opinions a separate home. Product examples support this purpose rather than forming a shopping clip.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-04-10

Why the real effect looks real

Evil Steve explains that a trained designer can name the highlights, shadows and reflections that make chrome convincing, while an untrained viewer can still tell when an effect feels authentic. Dr. Dave turns it into a concise observation about expertise and perception.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-05-23

Why the show would not book another rehearsed pitch

Asked why the underground version of the show has few guests, Dr. Dave says he follows his instinct: most pitches claim to be revolutionary but arrive so polished and clichéd that they offer listeners no real value.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-08-14

A sale is not automatically a bargain

Evil Steve watches bidders pay more than a readily available retail price, and the brothers explain how auction excitement and sophisticated liquidation pricing can make a supposed deal more expensive rather than less.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-17

A subscription that destroys goodwill

Evil Steve’s unnoticed flower-order subscription becomes a sharp discussion of fine print, short-term revenue and the lasting “badwill” created when a customer feels tricked.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-05-08

A yellow legal pad and a seventy year old fountain pen

A listener says a pencil and paper used properly beats a computer used improperly. Dr. Dave agrees and describes carrying sophisticated equipment while relying throughout the day on a yellow legal pad and a seventy year old fountain pen, because the right decision may be an expensive system or a calendar on the wall depending on the person and organization.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-06-17

An upgrade can fix one problem and create another

A listener’s BIOS question becomes a practical consulting story about separating a client’s server and Internet connection, only to encounter a firmware bug in the new router.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-09-18

Cars since they were kids

A used-car question leads Dr. Dave to say that he and Evil Steve have worked on cars since childhood, praise Evil Steve's complete Mazda RX-3 restoration and explain how a vehicle-owner community helped the family replace an expensive Mazda MPV hose with an equivalent inexpensive part.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-07-18

Competitive with inanimate objects

Dr. Dave admits that he may be more competitive with an inanimate computer than with another person. When software will not work or components conflict, he becomes a bulldog who refuses to let the problem defeat him until he can help someone make the system work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-08-27

Constant hard cases made Dave confident

Because difficult infections reach him constantly, Dr. Dave says he becomes good almost involuntarily—practice forced by the work itself. When a client asks whether he can fix a machine, his private reaction is comically absolute: if he cannot fix it, it cannot be fixed, though he immediately admits that the time and final method remain unknown.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-11

Every upgrade takes another trip

Technical compatibility details turn into a highly relatable brotherly conversation about planning for extra trips and accepting that projects are difficult.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-07-24

Everything is hard

At the end of a frustrating support story, Dr. Dave offers a rule he says he coined years earlier: everything is hard. Expecting difficulty may sound pessimistic, but he and Evil Steve laugh that it can make setbacks easier to bear because at least a person is not surprised.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-15

Expertise through every possible problem

Dr. Dave describes a printer problem that rebooted his own computer and the unexpectedly simple combination of causes he eventually found. He uses the story to puncture the myth that experts avoid problems, saying expertise comes from experiencing and solving them repeatedly.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-17

Humor keeps you sane during technical support

Dr. Dave describes the anger that can build when customer support feels like deliberate taunting, then says maintaining a sense of humor is critical to his own sanity. He also recognizes that humor meant to break the tension can be misunderstood by the person on the other end.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-03-18

Just do the next right thing

Dr. Dave warns that frustration and haste lead people to flail at technical problems, then recommends waiting until they can work calmly and methodically. He admits that converging office problems had left him ready to quit, but says eventually one can chuckle, do the next right thing and find a way out, even when Dr. Dave's own computers and plumbing fail.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-05-05

Make the main thing work first

As phones absorb cameras, music and other features, Dr. Dave asks manufacturers to make the central function work well before adding everything else. His practical complaint that he often asks callers to move to a landline turns the broader design principle into a memorable joke.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-14

Make time to do it right the first time

Dr. Dave describes his mind racing while he reads, researches and handles many things at once until he locks up. Evil Steve compares it to being too busy to stop for gas, and the brothers arrive at a lasting question: if there is no time to do it correctly the first time, where will the time come from to do it again?

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-05

New problems keep the work interesting

Dr. Dave says a short attention span makes repetition difficult, but technology keeps him engaged because a new problem appears just when he thinks he knows all the answers. The reflection turns comic when a stuck computer case latch defeats the experienced technician and leaves his thumb aching.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-06-03

One listener brings an answer to another

When Dr. Dave cannot explain why Dean's computer will not create recovery media, Betty joins the call with a path she discovered during her own earlier problem: contact the manufacturer's executive office, persist and pass the resulting support information forward. The show briefly becomes a live exchange in which one listener helps another and Dr. Dave acts as the connector.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-04

One thousand calls and a few people treated well

A broken security update brings what Dr. Dave estimates were a thousand calls by midweek. He feels guilty rushing people, jokes that perhaps he should treat ten people well and rush only the other 990, then admits that early research and confirmation made him look more expert than he felt.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-07-12

Police officers have to eat too

Dr. Dave remembers being about six years old at an A&W in Tucson and being astonished to see two police officers eating. He and Evil Steve laugh at the childhood logic, then Dr. Dave connects it to the adult habit of treating authority, education or financial success as evidence that someone is somehow beyond ordinary human weakness.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-11-17

Step back before the solutions become esoteric

A relentless friend's unprecedented laptop problem gives Dr. Dave a clear troubleshooting lesson: when attempted solutions become increasingly exotic and feel like flailing, stop and ask which basic fact or assumption may have been missed. He also explains that years of hands-on work create an intuitive sense for a machine that is difficult to reproduce remotely.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-01-05

Technology should not run our lives

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve say society has begun chasing technology until computers, phones and email appear to run people rather than serve them. Their Palm Pilot and political jokes keep the warning light while capturing a concern that remained central to Dr. Dave’s technology philosophy.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-02-12

The bulldog way of learning

After Ruth praises his knowledge, Dr. Dave says the work is not simply brilliance but blood, sweat, tears and raw determination. He sometimes refuses to let a machine win because finding answers other people do not know requires doing work other people will not do; his joking conclusion is that his personality is uniquely suited to the insanity of the business.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-10

The client who became a friend

Dr. Dave describes a client who had become a friend and wanted to discard a four-year-old computer because DVDs stuttered. Dr. Dave asks permission to look, starts with the basics and has it working within minutes, turning an ordinary repair into a clear example of the relationships and restraint behind his consulting.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-01

The computer that was not going to win

A badly infected Windows 98 computer tests Dr. Dave's determination. He saves the important data without the expensive recovery others recommended and reflects on fair pricing and why he loves the work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-31

The fighter pilot who kept challenging his brain

Dr. Dave admires a retired fighter pilot and IBM executive who deliberately switches everyday tasks between hands and occasionally walks backward to keep challenging his brain. The brothers are impressed, amused and a little wary of trying the same exercises themselves.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-05-09

The lightning-damaged network and taking a breath

Dr. Dave tells the complete story of restoring an office network after a lightning strike, including the overlooked telephone failure, help from an employee and his rule that even experts sometimes need to stop, relax and look again.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-08-21

The price of a little panic

Dr. Dave protects a friend's identity while recounting how the friend lost a legitimate software key, ignored an employee's warning and demanded a shortcut from an unsafe site. The download nearly destroyed the laptop, giving Dr. Dave a concrete story about how urgency and desperation can turn a solvable problem into a much worse one.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-10

The workaholic intervention

Dr. Dave admits that exhaustion nearly made him cancel the afternoon repair event, but says it is too important and too much fun. Evil Steve imagines an intervention while Dr. Dave begs to finish just one more computer, reboot and defragmentation.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-08-15

Time is what life consists of

Once the bills are paid, Professor Bruce says that ten-hour days make time with family the more precious commodity, and Dr. Dave answers that time is ultimately the single component from which life is made.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-04-09

A caller who picked up where they left off

Caller Alan says he misses Dr. Dave and Evil Steve, and they immediately tell him they miss him too. The years disappear as they remember running into one another around Tucson and the old Test and Tune gatherings, then begin planning another visit around the most important ingredient: pizza.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2014-02-15

A no good computer for good kids

Pete wants to revive an older laptop so he can pass it to one of his children, and Dr. Dave offers several low-cost checks before suggesting a paid repair. Their joking description of a no good computer for no good kids ends with Dr. Dave calling the father a sweet and unusually honest man.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-25

Balancing high tech with high touch

Brotherly teasing about Dr. Dave’s new fountain-pen interest becomes a personal reflection on why someone immersed in technology may also crave old, simple and tangible things.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-08-21

Calm, assertive troubleshooting

After giving Ruth an uncertain first step rather than pretending certainty, Dr. Dave says the worst response to a serious problem is doing anything simply because action feels urgent; if calm is gone, step away and return ready to troubleshoot deliberately.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-14

Careful help for Marianne

Marianne explains that chemotherapy affected her thinking and that a donated computer has helped her focus. Dr. Dave acknowledges that troubleshooting can challenge him even after twenty years, refuses to bury her in risky instructions and guides her toward the person and Internet provider most likely to help efficiently.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-26

DJ Fresh sings “Hail to the Redskins”

Cowboys fan DJ Fresh calls from the road to honor his wager, reluctantly sings along with Washington’s fight song and accepts the brothers’ teasing before they thank him for being a good sport.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-09-18

Do you believe everything you read?

Dr. Dave remembers a childhood friend's father as a towering, gruff man surrounded by Great Danes who constantly asked whether the boys believed everything they read. Dr. Dave once heard only negativity; decades later he understands that advertising changes its packaging and distribution, but human persuasion does not. If something must never be seen, his conclusion is simple: do not put it online.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-04-04

Free is only worthwhile when it is good

A caller's PDF problem leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve into the show's familiar free-software theme. Dr. Dave makes the standard explicit: price alone means nothing, and he would not tell a listener to install junk even if the company paid them to do it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-04-26

Getting the cameras ready for Thanksgiving

A caller’s irreplaceable low-resolution photograph prompts Dr. Dave to remember preparing cameras for Thanksgiving with children, grandchildren and extended family. Gina reminds him to charge everything because memorable events had been missed when batteries were dead.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-12-04

If I can't screw with it, I don't want it

Dr. Dave recognizes the iPhone's simplicity and quality but explains why he resists choosing what everyone else uses. He values alternatives that meet his needs while allowing more flexibility, summarizing the instinct with a “Tim Allen syndrome”: if he cannot tinker with it, he does not want it.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-05-05

Learning through sheer grit

Immediately after praising an expert who knows his limits, Dr. Dave admits that he often starts without knowing enough and becomes capable through persistence, remembering an early carburetion theory others rejected.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-03

Listeners celebrate fifteen years of Computer Talk

Two contest letters celebrate the show’s fifteenth year in very different styles. One listener says Dr. Dave and Evil Steve give him something to share with his computer students every week, while another sends a compact rhyming tribute that the brothers immediately want to use as a show jingle.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-07-15

Most people will be honest

Dr. Dave explains why he legitimately moved a Windows license after finding the original recovery discs for his laptop. The telephone activation took only a few minutes and ultimately depended on his honest answer, leading Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to agree that most people will tell the truth even though a minority will lie unnecessarily.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-05-19

Old hat to me may be new to you

Dr. Dave explains why he repeats useful lessons on the show: not everyone hears every segment, familiar information is easily forgotten and something routine to an expert may still be new to the listener.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-03-19

Perspective when the show goes wrong

A failed backup-power battery and the usual studio problems lead Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to a simple distinction: trouble happens to everyone, and what matters is the perspective and response brought to the adverse situation.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-07-16

Rachel brings the MDA to the website

Dr. Dave calls the MDA fundraiser a historic Website of the Week because the feature had never before been used this way. He and Evil Steve praise their niece Rachel for recruiting him, joke about the fundraising lockup and repeatedly direct the audience toward helping the children rather than merely keeping Dr. Dave out of jail.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-07-21

Real solutions from real people and computers

After offering Ben follow-up help and refusing to diagnose beyond what he can know without handling the machine, Dr. Dave says the small tricks of his profession are not taught in classes but learned daily with real people and real computers.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-05-02

Saying “I may be wrong” on the air

When a listener asks whether to stop updating security tools, Dr. Dave distinguishes his suspicion from a confirmed fact, refuses to overstate the evidence, and promises to follow up.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-09-25

Science is exciting when it admits uncertainty

A report about changing sunlight measurements reminds Dr. Dave of attending a university presentation with one of his sons. He found it exciting that the researchers openly described what they did not know and how quickly their understanding could change, then draws a personal lesson about common sense, enjoying life and doing good to others.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-07

Security maintenance without the rage

Dr. Dave worries that repeating security warnings can make listeners tune them out, then compares the work to putting gas in a car or changing its oil. His own decision to stop raging at unreliable cellular service becomes a lesson in doing necessary maintenance calmly instead of letting frustration become a harmful habit.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-11-05

The “Evil Steve and Dave” Christmas song

A listener-made carol celebrates Dr. Dave, Evil Steve, the call-in show and data recovery before the brothers warmly credit Abigail Prochnow and her father and explain that the recording has become an annual Computer Talk Christmas tradition.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2010-12-18

The anniversary of going national

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve mark July 14 as the anniversary of Computer Talk's 2001 national debut and distinguish six national years from sixteen years of the program overall. After joking about keeping the arithmetic simple, they thank an exceptionally loyal audience and say plainly that the show could not exist without its listeners.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-07-14

The show was our weekly therapy session

Faced with the possibility that an affiliate might stop carrying the show, Dr. Dave says he and Evil Steve have to remain themselves and would keep sitting in the studio talking even if nobody else listened. He calls the broadcast a therapy session—something fun that he needs every week—and invites people who disagree to call and explain why.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2012-03-17

Think before you call someone an idiot

Dr. Dave admits that the Internet backbone dispute sounds so foolish that he understands why someone doubted him. Evil Steve objects to dismissing the story without checking, and the brothers land on a simple lesson: think before speaking and verify an unbelievable claim before calling another person an idiot.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-15

Twinkies as an investment

With Hostess production stopping, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve joke that Twinkies may be a better store of value than gold: easy to keep, nearly indestructible and already hidden in family stashes. The escalating comparison captures their improvised on-air chemistry.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-11-17

Use Facebook for what matters

Dr. Dave says Facebook became useful for telling listeners when the show would air, reconnecting with old friends and keeping in touch with family. Evil Steve admires the more rational approach: ignore the parts that waste time and use the service deliberately for what has value.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-05-09

Use the computer; do not fall in love with it

Loyal listener James says he uses his computer but is not in love with it. Dr. Dave immediately calls the distinction brilliant because technology should be a tool rather than something that leads its user around.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-04-07

When a theme becomes part of the show

Evil Steve considers changing his music, but listener feedback reminds the brothers that temporary choices can become beloved identifiers people expect them to preserve.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-01-03

When software you bought stops letting you in

Elizabeth says accounting software she believed she owned stopped allowing her to reach years of family financial records unless she paid to upgrade. Dr. Dave compares software to a purchased book, acknowledges the human stakes of records for her household and disabled son, and argues that forced upgrades substitute vendor control for earning a customer through a better product.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-06-09

“I just like knowing stuff”

Dr. Dave explains a motive reaching beyond computers and cars: he wants enough evidence to know, not to rely on another person blindly or take wild guesses.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-10-02

A new computer cannot fix the Internet

Dr. Dave tells how a client asked him to diagnose delayed email, heard that the temporary fault was outside the computer and bought a new machine anyway. He jokes that the client wanted an excuse to shop, then states the practical lesson that a new computer cannot fix an Internet problem when the computer is not the cause.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-12-31

A website is never finished

Dr. Dave admits he keeps adding to a body of website material instead of releasing it. Evil Steve proposes publishing useful portions now, and they work through how to share advanced tools while warning users honestly about risk and limits.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-03

Ask whether the fix risks the data

After a support intervention resets a client’s user account and apparently hides years of customization and mail, Dr. Dave explains how to ask about risk without attacking the technician or breaking trust.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-04-10

AT&T cannot find its own customer

Dr. Dave recounts having working local, long-distance, toll-free and voicemail services while AT&T, the company receiving his payments, says it cannot find his account. His hours trying to reach a human become a vivid example of automated support costing customers their time.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-02-12

Balancing high tech with high touch

When a security fix becomes another source of frustration, Dr. Dave describes the need to balance expanding technology with physical, warm and analog parts of life. He connects the idea to antiques, old cars, fountain pens and other hands-on interests.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-15

Buy portability for the time you carry it

While discussing a laptop, Dr. Dave points out that his own computer may spend six or seven hours of an eight hour day inside a briefcase and only one hour in use. Weight and size therefore matter during the hours a portable device is carried, not only when its screen and performance are being enjoyed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-22

Chaos with a clue

Remembering the preceding show's technical scramble, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve identify the difference experience made: the situation was still chaotic, but this time the crew knew what was happening and had concrete recovery steps.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-21

Confirm even the simple things online

Dr. Dave recounts how a top search result told both him and Dr. Dave's son LT that every answer on a color-vision test was wrong. They checked another site, discovered their answers were sound and turned the experience into a memorable warning that even simple online claims deserve confirmation.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-05-19

Digital culture can disappear

Dr. Dave asks whether a framed photograph of one's grandparents or its digital file is more likely to survive, remembers his own vanished eight-inch floppy media and explains how rapid changes in formats, programs and storage can strand email, records and culture unless people actively migrate and back them up.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-01

Experience, not brilliance

Dr. Dave says broken software costs him the same sleep, time, money and productivity it costs listeners, although years of work may help him recover sooner. He credits much of what he knows to repeated experience rather than brilliance.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-08-20

Finishing El Tour without getting off the bike

A current Tucson bicycle race makes Dr. Dave remember riding an unusually long rerouted El Tour. What mattered to him was refusing to get off the bicycle even if he finished last, before Evil Steve supplies the physical-comedy payoff.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-11-22

Focus on family, not the Christmas rush

With only days left before Christmas, Evil Steve reminds Dr. Dave and the audience to focus on what they are doing, resist the hectic shopping pressure and enjoy time with family, close friends and loved ones. Dr. Dave immediately turns the sincere advice into a joke about his own recent shopping trip.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-12-17

From technology evangelist to cautious guide

Dr. Dave looks back on the beginning of his technical career and the radio show, when his job often meant persuading skeptical people that computers could improve their lives. He explains that the spread of technology gradually reversed that role: he increasingly found himself warning enthusiastic users to slow down, reconsider and ask whether a particular use of technology was wise at all.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-05-18

Gadgets can be a hobby

Dr. Dave compares a technology writer’s love of carrying many devices with his own fountain pens, distinguishing the honest pleasure of a hobby from the separate question of whether a tool actually improves productivity.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-01-22

Get into the guts, then get out

After a technical networking explanation, Dr. Dave acknowledges that some listeners may feel overwhelmed but says Computer Talk sometimes has to enter the machinery to make things work. Evil Steve answers that Dr. Dave’s strength is getting into those details and then getting back out before people become lost.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-21

Get what’s best for you. Period.

After challenging the impulse to carry every fashionable device, Dr. Dave rejects both blind adoption and reflexive resistance: the answer is to be honest and choose whichever product actually fits the person.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-19

Give grandchildren time, not just things

Evil Steve recommends Grandparents.com after hearing an advertisement because its ideas bring grandparents and grandchildren together through activities that cost only time.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-15

He attempts to answer the question

Dr. Dave returns after the break having searched the software company's support pages without finding Bruce's answer, considers Evil Steve's hidden-window idea, hopes it helps and laughs when the bumper claims that he “actually answers” questions: this time, he only attempted.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-04-11

He will not outcommit, outwork or outpersist me

A heavily infected tablet fights every repair attempt by rebuilding and defending the malicious software. Dr. Dave imagines an evil creature inside the machine and says it might outsmart him, but it would not outcommit, outwork or outpersist him; after a long fight, he wins.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-29

Help the people who help families in need

A joke about Christmas beginning too early turns serious when Evil Steve says recession-strained charities need food and support. Dr. Dave agrees and points listeners to the Salvation Army link on their website before they return to playful holiday rules.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-08

I am an unusual user

While describing his long-term Linux experiment, Dr. Dave openly admits that he enjoys spending extraordinary amounts of time tinkering just to learn what is possible. He therefore refuses to treat his own tolerance as universal and evaluates the system from the viewpoint of ordinary Windows and Mac users, including how much effort and unfamiliarity they should reasonably be asked to accept.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-05-12

I prepare for the show by living my life

Asked how he prepares for Computer Talk, Dr. Dave gives a wonderfully compact answer: he lives his life. Working with people who have technical problems, solving his own problems and watching what comes next lets him harvest material almost automatically.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-05-23

If it still works, why replace it?

A casual mention of Dr. Dave's old portable Canon printer produces a flood of listener email. Long after the model left stores, he still owns and uses his because its unusual capabilities remain useful; availability and prices are erratic, but his underlying answer is simple: if the tool is not broken, replacement is not automatically progress.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-11

Intelligence requires the ability to change

Before announcing a fundamental change in his own habits, Dr. Dave says intelligence includes the ability to revise a position and that working at the leading edge requires enough nimbleness to try what might work.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-04

Keep your hands dirty where the rubber meets the road

Dr. Dave explains a decision he and Evil Steve made when the show became nationally known: they would continue doing hands-on work with people instead of becoming media personalities who merely repeat press releases. Staying where users struggle to make technology work supplies experience that cannot be replaced and gives the show material listeners will not hear elsewhere.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-02-23

Learning by making mistakes

Dr. Dave explains that he does not know everything and learns because he encounters the same printer trouble and changing technology as everyone else, even after nearly twenty years in the field.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-12-11

Letting other people correct your perception

After years of avoiding anything that felt like an infomercial, Dr. Dave says several people he respects convinced him that his own perception was wrong and that useful services should be explained rather than hidden.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-25

Loyal to performance, not the brand

Evil Steve explains that Dr. Dave’s recommendations follow service and performance rather than brand loyalty, even when praising a Microsoft product feels deeply unnatural to both of them.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-10-02

Make clients independent, not captive

A router comparison leads Dr. Dave to his deeper consulting ethic. Because he resents companies that strong-arm people into loyalty, he tries to make clients as independent and autonomous as possible. Evil Steve says he trusts Dr. Dave because he truly knows what is going on.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-05-09

Pay attention without living for technology

Dr. Dave says protection tools cannot override a user's consent, but vigilance need not make someone an expert or consume a life. The practical standard is simply to pause when something looks wrong and learn more before acting.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-13

Price does not determine quality

A free-software recommendation leads Dr. Dave to reject the assumption that cost proves quality, describe the unusual pleasure of improving people's technology without charging them for a product and explain that his research and past mistakes help listeners avoid their own.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-21

Protect the data before attempting recovery

Two real recovery cases lead Dr. Dave to a durable rule: if you think you know but are not sure, assume you may be wrong before taking an action that can overwrite the only copy. He admits that the accidental external-drive overwrite was an easy mistake he could have made too.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-21

Security advice with less certainty

Dr. Dave says professionalized cybercrime has made him less confident than in earlier years that he can tell listeners how to remain safe, yet behavior still matters; the word “free” becomes his example of how attackers exploit ordinary desire.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-18

SoldierCentric was built around the soldiers

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve introduce SoldierCentric, a project created to give service members a place to tell their stories. They invite military members and veterans to test it and help decide what it should become.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-09-13

Stan thanks Dave for helping the community

Dr. Dave answers a simple photo-editing question without making the caller feel foolish. Stan says he has listened for years and thanks Dr. Dave for doing a great job helping the community.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-04-30

Steve taught Dave that white space is part of the design

Explaining Google's simplicity, Dr. Dave credits Evil Steve's art background with teaching him that unused space is an active part of business communication and can matter even more than the filled space.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-01

Take control of the technology you can control

During a period when markets, politics and news make people feel powerless, Dr. Dave says he can still get up and do his best each day. Computer Talk is built around another controllable part of life: people do not have to be victims of technologists or their devices and can learn to take control of what they use.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-04

The anti-fad guy

Dr. Dave names himself the anti-fad guy in both radio and technology and says long experience taught him to distrust promises that half the products cannot fulfill.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-13

The brand-new memory that wasn’t

A customer returns old computer memory in a new package, and that switched package later reaches Dr. Dave during a client installation. He explains why consulting experience taught him to carry several plausible parts even when the documented specifications appear exact.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-14

The conventional mess

A Bruce Lee documentary reminds Dr. Dave of practicing martial arts with a childhood friend. Lee's thoughts on restrictive conventions lead the brothers into a conversation about personal life, work, politics and technology.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-03-10

The evidence matters more than the brand

Dr. Dave admits that recommending a Microsoft security product still feels strange to him, but he and Evil Steve agree that good consulting requires saying what the evidence supports rather than letting a familiar brand preference decide the answer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-12-18

The printer was fine; the paper was the problem

Dr. Dave remembers clients judging a new printer by a test made on old cheap paper and explains that the machine was functioning correctly even though the result looked poor. Evil Steve follows with a case where a scanned and reprinted image became so sharp that he had to reduce it to match the original.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-11

The productivity paradox

Charles points out a mobile-Internet option Dr. Dave overlooked, and Dr. Dave accepts the correction. He then recalls using a Palm Centro to find a Chinese buffet for his wife and explains the standard behind his “hype-free” recommendations: a tool should help an ordinary person accomplish a real task, not consume so much effort that the promised productivity disappears.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-06-07

The web let Dave try the refrigerator himself

A failing refrigerator sends Dr. Dave to the web, where specialized resources narrow the likely fault to three components. He and Evil Steve explain that they want to attempt unfamiliar work themselves, even if only to learn about the process and confront how much they do not know.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-09-09

Trying to share what might help

Dr. Dave admits that blogging and Twitter require a mental habit he does not naturally have while concentrating on several tasks, but says he wants to share small troubleshooting discoveries from the office or a client visit whenever they may help someone.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-04-25

Use technology more thoughtfully

Dr. Dave says a complete human life has physical, intellectual and spiritual dimensions, and that technology can exact a price when it pushes any of them aside. A virtual view of a child's performance may help when someone cannot attend, but it should not quietly become a substitute for being there; his answer is to use technology more intelligently and thoughtfully.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-11-24

Visual design can get in the way

Using his own short-lived steampunk Linux theme as an example, Dr. Dave explains that a visually impressive interface can quickly become distracting. His high-tech, high-touch standard is not decoration for its own sake: good presentation should help people use the technology rather than get in their way.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-09-29

Wake people up without making them panic

Dr. Dave explains that modern technology brings revolutionary benefits and serious vulnerabilities, then identifies his own communication challenge: make risk real enough for people to act without frightening them away from the internet.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-07-31

Web Retail 2.0 and the return of CompUSA

The brothers examine TigerDirect's attempt to revive CompUSA as an in-store online-ordering experience, compare it with Gateway's failed stores and return to the importance of knowing what one is buying and how the seller treats customers.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-04-18

What the listener hears matters more than what the expert says

Dr. Dave describes the delicate work of warning people without making them paranoid or complacent and concludes that communication succeeds according to what people hear, not simply what he says.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-13

When a routine drive job becomes a recovery

A simple drive upgrade unexpectedly fails, and a customer innocently picks up the running drive. Dr. Dave describes the technician’s panic, the mutual stereotypes between experts and users and his responsibility to absorb the recovery work and make the client whole.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-05-08

Why they called him Dr. Dave

After reading an angry accusation that he is pretending to be a doctor, Dr. Dave explains that clients and listeners gave him the nickname because he helped sick computers, and says disagreement should address facts rather than attack a person.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-11-06

A Redskins fan thanks Dave and Steve

Dr. Dave reads a longtime listener's vivid letter about Redskins games at RFK Stadium. The listener compares Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to Billy Kilmer and Charlie Taylor, thanks them for years of information and entertainment and closes with “Go Skins and God bless America,” prompting delighted teasing from the brothers.

Memorable Moments · Air date unknown

Advice must fit the person and the risk

After giving a caller a practical answer about clearing an old computer, Dr. Dave explains that he must judge both the user’s ability and the actual level of concern. A corporation facing industrial espionage deserves different safeguards from a family passing a computer to a grandson, so the technically strongest procedure is not automatically the right recommendation for everyone.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-12-03

Big John asks if rain affects Wi-Fi

Former show engineer and friend Big John calls to ask whether bad weather can disturb a coffee-shop wireless connection. After a scheduled interview, Dr. Dave returns to the question and explains how rain or a changing environment can tip an already weak signal into failure.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-12-04

Communicate carefully with the people closest to us

After a caller struggles to persuade a friend, Dr. Dave reflects that seemingly small differences in wording can determine whether a message gets through. He says people often become least careful with those closest to them because they assume family and friends will read between the lines, when the opposite may be true.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-05-05

Dave promises to help after the show

Longtime listener Bob describes repeated crashes after a service-pack installation. Dr. Dave asks for the exact error rather than guessing, recognizes that airtime is ending and arranges to call Bob privately so they can work through the difficult problem properly.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-01

Every operating system has pros and cons

Dr. Dave accepts a listener’s criticism that Windows XP did not fully exploit dual-core processors, then weighs Linux flexibility, Mac reliability and Windows compatibility without pretending any platform is perfect. His conclusion is that enthusiasts overlook their own platform’s weaknesses while Computer Talk confronts Windows problems every week.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-10-28

Expect technology to be harder than the package

After a caller discovers that an Internet camera sounds simpler than expected, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve offer a deliberately pessimistic preparation rule: assume everything will be hard so a truly simple result becomes a happy surprise. Dr. Dave adds that real use can expose complications and missing features that a package description never reveals.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-03-25

Helping Mom move

A complete family story about competitive brothers moving their mother, recalling a cable shock and laughing at themselves. Strong personal material rather than product chatter.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-05-01

Honesty before certainty

When Doug asks how to recover a lost Mozilla mail profile, Dr. Dave openly says he has not done it before and does not have a ready answer. He promises to investigate and follow up instead of presenting a guess as expertise.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-14

Keep chugging, keep showing up, keep improving

After a difficult Flowing Wells football loss, Dr. Dave praises the effort, looks ahead to Dr. Dave's son Nick's junior and senior seasons and tells the team to keep chugging, showing up and improving because results will come. It is both a family sports moment and a compact expression of persistence.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-10-13

Life is a series of problems

After the production computer fails, Dr. Dave says that life is a series of problems and that people live better when they learn to deal with them. He and Evil Steve embrace the chaos, turn failure into a feature and keep the show moving.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-08-25

Multiple brains and multiple experiences

A listener offers the real-world power-supply experience Dr. Dave had been unable to find during the breaks. Dr. Dave thanks him and explains that talk radio works because many minds and many experiences can contribute to getting more out of technology, then demonstrates that collaboration by continuing to investigate the specifications rather than pretending the answer is settled.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-06-23

Software needs housecleaning too

Dr. Dave warns that listeners should not install every program he mentions because a useful tool for one person may only consume resources for another. Comparing unused software with household clutter, he recommends periodically deciding what is actually used and removing what no longer provides a real benefit.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-04

Standing down a charging elephant

Dr. Dave has seen the video and retells how his friend and expedition partner approached a bull elephant, could neither outrun it nor escape up a tree and finally stopped its charge by turning, shouting and spreading his arms. The brothers' disbelief and Dr. Dave's lively narration make it a vivid human story rather than a product segment.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-03-22

The phone system that lost Rob

Dr. Dave is certain he was already speaking with Rob, the crew cannot make the caller appear, and a software demonstration fills the escalating confusion. After the phone stack is rebooted, a listener calls pretending to host a show with the same broken server and asks Dr. Dave for the obvious solution.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-06-13

Urban camping changes Dave’s mind

Bob challenges the ridicule of people waiting for a new game console by describing friends sharing coffee and parents turning the night into urban camping with their children. Dr. Dave acknowledges his own relentless schedule, sees the value in stopping to spend time together and says the caller has convinced him.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-18

Warn listeners when a pattern becomes significant

Listener Carl writes that Dr. Dave jumps to conclusions about piracy and faulty software. Dr. Dave responds that no warning applies identically to everyone, but his responsibility is to tell listeners when repeated evidence points to a significant trend that may affect them, while still advising people not to change a working installation.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-06-24

Will you really use it?

Greg asks whether a discounted PDA is worth buying. Dr. Dave separates whether the product is good from whether Greg truly needs it, cautions against buying technology to appear capable, suggests a low-risk trial and says the real test after the novelty fades is whether it actually gets used.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-04-21

“Until the good Lord takes me, I’m invincible”

Explaining the missed New Year’s Day show, Dr. Dave says he loves broadcasting but simply needed rest, looks forward to a stronger 2011 and delivers a characteristically funny statement of faith and resilience.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-01-08

A caller's priceless thank-you

Kevin begins a new problem by publicly thanking Dr. Dave for the Windows conversion disks and time that had helped him the year before, calling the saved time priceless before explaining that the replacement hard drive now needs drivers.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-05-02

A Declaration copy that made people emotional

Dr. Dave describes an anonymous friend's large vellum copy of the Declaration of Independence, reportedly printed centuries earlier from copper plates made from the original. Even talking about it makes him emotional, and he remembers another man breaking into tears when it was unrolled.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-11-10

A falling tree with Dave's son

A Google Earth discussion reminds Dr. Dave of an argument with his younger son about whether a tree falling unseen in the woods makes a sound and whether observation changes reality. Dr. Dave admits he cannot address the question at the level of quarks but insists the tree cannot know when no one is listening, and the exchange ends with the brothers' atoms-and-Eves wordplay.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-05-25

A fresh set of eyes on the brake line

Dr. Dave cannot route a replacement hard brake line until Evil Steve suggests flexible stainless. The instant solution becomes a lesson in questioning assumptions, asking others and valuing a consultant’s fresh perspective.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-04-10

A good fix helps a client become independent

Dr. Dave says old technology recommendations must be revisited as the market changes. He also treats a long gap between client visits as good news: it suggests that he fixed the problem and helped the person become a little more independent rather than creating dependence on the consultant.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-10-27

A listener corrects Dave about TrueCrypt

Dr. Dave opens the second hour by admitting that listener David caught important TrueCrypt news he had missed. He says he learns from many sources, thanks David for clarifying the question, acknowledges that he should have known and treats the embarrassment as an opportunity to improve the show.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2014-06-28

A question from his son leads to an hour of learning

Dr. Dave’s thirteen-year-old son asks where the word Celsius came from. Dr. Dave looks it up, follows neighboring words and jokes that an hour and forty terms later he has become the king of trivial etymology, describing the search as especially enjoyable with children.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-03-26

A study guide for how things go wrong

Dr. Dave says he enjoys analyzing failure and once subscribed to the FAA's accident-investigation magazine. Even though the stories could be sad, he found them an exceptional way to learn how systems fail and how often a human issue ultimately sits inside the chain of causes.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-08-04

A warning at the music store

Dr. Dave recalls warning a store owner after a friend’s earlier loss. This is a personal encounter rather than routine security-product promotion, and the ending admits he does not know the outcome.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-05-08

America's strength is its people

On the 65th anniversary of D-Day, Dr. Dave says American strength belongs to ordinary people rather than any party or officeholder, and connects that belief to the sacrifice of the Normandy landings.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2009-06-06

An old Bible in a familiar synthesized voice

Dr. Dave experiments with having early English Bible translations read aloud by software and laughs at the irony that the synthesized voice sounds to him like Stephen Hawking, who had recently spoken publicly about not believing in God.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-07-16

Being right and being effective are different

Dr. Dave distinguishes holding a position from surviving long enough to accomplish something with it, arguing that principle and practical effectiveness must be balanced rather than treated as identical.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-08-21

Brain stimulation and the octagonal box

A study about electrical brain stimulation and mathematical performance becomes a long piece of brotherly improvisation. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve question what the experiment measured, joke about counting on fingers and toes and invent an octagonal box that supposedly turns arithmetic into a physical activity, preserving the spontaneous humor of the live show.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-05-18

Climb the tree, not just the game

After reviewing a media program, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve joke that the show refuses to entertain because society has become addicted to entertainment. Dr. Dave turns the joke into a compact concern that children may climb Mount Everest in a game without ever climbing a tree in their own backyard.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-22

Computer Talk is my class

Contest entrant R. Williams explains that he has listened for at least four years and takes notes as if Computer Talk were a lecture. The useful knowledge has saved him money, he says, because the show is his class and Professor Mason is his instructor, a direct record of the role Dr. Dave played in a listener's life.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-12-22

Cookie cutters, radio and technology in perspective

A 3D printer making Christmas cookies reminds Dr. Dave of David Letterman asking Bill Gates whether he had heard of radio after Gates used an online baseball broadcast to demonstrate the Internet. Dr. Dave enjoys invention and creative experiments, but argues that impressive machinery should still be judged practically: sometimes an old tool already does the job.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-12-22

Customer feedback reaches the ivory tower

A report about an executive threatening a frustrated customer reminds Dr. Dave of the persistence required to resolve his own long AT&T billing dispute and why senior leaders sometimes need direct, public feedback.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-05

Dave corrects the vibraphone

After being unable to name the instrument earlier, Dr. Dave returns with his research, corrects his claim about the vibraphone’s bars and identifies Lionel Hampton and Mike Manieri, turning an ordinary correction into warm music conversation with Evil Steve.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-01-15

Do not let imperfect technology make you sick

Evil Steve's occasionally rebooting phone leads Dr. Dave to explain that a person working with technology cannot become furious at every flaw, while Evil Steve accepts one manageable defect rather than assuming another device will be perfect.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-15

Do something or be somebody

Asked why he has not checked birthday wishes on Facebook, Dr. Dave invokes John Boyd’s distinction between doing meaningful work and appearing important, then says he is busy fixing problems.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-13

Doggedness, not brilliance

Dr. Dave describes thirty years of daily experience, persistence and going the extra mile to understand why a problem happened rather than claiming special genius.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-10-10

Doom 3 and the computer upgrade cycle

A major game release becomes a lively explanation of why games drive hardware demand and a father’s refusal to buy an expensive computer for one title.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2004-08-07

Emotion can make an online buyer vulnerable

Dr. Dave recounts trying to help a less technical friend buy a phone online, waiting eight weeks, receiving only a partial refund and refusing to return the merchandise before the rest of the money arrived. He then turns the personal experience into a lasting consumer lesson: intense demand for a scarce item creates emotional pressure that dishonest sellers can exploit.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-12-24

Engineering, art and sculpture

Dr. Dave explains why he took his time building a subwoofer enclosure with removable panels: he enjoyed the process and saw careful engineering as a mixture of art, sculpture and practical problem-solving.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-03-12

Everything is hard, but we can help

Internet frustration becomes Dr. Dave’s approach to accepting reality and helping people through it, with Evil Steve’s life motto and brotherly correction.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-07-03

Everything is number one

Overwhelmed by dozens of open windows and subjects he wants to cover, Dr. Dave asks how he can prioritize when everything is number one. He says his list runs horizontally with ten thousand number ones, and Evil Steve solves it by borrowing software version numbers.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-05-28

Expect hard things and enjoy the good ones

A technical networking article becomes a personal outlook: Dr. Dave expects life and technology to be difficult, so breakdowns do not consume him and working systems become a source of gratitude rather than entitlement.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-22

Experts still have to follow the rules

Minutes before airtime, Dr. Dave updates a touchpad driver and disables the controls on his show laptop. He laughs that expertise can tempt people to ignore basic rules, accepts Evil Steve's very simple workaround and keeps broadcasting with a wireless mouse and touch controls.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2015-04-25

Face-to-face full duplex

Waiting with Dr. Dave's son Nick for allergy shots, Dr. Dave notices everyone looking down at a phone. He deliberately keeps his own phone holstered and starts a conversation with a stranger, prompting Evil Steve's joke that face-to-face full-duplex communication now frightens people.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-01-26

Five seconds before the email leaves

Gmail's experimental Undo Send leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to distinguish an hour of regret from the instant panic after clicking Send, then consider delaying outgoing mail for people who know they can be rushed or emotional.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-28

From the second mic to the first

Evil Steve remembers the panic of unexpectedly carrying a live segment alone, and Dr. Dave answers with his own late-1980s transition from Bob Lee's weekly technology guest to the host of his own show. Their stories turn stage fright into an honest and funny conversation about practice, confidence and the difference between supporting a host and becoming one.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-02-07

Geek speak sounds like pings and pops

After Dr. Dave stacks a product name, VoIP, PDA, Wi-Fi and several acronyms into one sentence, Evil Steve translates the listener experience: it sounds like pings and pops. Dr. Dave accepts the correction because he really does try not to speak in geek language, and the brothers demonstrate why explaining technology plainly takes deliberate effort.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-03-15

Google flags the entire internet

Google briefly labels every result dangerous, allowing the brothers to joke that the warning is technically true before Dr. Dave makes the serious point that people cannot outsource all judgment and due diligence to institutions.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-31

Guided tours of the Computer Talk bunker

Evil Steve questions whether the bunker can really be called a studio, and the brothers settle on a storage facility containing radio equipment. They describe everything as strategically piled, joke that an intruder would not know what to steal and explain why friends and family receive guided tours: even Dr. Dave sometimes needs help finding his way back to his seat.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2014-02-01

Hard earned experience, not brilliance

Dr. Dave says most people value his advice and explains that it comes from hard earned experience and a lot of work rather than brilliance. He then uses the image of locking oneself in a basement to show why complete avoidance may be safe without offering a full life.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-04-15

Helping everyone else and learning to say no

For a second week, Dr. Dave admits that the website and email move he promised still is not done. Evil Steve explains that unexpected work consumed the week, and Dr. Dave identifies the deeper problem himself: he helps other people until his own work becomes impossible, so he must learn to say no even when someone is in a total jam.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-03-01

I cannot just go by rote

Dr. Dave recalls their mother praising how the brothers sounded on the air and asking whether the show felt good. He says he is comfortable but increasingly aware that technology has changed too much for him to repeat the old formula or fake enthusiasm for subjects that no longer seem useful.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-01-26

If they mislead you up front, why trust the rest?

A supposed lifetime software license that actually meant five years leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to ask why anyone should trust the rest of a product after being misled at the beginning. Evil Steve compares it with a personal gym contract whose lifetime price could be changed, and Dr. Dave asks how people who exploit fine print sleep at night.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-18

It was not a week of complete failure

After a discouraging week, Dr. Dave hears from a listener whose stubborn computer problem he helped solve. The thank-you is a welcome reminder that his work made a difference.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-08-06

It’s tough to be old and a nerd

Thomas, age 76, calls after receiving his first laptop and encountering an aggressive program. Dr. Dave gives him a place to start without talking down to him, then meets the caller’s self-deprecating joke with one of his own.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-16

Julie offers a photograph from her late husband

Julie calls not for computer help but to offer the show one of two photographs made by her late husband in 1989. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve receive the gesture warmly and arrange to follow up, capturing the trust and personal connection surrounding the program.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-02-03

Just because you can does not mean you should

A discussion of music-player capacity leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to argue that people often collect or consume low-value material simply because technology makes it possible. Their counterexample is the NASA channel, where they happily watch long, quiet views of Earth from orbit.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-02-26

Looking up is not the same as paying attention

Considering Google Glass before its public release, Dr. Dave worries that a heads-up display could create information saturation and false confidence rather than awareness. He connects the device to a broader distinction: constant digital contact with friends and family cannot automatically substitute for being present together.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-01-26

Mom says she has nothing to steal

Evil Steve recounts warning his mother about Facebook, only to hear that she has little worth taking; the brothers gently explain why identity and account misuse can still hurt someone who considers herself an unimportant target.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-07-31

My natural contrarian streak

Dr. Dave returns from Evil Steve's holiday-treat story to the larger question of who should possess a person's data. He admits to a natural contrarian streak: when everyone is doing the same thing, his automatic reaction is to pause and consider a different choice, prompting Evil Steve to tease him about preferring ham radio.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-01-05

Navigation can lose you and bring you back

Reports of dangerous satellite-navigation errors remind Dr. Dave of driving sister Michele's Chrysler toward Disneyland during construction. He admits the wrong turn may have been his fault, credits the same system with finding the route again and uses the story to reinforce that no technology deserves one hundred percent reliance.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-09-01

Nick's broken hand and the wrong splint

After his son Nick breaks a hand at a wrestling tournament, Dr. Dave has to question two attempts to splint it. The experience reinforces his belief that asking questions still matters, even when an expert is in charge.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-04-25

Not every failed computer needs data recovery

Drawing on recent recovery work, Dr. Dave explains that Windows failures, enclosures, cables and inadequate power can masquerade as dead drives, and warns against paying for a recovery before determining what actually failed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-27

Nothing like calling your brother stupid on a national show

A tiny argument over saying “internet” or “the internet” becomes a lesson in how small language details change how a person sounds. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve happily call each other stupid on a national show, laugh that their mother is not there to stop them and settle back into their familiar brotherly rhythm.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-06-23

One thing at a time

A reported British study about constant email, text and phone interruptions leads Dr. Dave to a simple conclusion: switch things off and give one task full attention before moving to the next. Evil Steve immediately points out the irony that Dr. Dave is reading email live while making the argument.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-23

Pizza timing and radio professionalism

Dr. Dave explains why pizza arriving just before a segment is frustrating: it sits in front of him while he has to keep talking. The brothers thank the restaurant and delivery driver while joking that finishing a slice before returning from break is part of being a radio professional.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-04-23

Prayers for Dean Barnett

Dr. Dave pauses near the end of the broadcast for an old friend in the blogging and talk-radio world who is seriously ill. He asks Dean Barnett to keep fighting, calls him talented, adds a small joke about his voice and says the friend remains in their hearts, minds and prayers.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-10-11

Preserving digital memories

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve ask how photographs, writing, recipes and family history can survive when CDs and other digital media deteriorate, then compare digital loss with damage to paper and recommend making renewed copies over time.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-11-13

Raspberry Pi at two

On the Raspberry Pi's second anniversary, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve marvel at a credit-card-size computer inexpensive enough to invite experimentation. A father's NASA-style control-panel desk, built with his sons using a Raspberry Pi and Arduino, shows the imagination and practical skill the small machine could unlock.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2014-03-01

Ray calls from work

Ray’s technical question turns into a warm exchange about work, Josh and remaining safe and single, showing how callers moved easily between troubleshooting and friendship with the brothers.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-06-05

Sometimes you cannot control everything

After extensive backup preparations fail, Dr. Dave reflects that sometimes people simply cannot control everything. The immediate cause is unforgettable: a garbage truck entangled its arms in the power lines and snapped the pole before the show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-09-15

Technology anxiety is like math anxiety

Dr. Dave says he understands why computers intimidate people, compares that fear to his own reaction to math and returns to his principle that technology problems are ultimately people problems.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-19

Technology loyalty can become emotional

A family conversation about Macs and PCs leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to question devotion to an operating system that ignores evidence of faults and strengths. They acknowledge that competing technologies can each be excellent in different ways and compare absolute computer loyalty with car enthusiasts who insist their brand is always right.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-01-07

Technology needs limits, and life is already three-dimensional

A principal’s warning about social networking prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to argue that parents must set difficult limits, protect children from online harm and make room for homework, play and experience in the real world.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-05-01

Technology that brings history to life

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve praise computer-generated recreations of air and naval battles for making veterans' experiences understandable instead of offering empty eye candy. Their curiosity turns to the production process and the testimony behind each angle, and they remember cheering together on the couch as though the historical account were a football game.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2007-07-14

Thanking the people who made 2006 possible

Opening the final segment of 2006, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve thank the listeners who make a show possible, the KVOI staff whose quiet improvements support it and the affiliates carrying Computer Talk across the country. Dr. Dave says the station was chosen carefully, that the relationship is not taken lightly and that everyone involved made the year unusually good.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-12-30

The “Girth brothers” finish the barn roof

Responding to criticism that their self-deprecating sounders might affect them, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve insist that their body jokes are about themselves and dub the pair the “Girth brothers.” The tangent turns into Dr. Dave thanking Evil Steve and another family member for helping finish a barn roof, followed by their imagined Amish barn-raising routine and real satisfaction with the result.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-07-13

The broken CD drive that helped a caller

A caller’s stuck disc tray responds immediately to Dr. Dave’s paper-clip instruction. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve then admit their own faulty drive has gone unreplaced for months, and he says the ordinary problem helped him understand the caller.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-16

The dream of a longer show and KDAV

As time runs out, Dr. Dave jokes that the program is trying to become six or eight hours long and remembers his long-held dream of having his own KDAV radio station. He closes the thought by saying it is all about perseverance and persistence.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-02-05

The fourth-grade dinosaur scientist

Dr. Dave remembers knowing every dinosaur and statistic in the 1967 Encyclopedia Britannica so thoroughly that fourth-grade classmates called him “the scientist.” Learning later that his beloved brontosaurus reconstruction was wrong devastated him, but it became a lasting reminder that expert knowledge remains an educated best estimate and must keep changing with evidence.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-04-11

The law of strawberry jam

Dr. Dave compares his limited time to strawberry jam that can be spread thickly on a few pieces of toast or thinly across many. The planned Test and Tune sessions are his answer for helping more people affordably, and he admits that he personally helped erect the classroom walls despite not having time.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-06-20

The machine that still had Dave stumped

After exhausting his usual tools, Dr. Dave tells listeners that a client’s computer still drives the processor to full use whenever security software is installed—and says plainly that he does not yet know why.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-12

The official Computer Talk pizza arrives

A delivery interrupts the technology news as Dr. Dave announces that the official Computer Talk pizza has arrived from a local Tucson restaurant. He thanks the people who brought it and jokes that a full two hour show in the middle of the day requires massive doses of mozzarella.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-10-01

The power of positive intimidation

Returning caller Don reports that the computer he called about two weeks earlier simply worked the next morning. Dr. Dave credits the power of positive intimidation, joking that troubled office computers sometimes straighten out as soon as he walks into the building without even touching them.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-09-24

The Princess Bride registry fire swamp

While warning a caller not to let registry cleaning software become too aggressive, Dr. Dave recalls sitting on the couch with his boys and laughing through The Princess Bride. He compares the Windows registry with the movie’s fire swamp, where progress is possible only if one knows where the flames and rodents of unusual size will appear.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-05-27

The printer fails before the meeting

After a caller says computer trouble makes him feel like a no-brainer, Dr. Dave assures him that technology creates a never-ending cycle of challenges. The running joke in Dr. Dave's office is that a printer works perfectly the night before but absolutely refuses to print the document he needs an hour before a meeting.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-12-29

The show patched with duct tape

With the network studio disabled, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve run the broadcast manually, joke about needing extra arms and describe their operation as a ship patched with duct tape. Dr. Dave reduces the morning’s chaos to a personal rule: deal with what comes up and do your best.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-02-12

Think before you create someone else’s online identity

Dr. Dave observes that children can acquire an online identity before they can choose one because adults post family and team photographs, then urges people to share deliberately rather than expose relatives’ health, financial or personal lives by habit.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-01-15

Three o’clock mornings for Kelly’s Ride

Reporting back after the second Kelly’s Ride, Dr. Dave praises Evil Steve’s work throughout the fundraiser, from artwork and graphics to T-shirts. Evil Steve explains that Kelly was a close friend and that once he volunteered his creative work, he stayed with it through many three-in-the-morning nights.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2011-10-08

Time away from the laptop

Evil Steve tells Dr. Dave that several weeks without a working laptop may have been healthy because it interrupted his constant focus on technology. Dr. Dave admits that instead of browsing on the couch he watched television and painted, and the brothers connect the experience to their earlier conversation about multitasking.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-05-21

Walk away and come back with fresh eyes

Dr. Dave admits that an unusually difficult repair had exhausted his normal confidence and left him nearly out of ideas. His remedy is human and practical: walk away for a while, run, sit outside, ride a bike or sleep, then return—sometimes the fresh perspective feels magical.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-01-21

We back up because we paid the price

An IBM continuous backup announcement leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to admit that people skip backups because the work interrupts everything else. Their own office now keeps redundant backups religiously because one painful loss created resolve, a later lapse caused another loss and the second steep price finally changed the habit.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-08-27

We do not take ourselves too seriously

During another live studio adjustment, Dr. Dave recalls working with a radio host known for raging at producers. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve contrast that culture with their own, saying that while they may be smart-alecky, they do not often lose control or take themselves too seriously.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-02-26

What made personal computers revolutionary was autonomy

Dr. Dave remembers the personal-computer revolution as a transfer of authority from the mainframe room to the person doing the work. He then returns to a skill from his own career, building integrated Lotus and Excel systems for million-dollar and international businesses, to explore whether modern convenience can coexist with locally controlled data and the ability to keep working independently.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2013-03-16

When the Internet became water

Eric Schmidt's prediction that the Internet would become so common it would disappear leads Dr. Dave to compare it with a fish that no longer notices water. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve play with the progression from Internet to cloud to vapor, while considering whether a generation raised online might experience the network as an invisible part of life.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-01-24

Who is the goofball here

While thinking about the cost of protecting new devices, Dr. Dave catches himself judging people who still use dial-up and old computers. He inventories his own laptop, phone, music player and monthly technology bills and asks who has really lost perspective, turning a casual insult back on himself.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-11-19

Why Dave said “I'm my computer's user”

Evil Steve remembers that Dr. Dave began his familiar radio introduction as an homage to Dr. Laura Schlesinger. Neither brother can reconstruct her exact original sign-off, but their attempt preserves the affectionate, slightly improvised history behind a phrase Dr. Dave had repeated so often that it simply came out automatically.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2013-11-23

Why he loved saving computers

Dr. Dave says the public repair sessions leave him exhausted but happy because he can solve problems people have endured for months and often save computers they had planned to throw away. Evil Steve turns the skill into the affectionate “computer whisperer” image.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-15

Why we call Evil Steve evil

Dr. Dave offers his favorite explanation for his brother's on-air name: just as a very large man might be called Tiny, Evil Steve is called Evil because he is really a teddy bear and a big ball of lovable fluff. It is a concise, affectionate portrait of their relationship beneath the show's running joke.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-06-09

A business run from a Land Cruiser

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember a three-month Central American expedition that tested whether satellite phones, laptops, Wi-Fi and Skype could support an international business from a moving Land Cruiser, then joke that the road setup worked more reliably than the office.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-02-21

A caller returns after fifteen years

Doris says she has not spoken with Dr. Dave in about fifteen years and reminds the brothers that they once addressed her Tucson volunteer-administrator group. Dr. Dave cannot remember what he ate that morning, but their warm teasing resumes immediately as she explains that retirement and twenty grandchildren have brought her back to computers.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-07-07

A data-recovery handoff looks like a drug deal

Dr. Dave describes occasionally meeting a client in a parking lot to return a recovered drive. An unmarked box changes hands, payment follows and he and Evil Steve laugh about how suspicious a perfectly ordinary service call might look to anyone watching.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-03-03

A four year lost file and Dave’s integrity

Listener Bill says Dr. Dave recovered an important file erased more than four years earlier and returned it on a disc. His playful contest entry also praises the team’s integrity, stability, fierceness when necessary and gentleness, preserving an unusually direct account of how a listener experienced Dr. Dave’s work and character.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-10-29

A modem card looked like a dead motherboard

Dr. Dave’s office computer would not boot and even a diagnostic card pointed toward a motherboard or processor failure. By stripping the system down and first removing the most recently replaced card, he discovers that an inexpensive modem caused the severe-looking problem.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-01-20

Active Desktop was ahead of its connection

A retrospective on Windows 95 Active Desktop prompts Dr. Dave to remember clients asking him to install a dynamic Internet desktop over slow connections. The idea was promising, but the available connection could not deliver it, leaving him to explain that neither Windows nor his installation was broken: the feature had simply arrived ahead of its supporting infrastructure.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2007-07-07

An unexpected compliment for Dave's voice

Dr. Dave says a client unexpectedly complimented the voice he recorded for its telephone menu. Evil Steve immediately turns the praise into a joke about unpaid royalties and somebody using the prompts to construct another radio show.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2014-07-05

Back up the key to encrypted family data

After encountering an encrypted recovery case, Dr. Dave explains that restoring the files is not enough if the owner has lost the account, exported key or rescue disk required to decrypt them. He urges listeners to preserve that recovery material separately so important family pictures remain usable after a drive failure.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-18

Be where you are

Dr. Dave remembers unconsciously pulling out his phone during a frustrating football game and turns that small moment into a complete philosophy of technology. Devices should be used deliberately rather than obeyed habitually; people also need quiet, physical experience and the full use of their senses. His phrase be where you are gives the long reflection a simple center.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-03-02

Communication is not relationship

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve notice people standing together while looking down at separate screens. Dr. Dave extends the familiar distinction among data, information, knowledge and wisdom: more messages do not automatically create dialogue, understanding or a relationship with someone a person can truly count on.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-11-24

Connectivity still needs time to think

Dan turns the Twitter jokes into a serious conversation about compulsion, collective thinking and the time people need to raise children, drive, make decisions and escape conventional wisdom.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-27

Designed by engineers for engineers

Evil Steve’s attempt to pair a phone with a new car stereo becomes a funny critique of opaque interfaces and translated manuals: even after succeeding, he cannot explain how he did it and feels that the result arrived almost by accident.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-03-26

Family photographs trapped on an old CD

A Minnesota genealogy researcher collected relatives' old photographs, scanned them on a Windows 95 computer and burned them to a CD that his newer machine can no longer read. Dr. Dave explains the compatibility problem, offers several levels of recovery and promises an email follow-up when football preempts the caller's station—a small story about why digital family preservation requires continuing care.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-20

Fifteen years through persistence

At the end of the guest interview, Gretchen congratulates Dr. Dave on fifteen years of Computer Talk. He answers that success is sometimes less about brilliance than persistence and perseverance until the competition is worn out.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-03-10

Gateway was the big gorilla

News of Gateway co-founder Ted Waitt leaving the chairmanship prompts Evil Steve to remember a period when nearly everyone he knew seemed to have a cow-spotted Gateway computer. The brothers place that memory beside the company’s later struggle in a commoditized personal-computer market.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-05-21

Google became part of Dave’s toolbox

A highly technical acquaintance says he answers requests for help with “Google is your friend.” Dr. Dave admits that after twelve or fourteen years of answering radio questions largely from memory, he now solves many problems by searching for thirty seconds alongside his reference discs and accumulated experience.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-08

He can fix a computer with a hairpin

An introduction claims Dr. Dave can fix a computer with a hairpin and duct tape. The brothers promptly expand his repair credentials to homemade antennas and old-truck ball joints.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2015-03-07

Helping an unprotected caller without shaming him

A caller admits having no antivirus, spyware protection or firewall. Dr. Dave explains the risk plainly, praises the caller’s honesty, avoids mocking him and uses a car-safety analogy to show that basic preparation makes the Internet manageable.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-09-25

How far back can an old computer be pushed?

Rather than discard a Pentium III laptop running Windows ME, Dr. Dave tries a lightweight Linux installation to learn whether the machine can still do useful work and jokes about “pushing the backside” of the technology envelope.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-05

Humor and resilience after Hurricane Katrina

Caller Bob mentions that people near Ocean Springs are still boiling water and living without a bridge after Hurricane Katrina, yet jokes about swimming to work rather than complaining. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve answer with respect for the Gulf Coast community’s resilience and contrast it with the small inconveniences that upset people elsewhere.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-02-25

IBM becomes a services company

After lunch with a retired IBM executive, Dr. Dave says both men see IBM moving away from hardware and toward services. He imagines a future in which younger generations may barely remember that IBM once made personal computers.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-05-07

If only you could upgrade human memory

After helping caller Dane reveal hidden files, a joke about memory problems becomes an imagined trip to buy a brain memory chip. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve conclude that the brain is already remarkably good when people treat it well and do not overtax it.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-07-30

Kitty says the show made work easier

A caller thanks Dr. Dave and Evil Steve because listening to the program helped her through a boring outdoor job. Her brief appreciation captures the companionship the live show gave listeners beyond its technical answers.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-01-20

Knowing what to ignore

Caller John is worried by a mysterious utility warning even though his computer works normally. Dr. Dave says one secret of being good with computers is knowing what to ignore, then explains why a recurring false or harmless warning may be one of those cases.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-28

Larry finds the show again

A listener who lost the program during its station move says he found it again. His move from a 1996 Windows 95 Aptiva to a Vista laptop lets Dr. Dave demonstrate that advice depends on where the person is starting, while Evil Steve points him back to the online archive.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-06

Linux felt like the old hands-on days

Kyle asks where a beginner should start learning Linux without risking the only computer he needs for a dissertation. Dr. Dave calls Linux fun because it restores the hands-on experimentation of computing's earlier days, then draws an important boundary: that challenge is excellent for education or a hobby, but it may be the wrong choice when the machine's primary job is dependable daily work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-04-12

Nick asks if you can install too much

A caller named Dr. Dave's son Nick asks whether following every recommendation can put too much on a computer. Dr. Dave says both ignoring all advice and becoming hypervigilant can create problems, warns that fake cleanup tools may themselves be harmful and recommends restraint rather than piling on software.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-15

Protect the client even after the data is recovered

After recovering, copying and backing up a client's data from an intermittently failing SSD, Dr. Dave decides repairing its broken connector would cost more than replacement. He nevertheless refuses to let a drive that passed through his hands expose its owner, so he takes a hatchet to the chips and fractures them before disposal.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-04-25

Rebecca speaks up after an online attack

Caller Rebecca describes an online-account compromise, harassment and blackmail efforts and says she reported the incidents. Dr. Dave thanks her for speaking publicly, takes the experience seriously and tells listeners that victims have no reason to be embarrassed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-16

Sometimes you have to go slow to go fast

Martha’s follow up suggests that letting the computer finish loading solved the connection problem. Dr. Dave turns that outcome into a racing lesson: slow down, observe the machine and accept its feedback instead of clicking repeatedly, then simplify automation when extra convenience has crossed into diminishing returns.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-06-17

Support soldiers by doing something

Dr. Dave explains that he and Evil Steve wanted a concrete outlet for their support of military personnel and recommends Soldiers’ Angels as a way to send care packages or contribute. His central point is that support should become an action chosen by the listener rather than remain only words.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-16

The auto shop monitor mystery

An email about shaking monitors reminds Dr. Dave of an auto shop where a display wiggled unpredictably despite replacement equipment. The answer appeared only when he happened to see the air compressor start beside a circuit panel hidden across the wall, and moving the monitor three feet solved it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-25

The high-tech store with a paper receipt

Dr. Dave visits a store advanced enough to sell individual electronic components, then watches the clerk total his purchase on a calculator and write a duplicate receipt by hand. He delights in the irony and finally decides that the old system deserves credit for working.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-08

The iPad was compelling, but the choice was still personal

After finally spending time with a family iPad over Christmas, Dr. Dave praises Apple’s tactile experience and sees its real travel advantages, yet keeps returning to the individual question of whether another device fits better than the phone and laptop a person already owns.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-01-08

The jiggle factor

Dr. Dave's studio monitor appears dead, so Evil Steve challenges him to repair it live. The first rule wins: check the plug. A loose power connector restores the picture, prompts a joke about where the Dr. Dave name came from and lets him crown himself king of the jiggle.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-05-31

The March Madness spyware call

Dr. Dave remembers a client whose computer contained thousands of advertising and spyware objects and hundreds of gambling icons immediately after the college basketball final. He explains that he needed to tell the client how the infection happened so it would not happen again, only to learn that it did.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-09

The mystery radio network bill

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve describe receiving an enormous bill from a talk radio network they had never used. With no explanation available until Monday, they turn the mystery into a joke that the bill might be an unconventional pitch to add another hundred affiliates.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-08-06

The NRA dinner as a cross-section of America

Dr. Dave admits that formal annual dinners do not naturally appeal to him, yet says he is always glad he attends these NRA events because of the people and uplifting stories. He and Evil Steve joke about the auction, then Dr. Dave describes the gathering as a cross-section of America spanning generations, occupations, races, creeds and religions.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-07-14

The old modem actually works

At the comic height of his modem ordeal, Dr. Dave has to insist that the provider reactivate a six-year-old modem because the supposedly preferable new device has shut down both the phones and Internet; the old one, quite simply, works.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-06-11

The tinfoil heat shield

Evil Steve finds what looks exactly like a tinfoil hat beneath Dr. Dave's studio desk and turns it into proof of paranoia. Dr. Dave explains that the loosely folded foil is actually a practical heat shield for concentrating a hot-air repair on one surface-mounted chip, before joining the joke with a claim about reflowing his own subcranial implant.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2014-02-15

Told to stop using his own name

Dr. Dave opens an attorney’s letter and discovers that musician Dr. Dave Mason wants him to stop using Dr. Dave Mason on his own website. He and Evil Steve recount earlier attempts to buy DaveMason.com, joke about alternative names with caller Tony and explain why a trademark for live musical performance did not seem to them to cover a computer advice program.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-08-06

When paying for cable sounded ridiculous

A caller predicts advertising inside video games, prompting Dr. Dave to remember riding through Hawaii as a child while his father wondered why anyone would ever pay for television. They connect that memory to cable, satellite radio and targeted advertising.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-11-13

When the studio talked back

An echo suddenly appears in Dr. Dave's headphones and the brothers diagnose it live: the studio monitors were left on after an upgrade. Dr. Dave turns the mistake into a quick reminder not to get sloppy and to add the automatic microphone switch used by professional stations.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-03-07

A chainsaw is not for every user

A listener’s failed attempt to install a powerful repair utility prompts Dr. Dave to explain why good software can still be the wrong recommendation when its risks exceed a person’s experience.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-04-24

A new machine will not fix human behavior

Friends are ready to replace a slow but capable laptop until Dr. Dave learns that more than sixty browser tabs are open. Closing and organizing the tabs makes the machine feel better than new, and Dr. Dave identifies the larger pattern: people often misread a behavior problem as a technology problem, so replacement hardware simply recreates the frustration.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-05-23

A school assignment opens the family history

Caller wordplay about Dr. Dave's handwriting leads him to admit he once belittled genealogy, then describe how a son's school assignment and the Mason habit of going all in changed his view.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-01-03

Ask what the company knows and what will change

Dr. Dave explains how he responds to mixed listener reports: ask the company whether it knows the failures are happening, why they occur, what is being fixed and what will change, then give credit when its representatives answer candidly without pretending the technology is perfect.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-12-18

Brothers’ banter and a real help resource

Evil Steve describes the show as entertaining because listeners hear the brothers banter and bother each other, but insists the telephone line is also a real resource. Dr. Dave has repeatedly wrestled with the same kinds of problems callers face, giving him experience he can use while the show and that opportunity last.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-09-17

Check the facts and seek corroboration

Remembering advice from a friend’s father, Dr. Dave says reports should be tested against evidence and independent corroboration. He also acknowledges that every human source carries some degree of perspective rather than pretending to be perfectly without bias.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-01-20

Do not count on anyone one hundred percent

After worrying that he sounds too negative, Dr. Dave uses an Intuit outage to explain why even a service he likes must never become the only home for important data, ending with a joke about “open technology marriages.”

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-19

Embrace the difficulty and keep moving

A comic argument over television commercials lands on a principle Dr. Dave and Evil Steve both accept: everything will sometimes be difficult, and factoring that reality into life can take away much of its power. Their blunt phrase is “embrace the suck,” but the lasting point is that mental attitude is supreme.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-04-18

Free junk is still junk

While introducing a free file-recovery utility, Dr. Dave insists that usefulness must come before price. Evil Steve reduces the principle to a memorable line: free junk is still junk.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-30

Go see Mom in person

A joking Mother's Day sponsor setup turns into the brothers' belief that gifts are fine but cannot replace sitting with one's mother in person. Their deliberately exaggerated guilt trip still carries a direct family value: show up.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-03

Help was one call or email away

Evil Steve tells listeners that online security has become daunting for ordinary people and says they can call or email Dr. Dave or the show for help. The exchange reflects the program’s practical promise to remain reachable when technology felt overwhelming.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-14

Let someone else enjoy what you do not use

While joking about selling a briefcase, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve encourage listeners to donate good furniture and belongings that have sat unused for years, freeing their own homes while helping families who need them and letting the objects be enjoyed again.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-12-18

Marcellus and the adults who saw the future

Dr. Dave remembers walking arm in arm with his childhood friend Marcellus and talking about racism. Only later did he understand why their friendship moved their teachers, a memory that leads to a hopeful conversation about change.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-01-07

Neville solves the problem Dave could not

Caller Neville realizes that an earlier listener may have been reopening an installer instead of the installed program. Dr. Dave immediately recognizes the explanation, calls it brilliant and thanks Neville enthusiastically for solving what had left him baffled.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-02

Once data is released, it cannot be pulled back

Another stolen government laptop leads Dr. Dave away from sensationalism and toward a simple permanence principle: once personal data is released, it cannot be recalled. A friend’s story about a lost memory stick reinforces that the real loss is not the hardware but the private information stored on it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-12

Paper works because it works

After another attempt at a paperless show, Dr. Dave explains why paper still fits the way people spread, shuffle and physically manipulate information, imagining the screen or spatial interface that would have to match a desk before replacing it for him.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-12-04

Read the numbers with a critical eye

A report says wireless networking has passed wired Ethernet, but Dr. Dave immediately notices that the percentages exceed one hundred. The article’s explanation is reasonable, yet the brothers use the moment to demonstrate why every statistic and technology claim deserves a discerning eye.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-22

The caller who taught Dave a fix

Regular caller DJ Fresh offers the compatibility troubleshooter as a possible answer to an earlier caller, and Dr. Dave immediately credits him for a useful idea that had not occurred to him.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-27

The Diet Coke of evil

Dr. Dave introduces Evil Steve, then tells his brother that he is only the margarine or Diet Coke version of evil. Evil Steve admits his evil never quite sticks.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-07-24

The human side of computer security

A Cisco vulnerability leads Dr. Dave beyond the patch itself to a durable consulting observation: technology problems and misuse often grow out of damaged relationships among employees, partners or family members.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-08-21

The human side of computer security

Dr. Dave explains why people gradually simplify passwords they cannot remember and states the lesson he has repeatedly seen: human behavior is often the largest security risk.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-21

The path of least resistance

Partway through a technical diagnosis, caller Tom decides that an inexpensive powered hub will make the problem disappear and says he wants the path of least resistance. Dr. Dave admires his efficiency, then tells Evil Steve that their mother does the same thing: she asks a question, lets him get three quarters through the answer and announces that it is too much.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-01-26

The repair that changed a computer’s personality

A caller gives Dr. Dave an on-air follow-up after a repair, saying the computer now runs dramatically faster. Dr. Dave explains that added memory and replaced cooling fans revived a system the owner had expected to replace, then recalls the client’s understandable doubt before seeing the result.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-30

When callers anticipated the show

After another timely caller, Dr. Dave jokes that his wife, son, brother and mother already give him a hard time because listeners keep raising subjects before he reaches them.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-09-19

Which devices will still be around?

Early e-books lead to tablets and phone/PDA convergence, self-aware uncertainty and banter. Dr. Dave describes carrying devices to give informed advice. Keep full conversation rather than cherry-pick a forecast.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2004-06-19

Why not start Christmas early?

Instead of complaining that Christmas begins too soon and then wondering where it went, Dr. Dave decides to embrace the earlier season, asking what is harmed by a little more kindness, anticipation and enjoyment.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-11-20

“I grind it into dust”

After describing repeated Linux installations on an older laptop, Dr. Dave admits that a new technical question becomes both a curse and a blessing. He experiences every problem he can find, learns every workaround and works until two, three or four in the morning—not because it is easy, but because solving it is fun.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-03-03

“The Edmund Fitzgerald” is not bump material

Evil Steve uses a Gordon Lightfoot record to tease Dr. Dave, who likes the music but insists that a pensive tribute to people who died does not fit the energy of a radio-show bumper.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-06-26

A backup must be simple enough to keep doing

Frank asks for an easier way to maintain an external backup. After joking about the poor phone connection, Dr. Dave identifies the central human problem: overcomplicated backup routines discourage people from doing them consistently.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-24

A giveaway does not change the recommendation

A caller directly challenges Dr. Dave over a security-software giveaway. Dr. Dave distinguishes it from the product he previously criticized and candidly explains which parts he likes, which he does not and why receiving it free matters.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-23

A Harrier from eBay

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve marvel at a report that a British father and his daughter acquired a retired Sea Harrier through an online auction. The missing engine and disabled ejection charge lead them to imagine buying an F-4 from the local boneyard and turning it into a backyard playground for the boys.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-04-28

A listener’s Computer Talk Christmas poem

A listener named Sidney wins the Palm giveaway with a Christmas poem that recasts the show’s computers, software, hosts and safe holiday signoff in the rhythm of a familiar seasonal story. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve call the entry fantastic and say they plan to frame it for the studio.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-12-24

A new computer is not always the solution

Dr. Dave describes a company ready to replace a former employee’s erratic computer until he found a few simple settings, saving the machine and the underestimated effort of rebuilding everything.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-20

A support call can change your level of thinking

Dr. Dave says he often thinks of a repair while waiting for support—not because the other technician supplies it, but because responsibility briefly shifts and his mind becomes quiet enough to approach the problem from another level.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-25

All pinkly and the thermal paste challenge

A David Blaine stunt reminds Dr. Dave of his youngest son emerging from the bath and announcing he was all pinkly. The brothers invent their own ridiculous stunt involving a breath-holding challenge and thermal paste.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-05-13

Anger makes you lose your smarts

Dr. Dave identifies calm as the first rule during a technological problem because irritation and anger take away the clear thinking needed to solve it. He immediately admits how difficult that advice is to follow when the failing computer is his own.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-31

Atlantis and the things we did as kids

The final planned Atlantis mission brings Dr. Dave back to a friend who worked on Shuttle tiles around 1980 and said solving unprecedented engineering problems felt like their childhood projects—only much more expensive.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-05-15

Back live after the sabbatical

Evil Steve welcomes his brother back after a long sabbatical and jokes about fielding worried messages from listeners. Dr. Dave says it is wonderful, interesting and fun to be live again, then acknowledges that sometimes a person truly needs to step back.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2015-01-24

Be kind to the user’s time and frustration

While helping caller Ron with an unpredictable restart loop, Dr. Dave weighs deep troubleshooting against a system restore. He says the simpler recommendation is kinder to the caller’s time and frustration, while openly acknowledging uncertainty and the possibility of a larger repair.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-18

Both nostrils at the same time

Evil Steve announces that something unbelievable happened to Dr. Dave that morning. After apocalyptic and lottery-ticket buildup, Dr. Dave reveals the miracle: for the first time he can remember, he woke up able to breathe through both nostrils at once.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-03-31

Callers help Dave solve his own problem

Kyle adds a practical observation about a power adapter causing interference while recording the radio, and Dr. Dave expands it into advice about separating power and audio cables. In the act of helping Kyle, Dr. Dave realizes the same layout may explain noise in his own office and thanks the callers for helping him.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-01-13

Changing advice when the facts change

A caller asks about leaving Internet Explorer, and Dr. Dave explains why he tries to avoid reflexive brand criticism while recognizing that improved alternatives can change his recommendation.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-07-31

Coming to Computer Talk made Dave feel better

Dr. Dave says the entire family has allergies but are bright and handsome, then explains that even when he feels bad elsewhere, coming in to do the radio show makes him feel great. The short exchange preserves affection for his family and for broadcasting.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-09-23

Computer Talk's Earth Minute

Because Dr. Dave is already congested, Evil Steve introduces a mock environmental feature in which his brother must hold his breath for a full minute while a song plays and Evil Steve calmly urges him not to flail. Dr. Dave survives the countdown and promises the feature will continue for the next thirty-five years.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-04-12

Courtesy during a difficult support call

A confusing phone bill leaves Dr. Dave irritated, but he makes clear that he does not blame the representative personally. Her patient response turns the call into a customer-service experience worth praising.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-13

Courtesy when sending an attachment

After helping a caller with a Word document, Dr. Dave turns the problem into a lesson in digital courtesy. Senders should avoid unnecessarily large files and explain what the attachment is and which program opens it rather than making the recipient guess.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-02-26

Dave reads poetry, sings and dances every day

A vintage song sends Dr. Dave and Evil Steve into a memory of the Cracker Jack dance from their childhood. Teased that he has not danced in twenty years, Dr. Dave insists that he reads poetry, sings and dances every day, even if Evil Steve believes most of it happens in the shower.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-09-24

Dave’s birthday on the air

Evil Steve marks Dr. Dave’s birthday with exaggerated jokes that he has turned 103 and looks no older than 46. Dr. Dave says he forgets his birthday almost immediately and thanks his brother for the on-air recognition.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-03-12

Dave’s five-hundred-dollar 300-baud modem

A discussion of the film WarGames leads Dr. Dave to remember owning a 300-baud acoustic-coupler modem in 1983 and paying roughly five hundred dollars for it. The story captures how strikingly slow and expensive early personal communications technology once was.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-05-14

Do something that matters before email

Dr. Dave moves from distracting browser panels to a larger rule for focused work: schedule email rather than living inside it, begin the morning with something productive and admit how interruptions damage concentration. He includes himself among the people who overestimate their ability to multitask.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-04-19

Easter eggs, pizza and an early start

Playful Easter preparations and a caller joining the pizza and time-change joke.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-04-10

eBay finds Dave's childhood lunchbox

Dr. Dave calls eBay one of the Internet bubble's great survivors because it can reconnect people with objects they thought were gone. His example is a 1970s Six Million Dollar Man lunchbox, which leads directly to the brothers remembering that Evil Steve did not merely step on Dr. Dave's original; he kicked and stomped it after an argument.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-10-06

Even Dave has to know his repair limits

Keeping an old printer alive gets Dr. Dave talking about repairing useful equipment. Evil Steve points out that persistence can cost more than the repair is worth, and his brother readily admits he has trouble knowing when to stop.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-04

Everything on eBay is mint

A fountain pen search lets Dr. Dave joke about online listings where everything is called mint until the description reveals a broken nib, teeth marks and missing trim. Beneath the joke is a lasting warning to read past the headline and remember which sellers earn distrust.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-30

Exceptional children and the family vacation

Back from the family truckster vacation, Dr. Dave calls his children good, exceptional and intense and jokes with Evil Steve about the energy required to guide them. He shares that trip photographs are on DaveMason.com and says he feels as though he has missed several shows even though he has never missed one.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-07-23

Experience can overlook the basics

Caller Annette solves a stubborn boot problem by unplugging an external USB card reader. Dr. Dave admits that experienced troubleshooters can descend the diagnostic tree too quickly, explains why it helps to stop and take a few steps back and remembers rare machines that failed to boot because of something as simple as a keyboard.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-01-12

Experience made from errors

With hail roaring outside like a technical failure, Dr. Dave says his years of usefulness come not from brilliance but from the enormous number of errors he has already made, and that daily change makes a big head incompatible with responsible technical work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-04-11

Experience takes time

Dr. Dave reflects that long experience can sharpen judgment only when a person pays attention, looks back honestly and learns from what actually happened; there is no shortcut around living through the work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-05-19

Facebook became the family news wire

Dr. Dave dislikes much about Facebook but admits that it has become so embedded in family life that it is where he learns a relative has entered the hospital or died. Evil Steve adds increasingly obsolete alternatives—phone calls, letters, telegraph and Morse code—turning the complaint into a compact record of changing family communication.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-04-04

Family calls during the live show

When their private phone keeps ringing during the broadcast, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remind the family to wait until the show is over for questions about coming by, milk or cookies—and invite everyone else to use the on-air number.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-07-16

Family reminders about Dave’s birthday

Evil Steve notes that Microsoft announced Origami on Dr. Dave’s March 9 birthday, prompting Dr. Dave to joke about forgetting the date as he gets older while family members make sure he remembers it. The brothers turn exaggerated ages and appearance into a warm, compact family exchange.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-03-11

Father’s Day yard sale and the Apple IIc

Dr. Dave says his Father’s Day weekend includes clearing several storage areas at the family yard sale. An Apple IIc and an old daisy wheel printer prompt Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to debate whether vintage computer equipment is collectible or most useful as a boat anchor.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-06-17

Fear is the tool of human engineering

After a caller encounters redirects and blocked security updates, Dr. Dave explains why excellent protective software cannot eliminate human judgment. Criminals imitate legitimate warnings, create fear and persuade a user to authorize the very action that installs the problem—sometimes even charging for it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-13

Fountain pens and the yellow Bic

Dr. Dave checks an eBay auction for an old fountain pen during the show while Evil Steve insists that the supposedly priceless pen will return once its buyer discovers how cheap it is. The teasing leads Evil Steve to remember a yellow Bic pen from childhood and wonder whether even that ordinary object has become collectible.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-10-15

Four terabytes of music and not enough lifetime

A folder problem reminds Dr. Dave of a client and friend with roughly four terabytes of songs, whom he startles by calculating that the collection may be too large to hear one track at a time during the rest of his life.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-11-06

Fun stuff becomes a family catchphrase

Dr. Dave says how much he enjoys returning to the studio every Saturday before Evil Steve challenges his habit of promising fun stuff. Dr. Dave reveals that his wife Gina and their sister Michele have been discussing the teasing too, turning a repeated radio phrase into affectionate family banter.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-10-01

Get email out of the inbox

Dr. Dave says he has kept nearly every email since about 1999, but draws a sharp distinction between an archive and an inbox. Once a message has been read, it should be deleted, filed or archived because an orderly inbox makes an important psychological difference and email can otherwise degrade productivity.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-10-27

Get protected, then live your life

A small-business caller asks for security that requires no thought. Dr. Dave resists the recommendation he is being forced toward, compares the wish to avoiding all back pain and reaches the broader lesson that being good with computers includes knowing what to ignore instead of obsessing over every warning.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-05-16

Give yourself an out

When Ray asks whether he can return to Vista after replacing it, Dr. Dave tells him to create the manufacturer's restore media immediately. The durable principle is simple: before a major change, preserve a way back if something goes catastrophically wrong.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-10

Gratitude and the time it takes to build freedom

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve open by sincerely thanking veterans and saying the broadcast itself is possible because of their service. They then put modern complaints in a longer perspective, remembering how long the United States took to form its constitutional foundation and arguing that countries taking their first steps toward democracy also need time to develop.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2005-11-12

Happy birthday, Nick

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve pause the show to wish Dr. Dave's son Nick a happy fourteenth birthday, replay the “plethora of piñatas” joke for him and remember how Nick once chose a childhood nickname that followed him afterward.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-04-02

Help someone and step outside yourself

Recession-free jokes become a sincere suggestion that anxiety and inward fear can ease when a person makes an intelligent contribution to the Salvation Army, Red Cross or another person, even when resources feel tight.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-29

Helping a new user without fear

A caller says even computer books for beginners feel too difficult. Dr. Dave tells him that asking for help is exactly why the show exists, acknowledges real online risks and uses simple home-security and bear analogies to explain that basic precautions can reduce exposure.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-05

How Dave read the news

When friends say they have stopped following the news, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve discuss taking breaks, resisting passive absorption and using reports as leads for deciding how to act rather than accepting every explanation offered with them.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-21

How I know some of the goofy stuff I know

Dr. Dave says he learned by fiddling beyond the point of breakage and investing hundreds or thousands of stubborn hands-on hours. When published browser benchmarks conflict with the way Linux, Opera and Chrome behave during his actual live-show workflow, he keeps testing different systems and asks what the clean-room measurements may have missed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-03-31

I can't not be a skeptic

Dr. Dave admits that skepticism is ingrained in him. Even when he wants to accept something, his mind immediately asks “what if?” and whether it is too good to be true—a compact and revealing description of the instinct behind his on-air analysis and consulting judgment.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-08-11

Image the bad drive first

A caller’s cloning question lets Dr. Dave explain why recovery work first captures a failing drive onto stable media and performs repeated recovery attempts on the copy rather than risking the original.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-10-17

It felt like the old days in the bunker

Introducing a fuller studio crew, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember when the broadcast had shrunk back to the two of them in the old bunker. Their improvised introductions of Stephanie, Jess and “Cold Stone Evil Steve” preserve the loose family atmosphere behind the show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-07-30

Jesse enters the contest he cannot win

Jesse submits a deliberately flattering giveaway entry even though family, friends, coworkers and everyone connected with the show are ineligible. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve read it aloud, tease him and briefly consider changing the rules so Evil Steve can award himself the prize.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-05-07

Keep the original photograph

Mark wants an image small enough to email but detailed enough to enlarge. Dr. Dave explains why the large original must remain intact while separate copies are optimized for email, web display and printing, a principle directly relevant to the memorial archive.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-27

Learning did not end with school

A history website leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to argue that political conflict often survives because people do not know the underlying history. Dr. Dave says nearly everything he knows was learned after school and describes the pleasure of continuing to pursue facts voraciously.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-22

Learning through the same technology battles

Dr. Dave says his advice comes from making mistakes and fighting through the same problems listeners encounter, only more often because it is his work. The concise passage captures both humility and the experience behind his consulting voice.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-02-17

Local stores win with specialized service

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve praise their local hardware store for stocking unusual parts unavailable at big-box chains and explain that specialized inventory and full service are how an independent business competes.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-13

Longhorn, mind reading and the younger brother

Waiting for Windows turns into banter about mental exhaustion and Evil Steve as the younger, nicer brother. Major-product history with their relationship in view.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-04-10

Look beyond the advertised numbers

Wireless planning leads to what Dr. Dave taught his children about researching claims. Personal conclusion is outside retrieval hits; this is practical skepticism, not router promotion.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-06-19

Make the restore discs before you need them

Dr. Dave praises engineer Larry for making a new computer’s recovery discs immediately instead of ignoring repeated warnings. He turns the small task into a wider lesson about preparing while recovery is still easy rather than blaming a manufacturer after the opportunity has passed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-14

Making Dell honor the rebates

Dr. Dave remembers spending a year and a half pressing Dell and its finance company to honor rebates owed to a consulting client, showing his willingness to stand up for the customer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-19

Marriage and children made Dave calmer

Football enthusiasm leads Evil Steve to remember how out of control Dr. Dave could be in earlier years. Dr. Dave says he is older, has been married for a long time and has children who are growing up, and Evil Steve agrees that he has become much calmer, though never subdued.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-09-02

More is not always better

Caller Susan describes a computer damaged by two competing antivirus programs. Dr. Dave turns the example into a broader lesson that conscientious users can make matters worse by assuming that bigger and more automatically mean better.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-30

Motivated to find the answer

Dr. Dave says difficult consulting problems are not always efficient and that it can be hard to charge for every hour spent slogging through them. Even so, he is motivated to find the answer and genuinely enjoys taking the time to solve the problem.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-08-25

My first digital phone needed an extra eighth inch

An early digital phone barely worked until its carrier mailed Dr. Dave a replacement antenna. The difference was just an eighth of an inch, a tiny fix he never forgot.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-03-24

Nick oversees a chaotic show

During a run of microphone trouble, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve notice Dr. Dave's son Nick entering the studio to oversee the situation. They jokingly call him an executive, threaten an isolation booth when he starts coughing and fold the family interruption into the deliberately chaotic live show.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-05-20

Nine months to fix an online-only account

Dr. Dave recounts an online phone account that failed for nine months, the rude chat reply that finally provoked him, and the larger lesson that ordinary customers are not alone in their frustration.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-13

Nutritious Nicky joins the show

With Jesse away, Dr. Dave introduces Mad Max and “the nutritious Dr. Dave's son Nicky” in the studio, and the brothers improvise initials and basketball jokes around the new nickname. It is a small, affectionate family moment preserved inside the live program.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-05-28

One Dave and twenty-four hours

Promoting another Test and Tune, Dr. Dave says there is only one of him and twenty-four hours in a day, so he is trying to get his hands on as many computers as efficiently as possible and do some good.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-07-11

Our old radio signal reached the stars

A message from listener Robert turns the show into science fiction: somewhere around another star, imagined listeners may finally be receiving one of Computer Talk's earliest broadcasts and laughing at ancient DOS. It is a brief, playful reminder of how long Dr. Dave had been on the air.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2015-05-30

Our pre-show warm-up

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember preparing for broadcasts by running at one another in the hallway, colliding and yelling while everyone else at the station wondered what they were doing. They credit the ridiculous ritual for the energy of the show and decide it should return—preferably before the microphones are live.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-08-18

Overprotected in one place, unprotected in another

Dr. Dave recognizes a common human swing between ignoring risk and becoming so alarmed that defensive tools create new problems. A computer can be compulsively protected against one threat while missing basic updates elsewhere; the show's answer is a small, understandable set of protections rather than an ever-growing pile.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-16

Paper full and siliconless radio

When the automated phone display fails, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember the early studio method: torn scraps of paper taped directly to the glass, sometimes without scissors or even Post-it notes. Their solution to the paperless dream is to go paper full and siliconless, rename the show Computers Ruin Your Lives and tell everyone to sell the computer.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-09-15

Passwords people can actually use

Dr. Dave balances ideal password rules against what an ordinary person can remember and use, recommending local records and practical safeguards rather than impossible perfection.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-19

Patience and methodical work

An unresolved client computer leads Dr. Dave to explain that frustration makes people discard machines too quickly or try random changes that make matters worse. He advocates patience, composure and dealing with the facts while admitting that the right stopping point is not always visible at the beginning.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-06-06

People come first

While introducing a local automotive sponsor, Dr. Dave says the company's skill matters but trust starts with high-integrity people. For him, the people behind the work come first.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-22

Pizza delivered by drone in 2013

In 2013, the idea that Domino's might test pizza delivery by a small four-propeller drone sounds almost unbelievable to Dr. Dave and Evil Steve. They work out how it might text the customer, lower a pizza and eventually carry laundry or dry cleaning, remembering that a friend had already imagined a network of tiny delivery helicopters.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2013-06-08

Pope John Paul II and technology

Reflecting on Pope John Paul II’s death and funeral, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve consider both his historical influence and his use of cell-phone messages and interactive exhibits. Dr. Dave is surprised to learn of plans involving St. Isidore of Seville and calls the Pope unusually engaged with the technology of his era.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-04-09

Question the pitch

Dr. Dave remembers paying for a prized master recording in 1976, then argues that disappointment with earlier formats should teach people to ask questions when advertising and peer pressure insist the newest technology must be adopted. The brothers close by remembering the careful ritual of cleaning a vinyl record.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-28

Quiet time lets the answer emerge

Dr. Dave says he often calls support only to ask whether a known bug or update exists, yet solves the problem himself while waiting for someone to answer. He concludes that the real advantage may be the rare opportunity to sit quietly and think without the next pressure demanding attention.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-19

Rather be right by admitting he was wrong

Returning to his changed view of Twitter, Dr. Dave says he would rather be right by admitting an error than stay wrong, then explains that his work is continually uncovering information meant to help people at their computers and in everyday life.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-14

Reading the Massachusetts Constitution during the show

Dr. Dave describes how a program about Samuel Adams sent him to his laptop to read the Massachusetts Constitution in real time, despite the amount of reading and research he already did.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-05-01

Real people using real computers in the real world

A caller’s concern about fake security tools leads Dr. Dave to explain why he does not trust a single laboratory test and instead looks for repeated results across different real computers and situations.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-09

Red, rid and the Smothers Brothers

Evil Steve teases Dr. Dave about saying “red” for “rid,” Dr. Dave turns the criticism back on his brother and the exchange grows into an affectionate comparison with the Smothers Brothers and their contrasting stage personas.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-05-21

Rough edges can build credibility

A caller asks how polished a presentation must be. Dr. Dave says good information does not require excessive razzle-dazzle and observes that small production imperfections can feel human and credible rather than simply looking like failures.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-02-24

Same bat time after the family truckster

At the end of the show, Dr. Dave postpones several stories, promises the usual return and jokes that he hopes to make it back from the family truckster trip. Evil Steve wishes him a safe journey before Dr. Dave gives the familiar safe, sane and sober weekend signoff.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-07-16

Security is only as strong as the simple layers

When caller Mike says his Windows account has no password, Dr. Dave explains that security depends on layers. Even corporate systems protected by expensive hardware and software can be weakened when people ignore a simple password, returning the lesson to the familiar chain and its weakest link.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-29

Security software cannot overrule your consent

Dr. Dave explains that protective software cannot reliably save someone who approves a malicious installation disguised as a needed viewer. The lasting lesson is behavioral: attackers exploit trust and urgency, so the user's deliberate consent matters as much as the product installed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-25

Seventeen years and the Pinks All Out weekend

The brothers mark seventeen years on air and seven years nationwide, then remember their weekend with the Pinks All Out crew at Tucson's Southwestern International Raceway. They expected television personalities under deadline pressure to be difficult, but instead remember gracious people who treated them like royalty—and joke that the crew must have mistaken them for someone else.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-07-12

Shop as if the rebate will never arrive

Dr. Dave explains that delayed rebates create incentives very different from an immediate discount because many buyers never complete the process and fulfillment companies benefit from denying claims. His practical rule is to make sure the purchase is wise even without the rebate, then treat any payment as a bonus and document everything immediately.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-09

Solve the problem without creating another

Dr. Dave explains that even when a utility or service representative frustrates him, he keeps his anger inside, does not yell or curse and deals with the person professionally and courteously. His deliberately gentle questions reduce the conflict to its purpose: solve the problem on his end without causing another problem for the person trying to help.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-03-23

Sometimes a phone is just a phone

Back on an old Cingular-branded flip phone, Evil Steve realizes he has not missed his smartphone much and the brothers remember the range and weight of early brick phones.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-03-27

Sometimes the archive is all a listener has

A little studio confusion prompts Dr. Dave to ask whether the show is being recorded. Evil Steve jokes that listeners never return to the archive, then quietly adds that sometimes it is all they have to listen to; calls from people relieved that the brothers are back make the exchange especially resonant in the memorial archive.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2014-06-14

Spring outside the bunker

Birds singing outside the open bunker vent repeatedly interrupt an Apple story. Dr. Dave calls them his connection to the outside world from seventy-five feet underground while Evil Steve layers in nature-documentary narration, bird calls and monkeys until neither brother can keep a straight line through the segment.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-03-17

Stay with problems longer

An Einstein quotation gives Dr. Dave language for his own working method: he may endure more frustration than a reinstall requires, but he stays with difficult problems because he wants to understand their real cause.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-26

Steve kept the radio archive running

Evil Steve apologizes for a delayed show upload and explains that he alone compiled and posted the archive. Vacation jokes and mention of their sister Michele turn a technical housekeeping note into a warm record of the family work behind DaveMason.com.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-11-22

Technology stress and a trauma nurse

Describing a deadline that packed several days of work into one, Dr. Dave pauses to put his own stress in perspective. His wife worked as a trauma nurse, and the pressure of chips and software does not compare with the emergencies she had to face.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-08-27

Technology stress and the trauma nurse

A survey calling technology work the most stressful job leads Dr. Dave to compare notes after work with his wife, a trauma and intensive care nurse. His tales of lost data or a computer he could not revive suddenly look very different beside the injury and death she confronted, giving him a humbling sense of proportion.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-05-27

Thanking Lana Gray

As Lana moves on to a new job, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve thank her for her work, joke about the memoir she might someday write and explain that Evil Steve is trying the board for the first time.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-10-30

The best thing about Comdex was driving the Mercedes

While questioning what giant trade shows really offered, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember the standout pleasure of attending Comdex: driving Mercedes-Benz test cars as fast as the coned course allowed. It is a compact personal memory inside a larger piece of computing-event history.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-01-10

The boys cheer for forgotten history

With Gina working, Dr. Dave, his two boys and a friend sit together clapping and cheering through a television program about Black founders, and he explains why rediscovering history gives him hope in a difficult political period.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-05-29

The Computer Talk family at Christmas

Dr. Dave's sons LT and Nick join Josh and the brothers in the studio just before Christmas. Cookies, cake, hot cocoa and children helping with production make it a lively family broadcast.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-12-22

The Computer Talk greatest hits tour

A listener asks why Dr. Dave and Evil Steve do not compile a Computer Talk greatest-hits collection. They joke that they will release it and take musician Dave Mason on tour.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-05-10

The Cracker Jack dance

A song title sends the brothers back to an old dance called the Cracker Jack, and Dr. Dave carefully reconstructs its scooping motions while Evil Steve tries to remember the hop—an affectionate, visual memory made entirely through radio.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-09-03

The dress that broke the Internet

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve reach the viral photograph at exactly the moment the Internet is arguing over whether the dress is blue and black or white and gold. Each brother sees a different answer, turns the disagreement into escalating jokes and leaves the mystery appropriately unresolved.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2015-02-28

The fire extinguisher at Daytona

While previewing the team’s return to the Rolex 24, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember the previous year when a fire-extinguisher handle was accidentally pressed and covered the paddock and an official. Their excitement about following the race live makes the mishap part of the show’s racing history.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-01-27

The first Washington preseason game

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve celebrate the first preseason appearance of the new Washington team, remember the old counter play behind Joe Jacoby and Russ Grimm and decide to enjoy the promising result even if it proves fleeting.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-08-14

The geography problem

Helping Ray move files in Vista, Dr. Dave explains that even a change intended to make software easier creates pain at first. He reduces the task to understanding where the files reside and where they need to go, calling it the geography problem.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-10

The giveaway letter love story

A winning listener letter claims that an Evil Steve joke caused a spilled drink, a rear-end collision and an eventual engagement to the other driver, leaving Dr. Dave to conclude that the story deserved the prize whether or not it was true.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-12-18

The Green Minute

The brothers revive a satirical recurring segment about being green, turn human breathing into an absurd pollution violation and invite six billion people to hold their breath together.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-04-18

The human being is the weakest link

During a drive-by-download call, Dr. Dave says attackers ultimately target the weakest link: the human being. A malicious prompt can disguise itself as a necessary or attractive download, and even the best firewall cannot protect someone who is persuaded to approve the wrong request.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-11-24

The margarine of evil

A mock dispute over Evil Steve’s “real voice” ends with Dr. Dave ranking his brother as quasi-evil, semi-evil and finally the margarine or Diet Coke of evil before introducing him at the microphone.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-08-21

The margarine of evil

Dr. Dave describes Evil Steve as only quasi-evil, the margarine of evil and the Diet Coke of evil. When Evil Steve says he considered changing a familiar show sounder, listener feedback settles the issue: the audience knows exactly what to do when it hears it, leading Dr. Dave to praise consistency while promising never to change his own lack of consistency.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-01-26

The official Computer Talk dinner

The unusual nighttime broadcast makes room for the “official Computer Talk dinner,” as Dr. Dave and Evil Steve thank Gina’s Kitchen for a colorful homemade chicken, garlic, pasta and vegetable meal.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-02-15

The only people always here are you and I

While explaining the summer staff schedule, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve joke that the two of them are the only people who appear every week no matter what. The exchange moves into their family truckster jokes and Dr. Dave’s upcoming California trip before the familiar Evil Steve introduction.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-07-16

The other Doctor Dave

Dr. Dave interrupts the start of a guest interview to share a listener's search result: another prominent Dr. David Mason is a proctologist. Evil Steve instantly turns the coincidence into a joke about Dr. Dave's possible second job and the people who say the two doctors are not so different.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-11-03

The pizza that kept the show going

The official Saturday pizza arrives in the studio, and the tired brothers thank the local shop and joke that pizza and Pepsi are what get them through the program.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-05-30

The things we did as kids

A humorous list from Gina leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to remember riding without seatbelts or helmets and building go karts before remembering they needed brakes. They see the contrast with 2005 as evidence that society had become far more risk averse.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-08-06

The upgrade step Dave should have done first

Dr. Dave candidly describes a client upgrade where he failed to scan the old drive first, then explains how the oversight created avoidable cleanup work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-08-07

Tim Russert listened to the other side

Dr. Dave remembers Tim Russert with respect despite their political differences. Betty shares a personal story about the cap, photographs and handwritten note Russert sent her after hearing how faithfully she watched Meet the Press.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-06-14

Until Lotus is broken

While comparing streaming boxes, Dr. Dave reaches for an old software-industry saying about competitors and cannot quite remember it. Evil Steve helps him reconstruct variations on if Lotus still works, Windows is not done, and their shared uncertainty becomes a funny piece of period computer culture.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-03-23

Watching hundreds of fountain pens

Dr. Dave casually reveals that he follows a couple hundred fountain pens online even though he rarely buys one now. When an unusually valuable pen appears for ten dollars he moves quickly, while Evil Steve jokingly asks every competing listener to wait at least ten seconds before bidding.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-01-13

We refuse to participate in the fear

During the frightening financial and political news of September 2008, Dr. Dave refuses false reassurance: the situation is scary and every country faces challenges. Yet he believes Americans can work through it, admits that his own show feels fear too and chooses not to let constant negative coverage become paralysis.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-27

When Steve was afraid to talk on the radio

After joking about the feedback Evil Steve attracts, Dr. Dave asks whether he remembers being afraid to speak on the radio. Evil Steve denies it, Dr. Dave imitates his old nervousness and then declares that the confident brother beside him is not afraid of anything anymore.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-08-18

When the practical way beats the technology fad

A caller’s obsolete Rambus memory prompts Dr. Dave to explain why impressive technology can lose to a cheaper, practical improvement and why he is slow to follow fads.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-09-26

Who is running the Microsoft update

A missed cue sends Dr. Dave and Evil Steve into an increasingly confused argument about whether the Microsoft update has started, will start now or belongs after the hour. The brothers turn the production mistake into comedy, blame the older brother and appeal directly to their mother after joking that the dispute has lasted forty years.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-03-04

Why are the kids surprised?

Dr. Dave laughs that his children are amazed when he repairs an Xbox or music player because fixing technology is his livelihood; Evil Steve adds that they mostly experience him arriving home late and being handed another problem before dinner.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-02-07

Why data recovery is not a safe experiment

Caller Woody asks whether anyone can learn to recover a failed drive, and Dr. Dave explains that a mistaken attempt can make the information impossible to recover at any price. He distinguishes a damaged Windows installation from logical data damage and a physically or electronically failed drive, showing why careful diagnosis must come before intervention.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-02-18

Why the default is the default

Bob asks what “default” really means, and Dr. Dave explains that it is the setting used unless someone specifies otherwise because it works for the majority of ordinary situations. Custom controls exist for unusual needs and sophisticated users, but changing them without a reason can create the color problem the caller is trying to solve.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-23

Worthwhile things take work

A discussion of whether the Internet is good enough develops into Evil Steve’s woodworking, maintenance and the effort behind worthwhile things, with Dr. Dave applying the point to choices and responsibility. Retain the brothers’ interaction and qualifications.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-05-08

Write the angry email but do not send it

Dr. Dave repeats his rule that any email should be safe for anyone, including one’s mother, to read and adds that a message written in anger should remain unsent until the writer can return with a clear head. Evil Steve then points out that their guest cannot recall his interview because it is permanently recorded in the show archive.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-06-03

Zero to sixty in sixty seconds

A discussion of modern diesel technology sends Dr. Dave back to an independent-minded friend and his 1976 Mercedes 300D with an enormous auxiliary fuel tank. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember that its range seemed endless, its zero-to-sixty time was roughly sixty seconds and a hard press on the accelerator produced a James Bond-style smoke screen.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2014-06-14

A balanced life in a high tech world

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain why football, racing and other interests belong on Computer Talk: they have lives beyond keyboards and screens, and a balanced life makes the program more human. At the same time, they recognize that technology has entered nearly every ordinary activity, even ordering a pizza.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-01-28

A flat tire does not need a new truck

Dr. Dave compares powerful cleanup tools to fine painting supplies that cannot substitute for knowing how to paint, then compares wiping a troubled computer to buying a new truck to fix a flat tire: technically effective, but rarely rational.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-07-18

A listener corrects Dave on the air

Caller Patrick catches that the previous Mac user could not have been running Safari on OS 9. Dr. Dave immediately accepts the correction, calls it a brain fade, thanks Patrick and adjusts the proposed troubleshooting path rather than pretending the original answer was right.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-09-03

A listener finds Computer Talk online

Dr. Dave's son Nick says he missed hearing Dr. Dave and Evil Steve on terrestrial radio and is glad to have found the internet broadcast, capturing the audience side of the show’s transition.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2010-03-06

A listener predicted the brothers' national show

Woody remembers calling years earlier when Dr. Dave and Evil Steve were filling in for a local talk host and telling them they should have a nationwide program. By 2008 he says they have fulfilled half of the prediction through national technology radio, while the brothers admit their political opinions still slip through because they are inveterate smart alecks.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-10-11

A listener remembers finding the show

Caller Ray says Dr. Dave’s earlier program was one of his first introductions to Tucson and brought back pleasant memories when its title was mentioned again.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-11-27

A show for cutting the grass

Caller Mark wants the live stream working so he can hear Computer Talk while cutting the grass, chats easily with Dr. Dave and Evil Steve about the car picture and browsers and then becomes the first proof that their troublesome new phone setup finally works.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2011-03-26

An incredibly realistic life is out there

The brothers admit that channel surfing can leave them watching nothing, then hope that reducing television means not simply moving to another screen but spending more time in three-dimensional, human-to-human life.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-18

Callers can tell Dave to wrap it up

Caller Tom phones back to explain that he had hurried Dr. Dave only because a printing task needed his attention. Dr. Dave says he was impressed rather than offended and invites callers to tell him when an answer is getting long, while joking that emails ask Evil Steve to do the same.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-08-13

Calm, methodical and no throwing things

After guiding a caller toward a buried print-layout option, Dr. Dave reduces the whole repair method to temperament: stay calm, move through the problem one step at a time, do not panic, put down the coffee and avoid throwing anything. A greeting to Evil Steve and a joke about their website photographs make the advice feel like the live show rather than a lecture.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-04

Can you fire nuclear missiles from safe mode?

Kyle asks whether a Windows-based nuclear submarine could launch in safe mode, prompting a straight-faced answer about missing 32-bit missile drivers and only the 16-bit missiles working.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-03-28

Computer Talk turns fifteen at age ten

Congratulations on Computer Talk's fifteenth anniversary give Dr. Dave an opening to joke that he must have been ten when it started.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-10-28

Dave the telepathic computer repairman

When a caller’s Picasa problem resolves itself during the break, Dr. Dave claims he fixed it with telepathy. He escalates the joke by saying he is silently repairing computers for people who do not yet know they have problems.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-08-19

Deciding whether to do it yourself

Before advising a caller to move his computer into a new case, Dr. Dave asks about patience, experience and knowing when to stop. The bigger question is what happens if the repair fails and someone needs that computer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-01-07

Difficulty does not mean you are an idiot

A caller with graphics experience is frustrated that scanned forms cannot be edited cleanly. Dr. Dave begins by setting an honest expectation: the job can be difficult even for experienced people, but it is still possible, and the struggle itself is not evidence of incompetence. The caller joins the joke and they continue from a more confident starting point.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-04

Disconnect from technology to have a life

Evil Steve explains why he does not keep a computer at home despite working around technology all day. The brothers argue that constant access can make people feel enslaved and that stepping away leaves room for ordinary responsibilities, hobbies and a life outside the screen.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-15

Ditka asked for three years

A discussion of impatient expectations for Washington turns to Mike Ditka’s early promise that belief and three years could carry the Bears to the Super Bowl, prompting Dr. Dave to wonder whether modern coaches receive enough time to build.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-26

DJ Fresh on private browsing and a new phone

Regular caller Mark challenges the phrase “private browsing,” then tells the brothers about his move, wife, injured foot and new home phone while the studio keeps the conversation light and personal.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-05-29

Do not panic, and do not ignore it

When Rick asks whether one recovered crash requires professional service, Dr. Dave chooses a middle course: he does not sell an unnecessary visit, but he also refuses to pretend nothing happened and recommends careful monitoring.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-05-29

Experiments with no real goal

Dr. Dave admits spending days changing and testing a small solid-state computer with no practical destination, treating it as an intellectual exercise driven by the desire to understand why things behave as they do.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-10-30

Experts forget what beginners do not know

Bob says he felt foolish because no one explained that writing a CD meant burning it. Dr. Dave connects the problem to coaching children, where adults discover how much assumed knowledge they carry, and reminds listeners that the foolish choice is refusing to ask a question.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-03

Experts have already made the mistakes

Tom contrasts a formal expert with someone who has already done the task. Dr. Dave replies that his own expertise comes from having already made all the mistakes, and jokes that if he has not made them yet, he is about to.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-15

Go out and live your life

Tired of technology whose main promise is another screen for entertainment, Dr. Dave remembers limiting his sons' game and computer time. They also needed to climb trees, get dirty, face the neighbor's dog and live their own lives rather than only watch recordings of other people living theirs—a principle he extends to adults as well.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-04-11

Hail to Washington from a Cowboys fan

After Washington defeats Dallas for the division title, Cowboys fan Mark calls in to congratulate the brothers and say he will support their team against Seattle. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve save the admission on tape, then tease Mark when he says his engagement has made him softer and he confesses that the new sweetness may partly be for his fiancee to hear.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-01-05

High-tech and high-touch

Dr. Dave explains that he is intrigued by the combination of high-tech and high-touch because, for all his technology, he still loves fountain pens and yellow legal pads. Evil Steve answers with jokes about parchment, ribbons and a copper carrying tube.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-08-25

Hurry up and get to the fun

Dr. Dave explains that he sometimes starts working before he is fully awake and skips ordinary preparation because he enjoys the work and wants to get to the fun as quickly as possible. The brothers connect that habit to the silk shirt he has been wearing inside out throughout the broadcast.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-09-15

I will research it and email you

Tom has an AOL problem Dr. Dave cannot safely finish from memory, so Dr. Dave offers to consult his files and return a direct answer by email. A hardware-store Christmas joke preserves the easy rapport around that promise.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-13

Interrupting is part of the show

Evil Steve catches himself interrupting, but the brothers explain that the familiar habit is part of their chemistry and sometimes gives callers an opening to contribute rather than merely wait through a lecture.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-01-10

Listeners helped the show follow through

Listener Lynn first teased Dr. Dave for promising a useful program and forgetting to name it, then later thanked him for eventually following through. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve say reminders like that led them to work more methodically, finish thoughts and make sure teased subjects were completed before the show ended.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-08-27

LT and Computer Talk turn fifteen

During the show’s fifteenth anniversary month, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve notice that Dr. Dave's son LT will also turn fifteen on July 25. They joke that both the son and the radio program now know everything, creating a compact coincidence between family and broadcast history.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-07-08

LT grew up with Computer Talk

On the seventeenth anniversary, Dr. Dave suddenly realizes that Dr. Dave's son LT was born only a few weeks after the first Computer Talk broadcast. The program and his son have effectively grown up together, turning an abstract anniversary into a family timeline.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-07-12

Mark’s great new phone drops the call

Mark calls from Mississippi to praise his new smartphone and network, trades football jokes with the brothers and then vanishes from the line just after everyone celebrates the connection.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-10-30

Mike, the D.C. brother from another mother

Returning caller Mike greets Dr. Dave and Evil Steve as his brothers from another mother, asks for a recap because he is hooked on the show and then stays through warm teasing about Earth, Wind and Fire and Evil Steve missing the concert. The exchange preserves the familiar relationship the program built with regular listeners.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-12-31

More fun than he deserves

After a caller wishes him well, Dr. Dave says Saturday radio lets him have more fun than he deserves by showing up, speaking freely and reaching listeners everywhere.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-12-27

Never email what you would not want broadcast

A report about a private workplace email being forwarded across a financial district gives Dr. Dave one last lesson as the producer counts down the show. Never put anything in an email that you would not want broadcast or read by your mother, because either could happen.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-01-21

No phones, no printouts, still a show

Dr. Dave discovers just before airtime that none of his fifty to seventy pages of preparation printed, receives no error message and calmly decides to retrace the show from memory while the call-in line is also down.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-07-10

Nobody has kids like Dave does

After saying he has listened for roughly twenty years, caller John asks what Dr. Dave means in an advertisement when he says “kids like I do.” Dr. Dave replies that nobody has children like his and affectionately adds that they are good boys.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-05-07

Old keyboards and old motorcycle helmets

A caller’s beloved old game controller leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve through old IBM keyboards, subjective feel and Dr. Dave’s taste for heavy, uncomfortable vintage motorcycle helmets.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-10-17

Overwhelmed at the Pearl Harbor memorial

Dr. Dave remembers being only six or seven when his family moved to Hawaii and feeling overwhelmed at the USS Arizona memorial, imagining the quiet Sunday morning that changed abruptly and honoring the people who lost their lives.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-12-04

Reality radio is supposed to be sloppy

Rather than fumble through uncertain Firefox menus on the air, Dr. Dave offers to verify the exact steps during the break. Evil Steve pantomimes an impossible sequence of clicks, then observes that sloppy and disjointed reality programming is fashionable; Dr. Dave concludes that this must explain their success.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-02-09

Regular people have real lives

Bob's trouble with basic DVD software prompts Dr. Dave to offer direct help and remind technology experts that most people are not geeks because they have other work and interests. Bob extends the point by imagining Dr. Dave and Evil Steve needing his expertise on a shrimping boat.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-10

Relaxed driving and paying for useful work

Dr. Dave credits Evil Steve with teaching him that calm, lawful driving removes the need to watch constantly for police, then compares that relief with owning legitimate software that can be updated and supported. He challenges resentment toward a successful creator by asking why producing something useful should be less worthy of payment than anyone else’s work.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-16

Risk can never be zero

After a difficult malware call, Dr. Dave broadens the lesson beyond computers: good behavior and protection matter, but nothing guarantees perfect safety, so people should minimize risk and prepare to respond when prevention fails.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-17

Saving their pictures and their voices

Richard wants to scan his father's family album, record his father and aunt identifying the people and attach those voices to the pictures for the rest of the family. Dr. Dave recognizes the value immediately and suggests practical 2007 tools for creating a narrated collection, preserving not only the photographs but the knowledge held by the people who remember them.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-07-21

Should computer users need a license?

Darwin’s real workplace experience leads Dr. Dave to balance reasonable expectations of users with basic responsibilities. Proposed mandatory licensing is discussed skeptically and contrasted with the show’s own educational role.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-03-27

The $60 lathe with $300 shipping

Tom describes winning a small lathe cheaply only to receive a shipping quote several times the sale price. Dr. Dave uses the story to argue for transparent total prices, while Evil Steve points to marketplace reputation as a practical pressure toward honest dealing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-07-04

The answer Bill could not find in a thousand-page book

A caller discusses upgrade choices, gets a plain-language startup-menu answer and compliments the new website. Captures why listeners valued the show.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-07-17

The B-52 went straight up

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember watching a B-52 make a low pass at an earlier Tucson air show and then climb at an angle they can hardly believe. Their shared excitement and precise memory of the 1992 event make it a vivid personal story.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-03-17

The caller says the fix worked

Allison calls back off air to report that the Vista driver Dr. Dave found solved her printer problem. The brothers turn the coincidence of a newly posted driver into a joke about positive intimidation, while Dr. Dave sincerely thanks her because consultants and radio hosts do not always learn whether their suggestions worked.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-08-18

The eighty twenty rule for a yearlong modem problem

Caller Ron has spent a year trying to identify an inexpensive modem that still cannot perform the faxing he needs. Dr. Dave applies his eighty twenty rule to time, money and mental energy, then gently insists that a fifteen dollar replacement is more sensible than continuing a struggle simply because the old hardware partly works.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-02-04

The handwritten letter that reached AOL

Devoted listener Betty reports that the unwanted program from her earlier call was refunded, then describes sending a polite handwritten letter to AOL's chairman. Corporate staff called within a week, listened to her account and corrected conflicting support information. Dr. Dave is thrilled by the resolution and by an old-fashioned letter having real impact.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-17

The Idiot’s Guide to radio syndication

Dr. Dave recommends a plainly written administration book and reassures Richard that the title is not an insult. After marveling at the series’ range, he jokes that he needs to write an Idiot’s Guide to radio-show network syndication himself.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-23

The listener adds one to Dave's arsenal

Caller Mark reports a Comcast page that silently failed when an updated Flash Player was missing. Dr. Dave says he has not encountered that failure, thanks Mark for teaching him something new and hopes to store the clue in his own troubleshooting arsenal for the next person who needs it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-11-03

The marriage proposal in the shower

Troy calls from Liberal, Kansas, supposedly to discuss Google, then asks his girlfriend Liberty to marry him over the radio while she is in the shower listening to the show. Liberty answers yes once she can finish the shower, and the brothers celebrate what they believe is a first for Computer Talk before Dr. Dave says simply, “I love our listeners.”

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-09-06

The origin of Evil Steve stays a secret

A caller asks how Evil Steve acquired the name Evil Steve. Evil Steve jokes that revealing it would destroy the mystique, and the brothers agree that leaving listeners to imagine the story is more fun than pulling back the curtain.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-10-07

The prized pig named Dr. Dave

The giveaway winner writes that he is a South Carolina farmer who uses a computer to manage the farm and values the show’s buying advice. His twist is that he renamed a prized Yorkshire pig Dr. Dave, delighting both brothers and perfectly matching their preferred combination of brevity, appreciation and humor.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-04-23

The production computer died live on air

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve discover during the live broadcast that their production computer has died. With the server still carrying the show, they troubleshoot aloud, consider switching to a best-of program and turn the technical failure into memorable radio.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2012-08-25

The show that could not take calls

After working to repair the studio, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve discover live that they can hear caller Mark while he cannot hear them, test the wiring on air and reluctantly redirect the audience to email.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2010-12-04

The two year dead wall jack

A modem problem reminds Dr. Dave of a client who struggled for two years with an apparently defective multifunction printer and finally asked what to buy as a replacement. Dr. Dave visited before condemning the machine, found that it had been connected to a dead telephone jack and watched it work perfectly when plugged into another one.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-06-03

Think about why you like it

Dr. Dave says people have every right to like what they like, but he wants the choice to come from a thoughtful reason—the size, sound, color or experience that genuinely suits them—not merely because someone else owns it. His self-described rational contrarianism separates a useful product from the identity or status people project onto it.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-01-28

Tom becomes the peripheral executive producer

Caller Tom apologizes for telling Dr. Dave to wrap up an earlier answer, explaining that he was monitoring the final foot of a long banner print. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve insist they valued the help and jokingly appoint him the show’s peripheral executive producer.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-08-20

Video calling with Dad at Christmas

Caller Mark describes how easily he and his father saw one another across a PC and Mac, and Dr. Dave recognizes the larger gift for families unable to travel across the country before everyone exchanges warm Christmas wishes.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2010-12-11

We are the experts

The first real caller exposes a problem that studio testing missed, so Dr. Dave and Evil Steve undo their phone-system changes, admit the result is worse and laugh when the search for an expert ends with the realization that they are the experts.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-02-19

We do not separate the show from our life

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve preview a week filled with bizarre events and explain why those events belong on Computer Talk. They call it reality radio because the show reflects their real life and what listeners hear is what they genuinely get.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-08-06

We make the failures a feature

A caller checks in during a broadcast troubled by microphone problems and says he still listened all the way through. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve answer that they make those failures a feature, and the caller agrees that the mishaps make the show more entertaining before joining the brothers in another sound quality joke.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-05-20

We miscommunicate more than we communicate

Listener disagreements about things Dr. Dave never said lead him and Evil Steve to a wry observation that human beings often miscommunicate more than they communicate.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-29

When the doctor's laptop breaks

After wishing a caller luck with a difficult repair, Dr. Dave admits his own laptop still cannot reach the network and finally shuts it down for the show. Evil Steve jokes that Dr. Dave should be able to fix it during a six-minute break.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-02-10

When the solution becomes the problem

Dr. Dave warns that piling on security programs and performance tweaks can make a computer worse, uses RAM boosters as a vivid example and reduces the lesson to “if in doubt, don't.” The political-tax analogy adds humor but is optional.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-05-30

Why Dave loved explaining technology

Previewing the memristor interview, Dr. Dave says this is why he loves his work: the show can spend real time on an important development that a general newscast may reduce to thirty seconds. Rather than read words while their eyes glaze over, the brothers want to get into the subject, enjoy it, know it and learn it with the audience.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-07-26

Why Dave would not buy the new iPad

Dr. Dave accepts Apple’s right to charge what customers will pay and recognizes the device’s status value, but explains that his own limited budget and practical needs make an old IBM laptop the better choice.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-04-10

Why Marines Fight

Marine veteran and author James Brady joins the brothers for Veterans Day and the Marine Corps birthday. Among his funny and painful stories is a recurring answer to why Marines fight: for the person beside them.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-11-10

A client question changes your perspective

When a friend and client asks whether his company's social-media effort is producing anything, Dr. Dave explains how responsibility to answer a real client changes his perspective. Instead of responding from instinct, he stops, reassesses his own view, studies case examples, examines the data and asks how successful companies themselves define success.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-03-24

After a day at the computer, play a real game

Dr. Dave explains that after spending as many as fourteen to eighteen hours around computers, he would rather watch football or play a real-world game than play solitaire on a screen.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-08-07

Assume it needs verification

A dubious medical claim forwarded by a friend gives Dr. Dave a rule that he applies to email, radio and television alike: familiarity of source is not evidence, so verify before believing or repeating it.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-10-09

Brotherly love in holiday traffic

Dr. Dave turns Black Friday traffic and impatient hand gestures into a mock Philadelphia interlude. He asks people sitting in their cars to look around, smile and blow a sincere kiss to the other exhausted shoppers as a small exercise in brotherly love.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-11-26

Cautious growth after Webvan

The brothers remember Webvan’s rapid rise and collapse while considering FreshDirect’s more cautious approach to online groceries. Dr. Dave emphasizes that free capital can encourage waste and that measured growth may matter as much as a good Internet idea.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-06-04

Cheap storage is not preservation

Dr. Dave explains that low price per gigabyte has come with a reliability cost and that a drive warranty does not restore lost data. He offers two honest choices—pay more for a better-built drive or buy several inexpensive drives and maintain redundant backups—while the brothers use humor to underline the risk.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-18

Computers are tools, not the end

A listener asks whether computers might become so reliable that Dr. Dave would no longer have repair work. Dr. Dave answers that technology changes but argues that people often stop treating computers as tools for an outcome and turn them into status symbols, diversions or ends in themselves, ensuring that new problems and new kinds of work continue to appear.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-06-17

Curious as a kid in a hot-air balloon

Dr. Dave explains the prior week’s absence with his and Gina’s first balloon flight, describing the fun of meeting people, learning an unfamiliar craft and asking questions with the curiosity of a child.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-11-20

Dave’s bass as high touch

Dr. Dave says the bass he received for Christmas is a perfect example of balancing high technology with something physical and interactive. He and Evil Steve joke about musical skill while emphasizing the difference between passively hearing music and making sound with an instrument in one’s hands.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-15

Do not advertise a disabled feature

After buying several phones and finding a paid Bluetooth feature unreliable or disabled, Dr. Dave says the problem is not the underlying technology but its management and implementation. His simple consumer rule is that a company should not advertise and sell a feature that customers cannot use.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-21

Do not email what the world should not see

After discussing clear attachments and readable messages, Dr. Dave uses a public official’s email evidence to state his simplest privacy rule. Nothing should go into an email unless the sender could tolerate everyone on earth, including one’s mother, seeing it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-05-27

Even Fortune 500 companies get infected

Dr. Dave reassures listeners who feel unsophisticated by showing that even organizations with immense expertise and resources struggle with infection and sometimes ignore risk.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-04-24

Everyone struggles with technology

Dr. Dave tells listeners that frustration behind a computer is not proof that they alone are failing. Everyone struggles with modern technology, he says, because users have effectively become involuntary beta testers.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-02

Expect the work to be hard

Dr. Dave explains that expecting technology to require effort can be freeing: when a difficult process goes well, the result becomes a pleasant surprise instead of a source of disappointment and irritation.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-28

Experts break the right rules

Dr. Dave jokes that radio experts say a host should not call a show coast to coast unless it truly reaches every coast. His answer is that experts break rules, and a real expert knows which rules are the right ones to break; Evil Steve immediately says Dr. Dave has been doing that all his life.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-01-12

Facebook cannot be more open and more private at once

Dr. Dave identifies the basic conflict between users wanting control and Facebook benefiting from wider sharing, while Evil Steve punctures a quit-Facebook campaign by noting that participants announced it on Facebook.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-05

Facts matter even when the recommendation feels strange

Dr. Dave recommends a Microsoft security product after seeing it improve several infected machines, joking that the endorsement feels uncomfortable but concluding that the evidence matters more than his usual allegiance.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-26

February does not have a thirtieth

While reviewing his schedule, Dr. Dave realizes the van registration expires in February and that neither a thirtieth nor thirty-first will arrive to save him. He races to emissions, finds almost no line, completes the online renewal and laughs that everyone else must also be waiting for dates that do not exist.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-02-28

Focus on what you can change

When too many financial, family, political and world problems threaten to shut a person down, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve say to narrow the field, choose the important place where one can have an effect and then follow through.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-04-23

From one newscaster to many sources

A caller thanks the show for helping people navigate an invaded Internet. Dr. Dave contrasts his childhood memory of Walter Cronkite as the single authoritative voice with the modern abundance of information and alternative media: some poor, much of it valuable and previously inaccessible. The opportunity, he says, also requires vigilance.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-31

Getting over the fear of being stupid

Dr. Dave tells overwhelmed users they do not need to become computer experts, but they must learn enough to describe what they have and ask questions. His central line is that getting smarter requires getting over the fear of being stupid and accepting the discomfort of not knowing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-02

Happy birthday, Nicholas James Mason

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve wish Dr. Dave's son Nicholas James Mason a happy birthday on the air, then later connect the greeting to a funny recollection about the Mason boys swinging wildly at birthday piñatas. It is unusually personal family material preserved inside the radio archive.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-04-02

Hoping the Palm Pre could save Palm

Before the Palm Pre shipped, Dr. Dave calls himself a Palm fan, acknowledges the company's mistakes and explains why it would be sad for a storied technology company to disappear just as it created a phone he believed filled the iPhone's gaps.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-03-28

If it sounds like a scheme, be skeptical

A bright acquaintance’s question about being paid to forward an email leads Dr. Dave through several too-good-to-be-true offers. He would rather listeners be overly skeptical than lose their identity or savings by trusting one scam.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-01

Improve every day, a little bit

After acknowledging a difficult loss, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve focus on Dr. Dave's son LT's improving tackling, blocking and intensity rather than the score. Evil Steve summarizes the family approach in one line: keep working and improve every day, a little bit every day.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-09-29

Kelly’s Ride

Evil Steve describes the motorcycle ride his friend Randy created after losing his wife Kelly, inviting listeners to honor her and raise money for children with type 1 diabetes while Dr. Dave promises the event a lasting place on the website.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2010-07-31

Kelly’s Ride for juvenile diabetes research

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve invite listeners to Kelly’s Ride, explain that the motorcycle fundraiser honors their friend Kelly Bond and supports the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and describe the community gathering they planned to join.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2011-09-03

Kindness in holiday traffic

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve reflect on anger, self-control and how backing off in traffic can lower tension, then invite listeners to smile, relax and enjoy the trip through a deliberately silly exercise.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-20

Let the chips fall where they may

Dr. Dave says visitors to his website will know exactly where he stands even though publishing those views brings angry and threatening messages. He can only be himself and say what matters to him, but he also believes disagreement can remain civil and that people who oppose him retain the same right to speak.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-01-06

Life is messy, and that makes the journey wonderful

A mysterious plumbing leak seems to disappear after Dr. Dave performs an unrelated repair, reminding him of equally baffling computer problems. He broadens the story into a generous reflection that every kind of work contains weird, unexplained events and that this messiness helps make life's journey wonderful.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-17

Making people mad for the Redskins

A New Year’s Eve football preview turns into the brothers asking why they enjoy provoking people. Dr. Dave cheerfully admits he thinks of what will make someone mad and says it, then traces his dislike of Dallas to painful Washington games they remembered from childhood.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-12-31

Moderation is key even for browser add-ons

Dr. Dave admires Firefox add-ons but admits that curiosity can lead a user to install so many that the browser becomes slow and unstable. Comparing the problem with Thanksgiving dinner, he says moderation means keeping only the additions a person actually uses.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-25

National rankings meet local reality

Dr. Dave notices that a chart’s bars exaggerate the differences shown by its numbers, corrects his own first interpretation and then adds the practical caveat that national service rankings cannot tell a listener which carrier will work best at a particular home or neighborhood.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-08-27

No matter what they say, it is always a people problem

A failed automated-car demonstration reminds Dr. Dave of Gerald Weinberg's The Secrets of Consulting. The book's entertaining axioms lead to the one he finds enduringly true: no matter what they say, it is always a people problem—the machine did not make the engineering, software, marketing or purchasing decisions.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-05-30

Opening Mac OS X to clone hardware

The Psystar dispute prompts Dr. Dave to remember Apple's earlier clone experiment and argue that a company can keep control and receive payment while letting a strong operating system reach more people.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-01-03

Proven technology when lives depend on it

A caller’s preference for familiar older software leads Dr. Dave to remember friends who worked on the space shuttle. He argues that apparently old computing can reflect deliberate engineering for reliability, because bleeding edge systems bring risks that are unacceptable when human lives depend on them.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-03-04

Rank the risks and bring a solution

When a friend considers abandoning Google after reading a frightening novel, Dr. Dave does not dismiss the concern. He places it in a hierarchy with the person’s larger vulnerabilities and explains his own rule for advising people: do not merely raise fear—pair the warning with useful ways to respond.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-02-04

Reconsidering Gerald Ford thirty years later

Dr. Dave says that reading and historical study changed the dismissive impression of Gerald Ford he had absorbed during the 1970s. Looking back after Watergate, he values Ford’s steadiness and calm at a moment when the country needed both.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2006-12-30

Remembering Angie LaGorse

Dr. Dave briefly steps away from the technology news to pay tribute to Angie LaGorse, calling her a wonderful woman, a dear friend and a second mother to him. He sends love, prayers and a simple rest in peace to her family and friends while remembering the birthday she nearly reached.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2013-06-01

Remembering childhood football with Steve

A discussion of why football is exciting leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve back to playing when they were young. They remember bruised forearms becoming numb by the end of a season and laugh about feeling able to knock down a concrete pillar.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-09-03

Rewiring my brain to solve an old problem

When Evil Steve asks why the old system matters, Dr. Dave returns to the client's real need and explains the danger of waiting too long to migrate irreplaceable data. He says he loved the challenge because solving it felt like rewiring his brain and going back twenty years.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-08-25

Saving money without forgetting the ripple effects

During the 2008 downturn, Dr. Dave says efficiency is necessary but considers how canceling one expense can remove work from a caterer and employees. He then links his long-standing frugality to helping listeners find capable tools without paying unnecessarily.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-06

See the legends while you still can

Remembering James Brown, Dr. Dave traces the singer’s reach from music that irritated his grandmother and mother to music everyone around the show enjoyed. Lou Rawls’ recent death reminds him and Gina that when an aging great performer comes to town, the opportunity to see that person should not be postponed.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-12-30

Show up and play

Talking about the Redskins and Arizona Wildcats, Dr. Dave says effort and intensity matter enough that he can accept a loss when his teams truly show up and play.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-02

Simple software can confuse an expert

Dr. Dave jokes that learning a powerful creative program can become a lifelong involuntary journey into insanity. A simpler alternative can initially confuse an experienced user precisely because one obvious action replaces the six complicated steps that experience taught them to expect.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-09

Sports are not life and death

Watching extreme football fans leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve back to moderation. Dr. Dave says people should enjoy and support their teams without letting a loss overwhelm their families or treating a changing professional roster as life and death.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-25

Start the archive even if it takes years

After helping a caller think through transferring VHS tapes, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve turn to thousands of valuable family slides and the intimidating time required to preserve them. Dr. Dave gives the answer that reaches beyond the technology: if the project is started it can be spread over a year or two, but if it is not started it never gets done.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-01-14

Stay calm and methodical

Dr. Dave compares troubleshooting to emergency medicine: the person with the problem may panic, but the person trying to help must stay calm and methodical. He says flailing at a computer usually makes things worse and that even he sometimes needs to step back before continuing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-25

Take a breath and give Dave a call

A flat tire on the imaginary jet car leads to a humane reminder that getting upset will not fix a computer. Complete setup and response, not a product recommendation.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-03-06

Technology is not everything to everyone

Dr. Dave explains why he no longer takes a technology story at face value and identifies what he sees as industry arrogance: technology is not everything to everyone and cannot solve every problem.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-04-25

Technology should add to life, not subtract from it

Dr. Dave defines Computer Talk as a hype-free zone in a culture saturated with exaggerated claims. The program's job is not merely to describe products but to cut through the noise and identify what genuinely improves a listener's life instead of becoming another burden.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-27

Technology still needs safeguards

Dr. Dave turns an electronic-voting report into a broader consulting lesson about human error, backups, traceability and audits, then applies it across party lines.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-07-31

The battle Dave chose

Dr. Dave explains his visceral reaction to Rush Limbaugh being excluded from a prospective NFL ownership group, traces his own political transformation and says why this seemingly small issue became a matter of speech and fairness to him.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2009-10-17

The brothers remember Comdex

Convention cancellation leads to personal memories of the press experience, post-September-11 security and Evil Steve’s Mercedes test drive. Retain the full shared story.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-06-26

The busboy became a millionaire, became a busboy

Looking past Twitter’s publicity, Dr. Dave remembers a friend in the late 1990s who felt foolish for doubting Internet companies that were making founders rich despite having little beneath their business models. The crash produced what Dr. Dave calls the “busboy became a millionaire, became a busboy” phenomenon, a caution to examine fundamentals beneath a technology fad.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2012-03-10

The consumer is what matters

An Apple and Microsoft comparison leads Dr. Dave to state his standard for judging market power: focus on actual harm to consumers, criticize wrongdoing and still acknowledge what a company does well.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2004-10-16

The fair and family time were rejuvenating

After a week spent working behind computers, Dr. Dave says that taking his wife and children to the fair left him physically tired but mentally rejuvenated. The short reflection captures the importance he placed on family time away from technology.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-04-16

The graphics outside are better

A holiday video-game package prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to argue that technology has a proper place, but throwing a real football with the kids offers better graphics, feedback and memories.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-16

The hidden cost of a record contract

De La Soul's attempt to give away its own recordings leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to the paradox that artists may not control their music. They remember a talented singer who had a major song yet paid a succession of labels for decades, and Dr. Dave warns that companies can exploit enthusiasm and ambition by leaving the cost of success unclear.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2014-02-15

The human family is closer than it looks

Preparing for an Ancestry.com guest, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve describe how family research changed from something that seemed geeky into a source of genuine wonder. Dr. Dave says it reveals how close the human family is, while the brothers joke about discovering relatives on both sides of the O.K. Corral story.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-05-19

The last Mervyn's gift card

Dr. Dave arrives at Mervyn's hours before its final closing with a year-old gift card, finds door after door locked, laughs when an employee threatens to call security and finally gets inside to spend it.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-01-17

The show that gets computer security

A listener tells friends that Dr. Dave and Evil Steve are the only people on radio who truly understand computer security. Dr. Dave appreciates the praise while acknowledging how difficult it is both to understand the subject and explain it in plain language.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-03-24

The speed limit is the best radar detector

A ridiculous testimonial for hiding a license plate prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to point out that stopping at red lights and respecting the speed limit is cheaper, safer and surprisingly effective.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-09

There is no once-in-a-lifetime deal

Online-auction fraud leads Dr. Dave to describe collecting roughly eighty fountain pens while refusing inflated prices and urgent bidding. He explains that a cheap uncertain purchase can still provide parts, but he never treats one auction as the only chance because another pen will always appear.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-03-19

There is no silver bullet

After describing a sophisticated banking Trojan, Dr. Dave refuses to promise perfect safety: reasonable practices reduce vulnerability, but professional attackers mean that protection still includes a small element of luck.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-08-14

We are either committed to our principles or we are not

Discussing American companies seeking work on a national Internet-filtering project, Dr. Dave argues that a principle matters only when a person or company chooses to honor it under pressure. Once a company makes that choice, he says, everyone else is free to judge the decision and decide whether to participate with that business.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2012-03-17

We learned the hard way about stories on the Internet

Before asking a guest about an online rumor, Dr. Dave remembers the time he and Evil Steve posted an unconfirmed Andy Rooney item because it sounded plausible. A legal response forced an apology and the removal of a photograph, after which Evil Steve drew a cartoon the brothers thought was even better; the episode became their hard-earned warning about Internet claims.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-03-01

What am I doing today to be better here?

Dr. Dave openly admits that he is often wrong, especially in political predictions. Feeling powerless pushes him to focus on his own business—family, health, finances and home—to distinguish what he can change from what he cannot, and to ask what he is doing today to become better where he actually stands.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-06-30

What Dave carried as a computer consultant

Explaining why portability matters, Dr. Dave opens an inventory of his unusually large consultant’s briefcase: a small printer, Zip drive, floppy drive, external hard drives and the laptop itself. The list preserves the physical tools required to bring computer service to a client in 2006.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-12-23

What he got was beyond the motorcycle

Evil Steve tells listeners that he traded his restored 1976 Honda 400F for a Harley with a friend. Dr. Dave observes that what Evil Steve received had nothing to do with the motorcycle, and Evil Steve agrees that the value was “beyond the motorcycle,” which was how it was supposed to be.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-10-08

When a legitimate audit sounds like an attack

A listener's workplace receives a call threatening lawyers and auditors unless employees download a program and open the network. Dr. Dave verifies that the representative is legitimate, then tells the company that its heavy-handed approach resembles the intimidation criminals use to make frightened employees compromise a system.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-27

When convenience means more work

An uncued reflection on Wi-Fi leading Dr. Dave to work in bed instead of winding down. The point is work and life, not router shopping.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-03-27

When the contractor fails, we own it

A listener cannot hear the show because its streaming provider is down. Although the technical failure belongs to a third party, Dr. Dave apologizes and says that because the show hired that company, the failure is theirs and they own it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-02-05

Who benefits from antitrust action?

Using the European Microsoft ruling as his example, Dr. Dave argues that a company can behave badly without every government intervention helping consumers. He worries about the long-term burden on successful firms, remembers what former IBM executives told him about decades of legal oversight and asks who ultimately benefits when competition policy becomes too broad.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2007-09-22

Who oversees the overseers online?

After explaining how criminals compromise reputable websites, Dr. Dave uses infected Treasury pages to show why ordinary people cannot assume that a trusted institution’s site is safe or control every source of risk.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-05-08

Why Dave bought new technology first

Dr. Dave remembers buying an early GSM phone before Tucson’s service was ready. He says that an ordinary consumer should wait, but that he needed firsthand experience with emerging technology so his advice would be informed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-16

Why Dave keeps repeating the safety basics

Dr. Dave admits that repeating the same safety steps every week can wear him down, but listeners and even devoted fans still arrive with unprotected computers. Evil Steve answers that looking out for the audience is what being Dr. Dave requires, however repetitive or painful it becomes.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-18

Why do you want Bluetooth?

After a confusing call shows why the basic facts must come first, Dr. Dave remembers a businessman demanding a phone with Bluetooth. The man has no headset, dislikes headsets and cannot explain the request beyond wanting a good phone, illustrating how branding can make people chase a technology they neither need nor understand.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-01-26

Why Nick was born on April second

On Dr. Dave's son Nick’s birthday weekend, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain that doctors proposed an April Fools’ Day delivery and the family deliberately chose April 2 instead.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-04-03

A backup routine has to be doable

When a caller asks how to protect a replacement drive, Dr. Dave says the exact method depends on how important the data is. His essential rule is universal: make sure the routine is not so complex that it never gets done, because even the best-designed backup plan is worthless when nobody follows it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-10-27

A change can expose a fault without causing it

A caller named Dr. Dave's son Nick describes an unstable laptop after installing a new drive. Dr. Dave explains the subtle but important possibility that the change did not create the defect but exposed a fault already present, then says the investigation will require patient and methodical testing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-08

A computer that will not boot may not need data recovery

Dr. Dave says many people who call his recovery service have intact drives and data but a damaged Windows installation. He distinguishes that condition from physical warning signs such as a dead or clicking drive and says the correct diagnosis can save time, money and heartache.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-10-07

A diagnostic hierarchy

Bruce has already tested an external drive, another device and the computer's ports. Dr. Dave explicitly orders the evidence and chooses the remaining low-cost cable test while warning that repeated experiments can endanger data.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-05-16

A familiar show after Katrina

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve send their hearts, minds and prayers to Gulf Coast listeners, point people toward relief organizations and explain why they will also give the audience its regular Computer Talk program. With radio among the few services some listeners still had, they hope familiar conversation can offer a little normalcy and evidence of light beyond the immediate devastation.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-09-03

A new computer does not fix the root problem

Caller Chuck says frustration may drive people to replace computers. Dr. Dave agrees that replacement can sometimes be valid, but explains that the same problems return unless owners accept a basic level of understanding, protection and routine upkeep.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-15

A patient, methodical troubleshooting tree

A caller’s DVD and streaming video have both stopped working, suggesting a complicated problem with many possible sources. Dr. Dave asks him to proceed through a troubleshooting tree patiently and methodically rather than promising a quick answer for a problem that may not be trivial.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-09-30

Actual results over infinitesimal details

A thrift-store scanner caller says his market needs a practical “quick and dirty” result, not pixel-counting perfection. Dr. Dave praises the focus on actual outcomes and argues that careful simplicity need not be sloppy when tiny improvements cost more than users can see.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-06-27

Admit the bias before testing the product

When caller Jeff asks about a Microsoft security product, Dr. Dave immediately says he has not tested it and openly describes his general bias against all in one software. He leaves room for the product to be an exception, credits the caller’s experience and commits to investigate rather than pretending to know more than he does.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-15

Admitting when he does not know

Caller Tom describes image files from Mac-using clients that become unusable on his PC. Dr. Dave works through the possibilities, distinguishes a true JPEG from a renamed file, repeatedly qualifies his ideas and finally admits that he is grasping at straws and does not know the answer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-19

Always leave yourself a safe retreat

A registry-cleaning question becomes Dr. Dave’s argument that a tiny improvement is not worth a large chance of making a computer unusable. Even when he trusts a tool, he insists on a backup because every risky change should leave a safe retreat and a graceful way out.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-30

Always leave yourself a way back

Ken's improvised operating-system experiment and deleted recovery partition lead Dr. Dave to compare computer changes with driving: understand the destination and always preserve an exit before experimenting.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-22

An easy mistake when you have never done it

A caller tries to join two hard-drive cables because both ends seem to demand another connection. Dr. Dave says experienced users may laugh, but the misunderstanding is entirely reasonable for someone who has never installed a drive, then calmly explains the direct connection.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-09

An error message is a clue, not a verdict

After a power interruption leaves Dan’s wife’s computer unable to boot, Dr. Dave explains that an error message is the computer’s best guess at a related clue. Sometimes it identifies the exact problem, but often experience is needed to interpret the broader failure before changing the named file.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-10-07

An infected backup is still a backup

Charles worries that automatic backup may copy a Trojan. Dr. Dave acknowledges that possibility but explains that infection can be treated, whereas missing data may be unrecoverable or extremely costly to reconstruct.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-17

Answer the question that was asked

When Rob asks about preserving his wife's long-used Outlook setup, Dr. Dave first recommends replacing it, then immediately drops that preference once the caller says she dislikes new programs: “That's not what you asked.” He also reveals that his own email archive had grown beyond a million messages since 1999.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-04-04

Backup effort should match what the data means

When caller Daryl asks whether an operating system upgrade requires a backup, Dr. Dave gives a broader rule: the frequency, completeness and consistency of a backup should reflect how important the data is. Even a change that normally preserves files cannot justify promising that nothing unexpected will go wrong.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-01-07

Backups need different forms

A caller wants to protect an offline computer using discs alone. Dr. Dave explains that new drives can fail too and recommends two different forms of backup, balancing fast everyday copies with a separate longer-term copy because the files matter.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-15

Be methodical and patient

Answering a caller with a badly infected computer, Dr. Dave says the most important tools are patience and a methodical approach. He compares a thorough repair to cleaning the same area more than once because effective real world work can require repeated passes rather than one quick action.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-09

Building a computer means owning the responsibility

Asked whether to assemble a gaming computer, Dr. Dave says the responsibility is not trivial even when every component is carefully researched. He builds machines for his own office but never for someone else, and asks the caller to compare actual parts costs rather than assume a custom build is automatically cheaper.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-11

Buy flexibility, not a team identity

A future math and science teacher approaches a laptop purchase as a choice between opposing Windows and Mac camps. Dr. Dave rejects prejudice in either direction and recommends maximizing options that may matter a year later. He explains that the show mocks people whose identity depends on a brand, not the computers themselves, and tells the caller to make a rational rather than emotional decision.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-16

Callers will be treated with respect

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve say screening still matters but rudeness does not, contrast bad experiences elsewhere and promise that callers to their show will not be attacked or made to feel foolish.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-29

Calling the manager from inside the store

Dr. Dave says that after standing unserved in a store for forty minutes, he called its manager on his cell phone while still inside and asked for someone to help him buy memory. Evil Steve jokes that Dr. Dave should instead imitate his more alarming way of attracting immediate attention.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-10-14

Check a program before putting it on the air

When a caller begins to describe his new encryption program, Dr. Dave stops the promotion without dismissing the caller and asks for the details by email first. He offers to examine it and possibly invite the developer back only after the show can understand what it would be endorsing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-18

Choose the best tools instead of one suite

Asked about installing a utilities suite, Dr. Dave explains that he prefers choosing independent tools from different vendors. The approach offers flexibility to replace one component when something better proves itself and avoids accepting weak functions merely because they are bundled with a strong one.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-09-16

Choose the computer that fits your world

A college-bound caller asks whether to choose a Mac or a PC. Dr. Dave says the decision should account for what classmates, colleagues and the professional environment use, then explains that even a free operating system carries costs in learning and compatibility because every choice has a price.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-04-28

Choose the system that fits the real world around you

Asked whether to move from Windows to Mac and then Linux, Dr. Dave starts with the caller's environment: coworkers, friends, clients and the kind of work that must get done. He warns that enthusiasts can lose sight of ordinary users, then describes his own balance—little patience for fiddling when productivity matters, but real delight in tweaking technology when time allows.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-11

Computer security is a responsibility

While returning to a caller’s privacy concern, Dr. Dave compares computer ownership with driving a car and explains that people must take reasonable protective steps or ask an expert for help.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-12-04

Consulting will drive you crazy or rich

Dr. Dave quotes a consulting maxim, observes that the work has not made him rich, and turns a difficult week into a concise personal joke.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-09-25

Control what you can control

Faced with the Adobe breach and systems an individual cannot secure personally, Dr. Dave compares technological exposure with the ordinary risks people accept in order to live. His answer is neither panic nor surrender: take reasonable precautions, control what can be controlled and let the remaining uncertainty fall where it may.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-10-05

Convergence before it is ready

Caller Doug asks when television, radio, wireless networking and computing will converge on a phone. Dr. Dave predicts gradual integration, warns that hype turns buyers into involuntary beta testers and explains that his own work is about making technology useful today.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-01-08

Creativity when an old computer is cornered

Roy's Windows 98 machine cannot see its floppy drive, CD drive or external disk, leaving normal repair routes blocked. Dr. Dave acknowledges the complexity, suggests one carefully labeled long shot and says a hard case with no obvious exit demands creative thinking rather than more random replacement.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-08

Dan can sculpt the terrain with a backhoe

A returning caller reminds Dr. Dave that he bought one of his computers. The brothers remember Dan for a different skill: operating a backhoe with the precision of someone sculpting the landscape.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-03-18

Dave invites listeners to the Tucson Tea Party

Dr. Dave invites listeners to his April 15 speech, describes the rally as a patriotic community gathering and trades sharp political jokes with Evil Steve.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2010-04-10

Dave never stops, even when he is sick

With Dr. Dave’s voice failing on Christmas Eve, Evil Steve attributes the illness to a day spent painting, trimming hedges, seeing clients, doing data recovery, fixing the car and continuing to work around the house. Dr. Dave insists that this is normal and calls resting on the couch a way to gather the forces of goodness against the germs.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-12-24

Dave refuses a simple Mac versus PC formula

Caller Tom asks for a numerical comparison between PowerPC and Pentium systems. Dr. Dave openly says he has no reliable reference or exact factor, explains that the judgment remains subjective and distinguishes raw performance from the Mac’s easier setup experience.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-22

Dave researches the French spell checker

Woody's mail program insists on checking English as French even while showing an English setting. Dr. Dave says he does not know, investigates during the break and returns with a possible incompatibility and update instead of disguising uncertainty.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-13

Dave was an independent learner

Asked how to learn a new computer, Dr. Dave says he is an independent learner who first seeks a broad understanding and then studies the specific questions that arise. He recommends books for structure but calls knowledgeable peers the largest support resource available.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-19

Dave will not endorse what he has not tested

When Ray asks about a security product Dr. Dave has not evaluated, Dr. Dave refuses to invent an answer merely to sound knowledgeable. He says he will withhold his approval until he has tested it himself.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-30

Decide how important the data is before recovery

Barbara asks about photographs and documents on a failed drive, and Dr. Dave begins not with a sales pitch but with the value of the memories to her. He warns that well meaning experiments can make recovery harder, explains that a drive described as dead may have several different problems and closes with his no evaluation fee and no data, no fee policy.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-12

Define your environment before you buy

Answering caller Jack’s questions about laptop displays and features, Dr. Dave repeatedly begins with how and where the computer will actually be used. Brightness, viewing angle, performance and price matter differently in different environments, so he says the first step is to define the result the buyer needs.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-16

Devices can become unreliable before they stop working

Dr. Dave explains that a modem does not always fail cleanly: it may keep appearing functional while becoming intermittent and difficult to diagnose. He recommends having the provider test the device remotely rather than assuming that equipment either works perfectly or is completely dead.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-04

Do not blame the brand without the cause

Caller Julie condemns Dell after being told her computer is shot. Dr. Dave validates her frustration but refuses to blame the brand without knowing whether the cause is software, power, a switch or another component, then recalls two identical client computers whose matching parts failed two years apart.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-26

Do not guess with a caller’s computer

When Alan assumes a missing installer file belongs to Windows, Dr. Dave slows the diagnosis down, asks what changed and separates the actual warning from the caller’s guess. Concerned that a small radio misunderstanding could leave Windows unable to start, he asks for the details by email so he can provide the procedure in writing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-12

Do not panic; investigate the warning

A security program flags the caller's credit-card website, and Dr. Dave refuses both blind trust and panic. He calls it a likely false positive only after the caller checks the secure address and domain, recommends reporting it and contacting the institution, and openly says there is no perfect technical sign that removes the need for personal diligence.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-04

Do not slam somebody without the facts

Caller Todd says Microsoft rejected software he believed was legitimate. Dr. Dave outlines possible explanations but explicitly refuses to accuse the original seller without all the facts, keeping his conclusion hypothetical and directing the caller to verify it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-25

Efficiency before glitz

Comparing Windows 8, Android and WebOS, Dr. Dave asks whether a supposedly modern interface actually makes an ordinary task easier. If placing a phone call or reaching a familiar tool takes several more steps, he says glitz has displaced efficiency rather than improved the experience.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-01-12

Every computer becomes custom

Unable to reproduce a caller’s software failure, Dr. Dave refuses to take an unsupported shot in the dark. He explains what he tells new clients: even two identical computers from the same production line become meaningfully different within minutes of being used.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-28

Every computer is custom

A caller’s concern about a locally built machine leads Dr. Dave to explain that even nominally identical factory computers vary, making sound components and a trustworthy vendor more important than the word homemade.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-26

Every failed drive is an individual case

Roy asks whether his son's Mac drive and costly installed software are truly lost. Dr. Dave refuses false certainty, warns that repeated attempts can worsen a compromised drive, distinguishes unique data from replaceable licensed software and recommends exhausting the vendor's obligations before paying for recovery.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-25

Experiment without risking the machine you need

Bob asks about running 64-bit Vista on a spare computer. After their friendly teasing, Dr. Dave explains that people have different requirements and that an informed experiment can make sense on a toy machine even when the same decision would be unwise on a work-critical system.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-02-17

Finding signal in Twitter noise

Evil Steve catches Dr. Dave making little Twitter motions during every break, and the joke turns into an early social-media observation: the service can be useful, but only if a person learns to get through its enormous noise.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-21

Getting service when no one will help

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve trade stories about being ignored in electronics stores, including Evil Steve’s mischievous way of attracting staff and Dr. Dave calling a manager from inside the store because his time matters.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-10-23

Good design does not always win

A caller’s frustration with incompatible camera storage leads Dr. Dave to predict greater device convergence while warning that markets do not always settle on the technically best solution. Licensing, copyright, profit, marketing and the resources of the company can determine which good ideas survive.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-08-13

How Dave became Dr. Dave

Dr. Dave jokes about his unofficial title, then tells how clients began calling him the computer doctor. Evil Steve remembers one client shortening the name after a rescue involving a computer, its data and a business.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-06-24

How Dave decides when to warn listeners

After caller Mark reports that the disputed update works for him, Dr. Dave explains that he does not treat every isolated failure as a product defect. He compares repeated installations, his own experience and wider user reports, then warns listeners when even a modest percentage could represent an enormous number of people.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-15

How you do when things are going poorly

Reflecting on Dr. Dave's son Nick's rebuilding football team, Dr. Dave says the score is not the real measure of success. Conduct, effort and the way a person responds when circumstances are going poorly reveal more, because life and team sports both require people to work within things they cannot control.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-10-20

I did not mean to be rude to you

Dr. Dave remembers an important call carrying on as a bank teller invited him forward. Because he disliked seeing other people conduct business while on the phone, he apologized directly, said he did not intend to be rude and concluded that he should have stepped back outside to finish the call.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-11-10

I got bit by a dog at a client's place

After years of entering clients' homes without such an incident, Dr. Dave tells Evil Steve that a calm-looking dog walked behind him, bit him and ran away. The brothers turn the surprise into wordplay about getting his “butt chewed,” while Dr. Dave stresses that he restrained his reaction.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-05-05

I just want a phone

Across two discussions, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve ask why phones emphasize games, ringtones and entertainment instead of better calls and productive tools, then wonder whether the market is changing or they are simply getting older.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-30

I teach and I learn

After caller Mark returns with the solution to a difficult printer problem, Dr. Dave thanks him for following up and says, simply, that he teaches and he learns. Mark answers that everyone encounters something new, preserving the mutual respect at the heart of the call-in show.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-02-02

I will not rush you because you matter

At the end of a crowded show, Dr. Dave tells waiting callers he cannot fit them in and refuses to give them less than a fair answer. He offers to continue by email, says he does not want to ignore them and reminds listeners that without them there is no show.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-17

If it is not broken, do not chase technology

Returning to the client’s twenty-one-year-old spreadsheet, Dr. Dave respects an organization that kept a useful system running instead of upgrading for fashion. He also explains the cost of that choice: once a connected printer fails, modern replacements may no longer understand the old assumptions that made the whole workflow dependable.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-01-13

Independence with an honest view of your limits

After a caller damages files by acting too quickly, Dr. Dave explains that his goal is independent, cost-conscious computer users, not dependence on experts. Independence still requires an honest assessment of skill and risk when irreplaceable data or a business is at stake.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-20

Industry standards meet the real world

A caller’s supposedly standard hard drive setup fails in every expected configuration. Dr. Dave explains that computer industry standards often contain troublesome exceptions, weighs unusual experiments against risk and closes with the practical rule that troubleshooting has to deal with reality as it is, which is also what makes his work frustrating and rewarding.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-03-11

Know when a repair is not trivial

Caller Gil asks whether he can replace his own laptop hard drive, and Dr. Dave refuses to give confidence he cannot justify without knowing Gil’s abilities or data needs. He explains the physical and migration work, calls the job nontrivial and leaves the final judgment with the person who must accept the risk.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-09-17

Know when to call for help

Caller Kevin asks whether to modify a new Android phone himself, and Dr. Dave uses the question to explain that true technological independence includes an honest assessment of experience, patience, risk and the value of one’s own time before crossing into work that needs help.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-03-26

Know which troubleshooting battle to fight

Ruth cannot explain exactly what a backup program changed, and Dr. Dave says plainly that he does not know what happened. Rather than wander through guesses indefinitely, he recommends falling back to an earlier system state and explains the larger consulting judgment: solving a problem may be technically possible, but not worth six weeks and a hundred hours.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-30

Linux must fit the person

When Larry says two sons use Linux, Dr. Dave distinguishes his own enjoyment of tinkering from the needs of a person trying to get work done, making ease of use and available time part of the operating-system decision.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-27

Listeners are the reason you are on the air

Dr. Dave says a national show is no excuse for a rude call screener. Callers are listeners, listeners are the reason the program exists and anyone controlling access to the host should treat them with respect rather than turning the job into a power trip.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-03

Look for opportunity, not only the mess

Comparing the moment with the Industrial Revolution and the arrival of radio and television, Dr. Dave says transitions are messy and old industries die. If a person focuses only on that disorder it is all they will see, while the same disruption also creates great opportunity.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-11-17

More psychiatrist than technical guy

One of Dr. Dave's sons says the nickname fits because helping people with computers is often more like psychiatry than technical work. His dad immediately agrees.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-02-25

Never trust only one backup

John's question lets Dr. Dave state an enduring preservation rule: an online service is useful but cannot be the only copy, especially when it is outside the owner's control. He builds a layered plan for archival and changing material and admits that drives themselves fail.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-04-18

Nick’s call between history classes

A discussion of a World War II miniseries leads Dr. Dave to remember his freshman-age son calling between classes, upset by a teacher’s explanation and ready with historical questions of his own.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-03-20

Not every failure is yours to control

A caller wants every customer's product DVD to open automatically. Dr. Dave first reassures him that a troublesome result would not make him stupid, then separates controllable quality from the recipient's unknown player and configuration. Testing in three different programs is a responsible effort, but no author can make disc playback a hundred-percent prospect.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-16

Not everybody needs the technology

Does everyone need a computer? Dr. Dave sees the benefits but respects people who choose otherwise. He recalls consulting jobs where the right recommendation was to buy nothing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-07-26

Nothing is slower than something that does not work

Caller James has accelerated a dial up connection so aggressively that some pages no longer load. Dr. Dave suggests testing a slower setting and distills the tradeoff into one memorable line: nothing is slower than something that does not work, so reliable performance matters more than a maximum speed setting.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-08

Of course I wrote it down

Windows activation leads to Dr. Dave describing his stubbornness and habit of writing down information rather than trusting memory. Preserve his explicit statement that he is not reusing a license illegally.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-03-20

Once I thought I made a mistake

Dr. Dave launches into a strong criticism of Norton before Rod gently reminds him that the question was about ZoneAlarm. Dr. Dave retracts the product judgment, then turns the mistake into a string of self-deprecating jokes about his willingness to keep talking even when he could be wrong.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-03-24

One detail broadens the diagnosis

Dr. Dave initially has no clear explanation for Terry’s browsers freezing, while Evil Steve mentions memory or video trouble. When Terry reveals that QuickBooks once failed the same way, Dr. Dave explains how that one fact broadens the problem, checks the simplest possibility first and weighs repair cost against replacement without forgetting the data trapped on the old computer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-19

Ordinary users are the vast majority

Dr. Dave addresses the social pressure people feel when technology makes them believe everyone else is an expert. He tells embarrassed callers and clients that they are actually part of the vast majority, warns that people claiming to know everything may be bluffing and acknowledges that the environment is genuinely challenging.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-02-11

Paul’s questions became a friendship

Evil Steve says their friend Paul hesitates to bother Dr. Dave with questions, but the brothers know the conversation will range well beyond computers. Dr. Dave explains that working through carburetor ideas for his Mazda RX 3 with Paul confirmed theories he had held for thirty years and helped turn technical questions into friendship.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-07-08

People are the first line of security

After describing IRS employees who gave passwords to callers posing as technicians, Dr. Dave says convenience cannot outweigh the value of an organization’s data or its employees’ jobs. He argues that every user is the first line of defense and should not surrender a password merely because a request sounds helpful or timely.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-26

Piecemeal upgrading can become a bottomless pit

When an older computer needs a processor, motherboard and incompatible memory before it can run a newer operating system well, Dr. Dave warns that piecemeal upgrading may cost more than replacing it. He weighs money, time, reliability and warranty rather than recommending work simply because it is technically possible.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-04

Portable does not mean rugged

Robert jokes that “portable” sometimes means only that an item can be carried before it breaks, and Dr. Dave explains the counterintuitive design tradeoff that reducing weight can make mobile equipment more fragile than stationary equipment.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-14

Preserve the accounts people will need afterward

A widower wants to notify his wife’s friends but cannot access her email account, and Dr. Dave admits he had never considered how much of a person’s life can become unreachable after death. Unable to promise access, he urges listeners to preserve important account information securely so a spouse or survivor can act when needed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-16

Quarantine leaves an out

Rod asks whether to delete suspicious files or quarantine them. Dr. Dave favors the reversible choice when uncertain because false positives happen and preserving an exit is better than painting oneself into a corner.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-31

Real advice for Steve's motorcycle

Evil Steve asks motorcycle-riding listeners to recommend an affordable Bluetooth helmet system, explaining that he wants real-user experience and trusts the show's community more than published reviews.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-07-11

Real world performance is not the laboratory maximum

A caller expects accelerated dial-up to match its advertising, and Dr. Dave explains that technology claims often come from ideal laboratory conditions or an unusually fast result. In real use, he says, a customer may see only a fraction of the promoted performance.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-16

Recommend the competitor when it serves the user

When a caller reports that Dr. Dave’s Untraceable utility does not work with Internet Explorer 7, Dr. Dave admits the compatible version is unfinished and refuses to claim value it does not yet provide. He credits Microsoft’s improvement, explains his current uncertainty and recommends Firefox or Opera when those browsers better meet the user’s needs.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-11

Recovery is like life insurance

Caller Tom asks whether Windows restore is enough protection. Dr. Dave distinguishes routine restoration from rescue media and compares the latter to life insurance: it exists for the rare day when normal protection is no longer enough.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-23

Relationships begin with listening

Roger praises a radio sponsor who first explained the process, then listened closely enough to understand what the clients actually wanted. Dr. Dave connects that relationship-centered service to his own responsibility for the show: advertisers keep it on the air, but he turns many away rather than promote products he does not respect.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-27

Reliability can be worth more than the cheaper bill

Caller Kevin considers replacing office phone and Internet service after a previous switch caused failed rollover and alarm functions; Dr. Dave weighs the savings against business interruption and calls the avoided frustration worth more than the modest monthly difference.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-12-18

Reliance requires a backup

Asked whether to replace a desktop with a laptop, Dr. Dave explains that he is deliberately more dependent on technology than most people because testing failures is his work, and that degree of reliance makes a backup computer especially valuable.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-08

Rename it FixItAll.exe

Dr. Dave recalls a self-repairing infection that defeated every sophisticated technique and blocked ComboFix by name. In desperation he renamed the program FixItAll.exe, it ran and the computer was cleaned. Evil Steve asks whether he learned that in doctor school; Dr. Dave answers that sometimes a dying patient makes you pull something out of your hat.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-04-19

Room for what you did not plan

Tom's question about an inexpensive netbook lets Dr. Dave explain that people grow attached to useful tools and inevitably ask more of them than first intended, so a responsible recommendation must leave headroom rather than satisfy only the minimum stated need.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-04-25

Safer to send detailed instructions in writing

Caller Karen has a complicated Windows file problem. Dr. Dave decides to send the repair steps by email because a long spoken sequence can be misspoken or misheard, making the original problem worse.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-01

Satellite radio and finite attention

Joe directly challenges Dr. Dave's skepticism about Sirius-XM. Dr. Dave argues that new financing does not repair a business model by itself, connects the problem to finite time and entertainment saturation, then acknowledges the service's reach and variety and says he hopes it survives.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-02-21

Security must work for real people

A caller’s firewall question lets Dr. Dave distinguish theoretical protection from protection in practice: when warnings overwhelm ordinary users until they approve everything, a technically stronger product can leave them less safe.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-06-25

Security without making it unusable

Teresa returns to report that Dr. Dave's earlier help worked. Her experience lets him explain that protection can become so interruptive that ordinary use suffers, while demanding perfect security, perfect seamlessness and total quiet at once is impossible; a workable system must find a middle path.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-21

Simple needs do not require expensive software

Caller Charles wants a small, reliable tool rather than a complicated professional editor. Dr. Dave begins from the work the caller actually needs to accomplish and explains that free or shareware programs can perform simple tasks as well as or better than expensive retail software.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-09-03

Slow down and troubleshoot methodically

When a home network works unpredictably, Dr. Dave gently suggests that frustration may be causing the caller to change too many things too quickly. He asks him to step back, make a list, verify each computer one at a time and restart the system in a deliberate order before drawing conclusions.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-09

Spark plugs for a gas and diesel car

Dr. Dave's son Nick asks why a Macintosh monitor does not simply work with a Windows computer. Dr. Dave explains that changing platforms can be more than changing brands by comparing spark plugs shared by two gasoline cars with a gasoline-to-diesel mismatch.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-10

Start with the likely and easy fix

Caller Todd has already been told his Internet provider may be responsible for interrupted streaming. Dr. Dave explains that he starts with a cause that is both plausible and reasonably easy to test before asking the caller to fight a harder external battle.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-14

Start with the result and work backward

A caller asks about a complicated server approach for sending email to a mobile device, and Dr. Dave reframes the problem around the desired outcome. He starts with the result the user wants and works backward, showing that a simpler path may already exist without the proprietary system under discussion.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-03-04

Technology, power, risk and truth

Dr. Dave summarizes the show's “hype-free zone”: technology offers extraordinary flexibility, education, information and communication, but no product comes without risk, cost, effort or pain. Honest consulting sometimes requires telling an angry caller that the vendor is not to blame and that the user made the mistake; his responsibility is to help people learn and deal with the truth.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-24

Ten seconds can protect the removable drive

After recovering data for people who disconnected external storage in haste, Dr. Dave warns that apparent success on earlier attempts does not make the shortcut safe. He asks listeners to spend a few seconds using the system’s removal process so pending writes finish before the drive is unplugged.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-23

The caller who changed Dave's mind about Twitter

Dr. Dave remembers mocking Twitter until a caller explained how carefully chosen sources made it useful. After trying it for his own radio and consulting work, he thanks her for being right and for making him think again, while preserving his warning that technology still requires self-discipline.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-28

The cloud is not the silver bullet

Caller Kevin’s syncing question prompts Dr. Dave to acknowledge the cloud’s usefulness while rejecting it as a universal answer, especially when a one-character account mistake forces a complete phone reset because the design assumes users will never make errors.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-04-02

The compulsion to help still needs a boundary

Faced with a Windows activation repair requiring registry edits, searches and dozens of precise steps, Dr. Dave admits that it is solvable but cannot responsibly be walked through on live radio. Even his “incredible compulsion” to help must yield to the limits of the medium, so he offers slower follow-up and recommends local expert help.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-13

The computer can sense when it matters

Dr. Dave says an ordinary printer fails whenever he needs a document for a meeting but works perfectly for something unimportant. Evil Steve concludes that computers, like wild animals, sense urgency; the solution is calm indifference, which earns Dr. Dave the title “computer whisperer.”

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-08-02

The computers that still ran with rats inside

A dust-filter question becomes a practical maintenance explanation and one of Dr. Dave’s memorable consulting stories about working computers kept in a barn with rats inside.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-08-14

The device that finds everything except itself

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve joke about whether belongings are truly lost if they remain somewhere in the house while describing an experimental RFID reminder watch. Later, caller Randy identifies the inevitable flaw: he would lose the device meant to find everything else.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-03-05

The difference between a breakthrough and fluff

A caller asks about the memristor, giving Dr. Dave a chance to revisit an earlier interview about a theoretical fourth circuit element finally demonstrated in hardware. His excitement comes from a distinction central to the show: companies need to sell things, but much of what reaches consumers is fad and fluff, while a real breakthrough can change the physical limits of everyday technology.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2008-09-27

The emails that saved a job

Teresa says her husband documented instructions and protected himself when his supervisor tried to have him fired. The hosts explore the other side of their email warning. Keep her clarification that he was protecting himself, not plotting retaliation.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-03-20

The feedback was humbling

Evil Steve relays a listener's report that a computer other experts could not repair now works flawlessly after Dr. Dave's Test and Tune. Dr. Dave calls the generous feedback humbling and says this is exactly the kind of service they try to provide.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-07-25

The first father-and-son call

Regular caller Mark brings his retired father Fred onto a three-state conference call to ask about a computer he built. After the answer, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve realize it is the show's first father-and-son call, linking Mississippi, Florida and Tucson.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-09-05

The gourmet banana-sandwich shop

Driving to buy groceries, Dr. Dave sees the cupcake-shop trend and has an epiphany: a restaurant devoted entirely to custom gourmet banana sandwiches, complete with sauces and a warning to listeners not to steal the idea.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-11-06

The helmet worked when it mattered

A caller worries after security software catches an infection, and Dr. Dave answers with a startling personal memory. When a Camaro struck his motorcycle and his helmet hit the highway repeatedly, he remembers thinking how glad he was to have paid for protection; danger activating the safeguard was proof that the safeguard was doing its job.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-02-23

The listeners who made it worthwhile

Dr. Dave describes a demanding schedule and people greeting him with hugs at a meeting, then thanks listeners for understanding the show’s humor. A strong personal reflection entirely outside the retrieval window.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-06-05

The monitor moved four inches

An auto-shop monitor went haywire whenever a compressor started even though its power and backup unit were sound. After the owner struggled for months and Dr. Dave initially struggled too, Dr. Dave stood between office and shop, noticed the building's main electrical panel hidden inches behind the screen and solved the mystery by moving the monitor four inches across the desk.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-03-15

The realities on both sides of tech support

Former CompUSA support worker Carl describes having to cover unfamiliar systems and solve calls in as little as fifty seconds. He and Dr. Dave acknowledge that true beginners can be extremely difficult to guide, that computers should be easier and that even the technicians Dr. Dave criticizes are often capable people working inside a bad support structure.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-03

The secret code for tech support

Trying to escalate a client’s unresolved cable problem, Dr. Dave discovers that a courteous support representative cannot transfer him until he asks in one exact way. He jokes about being on Candid Camera, begs her to whisper the secret and finally unlocks help with “may I speak to your manager, please.”

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-12-02

The technical flinch and the next right thing

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve recognize a caller’s pessimism as a technical flinch caused by repeated failure. Dr. Dave tells him to follow instructions patiently, avoid wiping the original drive, resist the cycle of irritation and rushing, then relax enough to do the next right thing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-05-06

The work is real-world work

Dr. Dave explains that his hands are in real computers every week rather than only in press releases, then warns that professional pride can become expensive when it keeps someone from asking for help soon enough.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-01-22

There is no forever setting

A caller who has already changed providers wants his next email address to last forever. Dr. Dave gives the uncomfortable answer twice: there is no such thing as forever in technology, and believing a change is permanently finished practically guarantees that another one will eventually be required.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-06-07

There is no hard and fast list of background programs

Asked which background programs slow a computer, Dr. Dave says the answer changes with the machine and the person using it. He admits that removing a program and checking whether needed functionality disappears is inelegant, but refuses to invent a universal list where none exists.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-10-14

Thirty-seven days of History on Hold

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember agreeing to anchor Election Night 2000 for one evening, then returning day after day as the result remained unresolved. Thirty-seven days later they finished a radio program they had named History on Hold, which Dr. Dave calls one of the most enjoyable things they did on the air.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-11-04

Thirty-seven days of History on Hold

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember agreeing to cover the 2000 presidential election for one evening and remaining on air for 37 days. Their story leads into a memorable warning that an “unsinkable” assumption can be more dangerous than the technology itself.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-10-16

Too much security can become the problem

A caller has installed many overlapping security programs and spends more time maintaining them than using the computer. Dr. Dave identifies two harmful extremes, being unprotected and becoming so enthusiastic about protection that the protective tools overwhelm the system.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-19

Troubleshooting has no silver bullet

Caller Tom worries about disabling security software during support work. Dr. Dave explains how a brief controlled test can isolate a firewall problem, describes physically disconnecting a machine during certain changes and finally warns that diagnostic software is never a perfect answer because the diagnostic tool can itself be part of the problem.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-11-12

Two drives and priceless data

Caller Kevin says the brothers met him after hours on a weekend, arranged pickup of two failed drives and returned the recovered material on a larger drive within three days. He calls the data priceless and says everything is running well, offering an unsolicited glimpse of the care behind Dr. Dave's consulting work.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-08-18

Upgrade only for a reason that matters

Caller Charles offers a strict rule against changing a stable computer merely to gain features. Dr. Dave agrees with the core idea, adds an exception for necessary security patches and says any hardware or software upgrade deserves skepticism unless it addresses a specific issue that matters to the person using it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-06-17

Users should be security concerned

Reacting to a government cyberattack warning, Dr. Dave says ordinary users do not need to become security experts but should stay security concerned and ask for help when they do not know what to do. Products alone cannot compensate for every unsafe action, yet paranoia is not productive either.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-01-26

What changed? They broke!

Caller Ollie describes two optical drives that suddenly stopped reading discs. Dr. Dave briefly answers his own diagnostic question with “they broke,” then works through why a loose connection is unlikely and offers a damaged cable or corrupted writing software as more plausible causes.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-11

When an old computer is not worth upgrading

Caller Cindy wants to add memory to an older computer used by her children. Dr. Dave explains how scarce obsolete parts can cost more than current ones, checks the motherboard limitation and honestly weighs repair against replacing a machine that still serves a purpose.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-12-18

When data leaves your hands

A hospital employee asks whether an online service is safe for sensitive patient information. Dr. Dave does not claim that the named company is careless; he explains that even major institutions suffer breaches and that sending data elsewhere means relying on another party. For information that truly must remain private, his standard is to retain possession and encrypt the local copies.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-10

When the firewall is not the real enemy

Victor’s email prompts Dr. Dave to distinguish an incompatible firewall from a damaged installation. He explains that disabling protection may help isolate a problem, but a malfunctioning tool should be repaired rather than teaching users that security itself is the obstacle.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-01

When the live call system broke

During a difficult caller’s explanation, Dr. Dave loses the incoming audio and finally tells the audience he has been doing his best to follow without hearing consistently. The second-hour opening credits the engineer and lets listeners hear the relief when the phones work again.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-11-06

When the recovery screen did not match Dave’s memory

The recovery menus Dan describes do not match the screens Dr. Dave expects. Rather than force an uncertain instruction, Dr. Dave says they may be using a different disc or his memory may be wrong, keeps the drive with its original computer and offers to continue carefully by telephone or on site.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-10-07

Who should control the internet?

Caller Robert’s net-neutrality question leads Dr. Dave to map the competing interests of open-speech advocates, infrastructure owners, copyright holders and government, then explain why he finds both concentrated control and vague exemptions dangerous.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2010-08-14

Worth doing means work somewhere

After explaining how much labor thousands of slide scans require, Dr. Dave states a rule learned over years: if something is worth doing and should be done right, the work will appear at the beginning, middle, end or throughout. Ignoring that reality changes nothing, so put on a smile, accept the process and try to make it fun.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-01-26

“This is our kind of music”

As Israel and New Breed plays in the studio, Dr. Dave immediately recognizes the song, praises the gospel group and delights in the bass. The brief exchange preserves an unguarded glimpse of the music he and Evil Steve enjoyed together.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-01-28

A 1937 Sheaffer pen during the show

Explaining why online marketplaces help people find unusual things, Dr. Dave reveals that he browses during the show for a 1937 White Dot Sheaffer fountain pen. Evil Steve immediately recognizes that this means another pen for Dr. Dave’s collection.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-12-16

A first computer for an animal rescuer

Kara explains that she is disabled, lives on a limited income, cares for rescued animals and wants her first simple, private computer. Dr. Dave listens closely and turns her real needs into a practical shopping plan.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-13

A game is not the lived thing

Record game sales prompt Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to separate simulation from experience: racing or football skill with a controller does not equal driving or playing, though physically interactive systems can move the medium toward fuller participation.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-11-20

A high-tech intervention

Evil Steve says the show has shifted from simply urging people to use computers into a high-tech intervention. Using an addictive game from Star Trek as their analogy, the brothers describe people looking at screens instead of driving or interacting with the people beside them and ask whether the control can become self-imposed.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-11-24

A real vacation means being hard to reach

The relentless cycle of technology problems leads Dr. Dave to recognize burnout even among sophisticated Internet professionals. His prescription is not to abandon technology but to take a genuine vacation: leave the laptop, phone and constantly arriving email behind and go somewhere that requires real effort for other people to reach you.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-02-16

A recreational hour of political venting

After a caller praises Dr. Dave's new program, Dr. Dave describes the other local political talk show modestly as recreational, an hour of venting and having fun.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-04-11

A six-hundred-year-old Bible is what makes it fun

While walking through his Linux applications, Dr. Dave reveals that he collects Bible translations, dictionaries, commentary and devotionals. The difficulty of reading a centuries-old Tyndale-era text is exactly what makes comparing versions and direct-language translations enjoyable to him.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-09-17

An amateur historian learns everything

Independence Day leads Dr. Dave to describe himself as an amateur historian. The revealing part is his method: whatever subject captures him, he dives in and learns everything he possibly can before moving to the next one.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-07-05

Anything like this that's new is really a lot of fun

As Dr. Dave prepares to learn DJ John's equipment and fill in at Little Anthony's car show, his excitement is unmistakable. He says that doing something new and different is fun, especially when it brings together cars, music, food and a lively atmosphere.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-05-12

Being distracted by the unimportant

Dr. Dave notices that when work feels difficult, an always-open email program offers an easy escape even though most messages are not important. Closing it, checking at deliberate intervals and handling messages in batches becomes his practical way to protect focus and prevent online activity from turning into disengagement from life.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-04-06

Brandy might be the secret

On a day when he feels lazy about preparing the show, Dr. Dave remembers seeing brandy given to an injured man in an old Western and immediately researches why doctors once supported the practice. The curiosity turns into a running joke that a flask, unruly hair and a tank top may be the secret to a very different broadcast.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-02-02

Character matters more than anything

Dr. Dave responds to Washington's selection of Robert Griffin III with guarded optimism. What impresses him most is not raw ability but the young quarterback's apparent toughness, humility, perspective and character—qualities Dr. Dave says matter more than anything after watching Jon Gruden's quarterback program.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-05-05

Children need a life beyond technology

Although immersed in technology himself, Dr. Dave remembers people assuming his sons must always have the latest computers and spend hours behind them. He says the opposite was intentional: children need to climb trees, fall down, learn through real experience and keep that balance when they grow up.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2014-02-15

Comedy can be a treasure hunt

Dr. Dave remembers seeing Steve White in Phoenix with Randy, compares performers whose delivery can make an ordinary line funny and explains why he enjoys Dennis Miller’s dense references. For Dr. Dave and Evil Steve, the pleasure is in comedy that invites the audience to pay attention, work out the reference and discover the payoff.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-02-25

Comparing Bible translations is fascinating

Dr. Dave describes putting old and modern Bible translations side by side, tracing Greek and Hebrew roots and enjoying the difficulty of early English. The passage connects his faith, curiosity and habit of learning through direct comparison rather than passive reading.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-08-18

Computers cannot replace teachers

Discussing a school’s iPod ban, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve worry that constant personal media can isolate children from classmates and teachers. Dr. Dave argues that schools need teachers, books, social interaction and outdoor experience first, with computers added as tools rather than treated as substitutes.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-26

Correcting the record on 4K

Dr. Dave returns to a statement he made about Sharp television subpixels and says plainly that it was too sweeping. He explains the actual improvement more carefully: the extra subpixels matter, but they do not transform an HD set into 4K or a 4K set into 8K.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-01-31

Creativity does not work in neat little boxes

Dr. Dave jokes that the bunker’s physical mess is the source of its creativity, then argues seriously that inventions and the internet emerge from independent thinkers in imperfect environments rather than tidy positions fixed in advance.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-08-14

Cyberbullying is a misuse of technology

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve discuss email harassment and camera-phone abuse as early forms of cyberbullying, compare online retaliation with the second player being penalized in football and conclude that the technology provides a new channel for behavior that already existed.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-22

Dad, Opera is not working

Explaining why work and family computers should be separated when possible, Dr. Dave draws from daily family life. He would spend all day researching and fixing PCs, then arrive home to his two boys waiting at the door with the news that Opera, the printer or something else was broken; a dedicated children's machine kept the adults operational while the boys experimented.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-03-15

Dave and Steve cannot leave well enough alone

A motorcycle tuning question becomes a revealing conversation about the brothers' shared instinct to investigate, adjust and understand machinery. Dr. Dave draws on mistakes with an old RX-4 and a later truck to explain why bypassing a system before understanding its purpose can create new problems, while Evil Steve admits the real motive is often simply the need to fiddle.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-05-11

Dave called Walgreens during the break

Still thinking about John’s slideshow question, Dr. Dave realizes that his original conversion premise may be wrong and calls the Walgreens scanning department during the break so he can return with a concrete explanation.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-19

Disneyland should be experienced

After visiting Disneyland with Michele, Evil Steve describes teenagers wearing iPods even on rides and wonders whether constant media prevents them from engaging with the people and sensations around them. He and Dr. Dave disagree playfully about whether the music insulates or enhances, then Michele’s joke about crowds moving away from Evil Steve brings the story home.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-16

Do not spend your life chasing technology

While discussing imperfect software and protecting his two young boys, Dr. Dave explains that he changes slowly because endlessly chasing the newest technology can turn it into an end rather than a useful tool.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-09

Do the next right thing

A comic poster in the studio gives Dr. Dave a playful version of persistence, but he sharpens the lesson: troubleshooting usually succeeds by taking the next right step. Thinking outside the box sometimes matters; panicked action for its own sake usually does not.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-03-21

Do your best without making yourself sick

Evil Steve's calmer response to privacy worries makes Dr. Dave reconsider his instinct to fight harder whenever a problem grows. They agree that people can still choose which services to use and keep technology at arm's length, but should do their best without allowing problems outside their control to consume them.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2014-06-21

Does controlled simplicity save time?

Apple’s success makes Dr. Dave and Evil Steve question their own criticism of limited flexibility: perhaps one well-controlled path avoids wasted fiddling, because time is the only resource a person cannot replace.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-04

Does this really need to go out now?

Dr. Dave urges listeners not to confuse healthy trust in friends and mentors with publishing private emotion to everyone. Because an impulsive post cannot truly be taken back, he waits at least a few hours—and often abandons a tweet after asking whether it really needs to go out now.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-06-23

Double check every source

After recounting a false Wikipedia biography and a Nature comparison with Encyclopedia Britannica, Dr. Dave explains a rule he had taught his children from the time they could talk: never accept information merely because of where it appears. Advertising, news, the Internet and prestigious reference works all deserve independent checking.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-12-17

Eighty pages as a radio security blanket

Evil Steve asks why Dr. Dave has printed an enormous stack of material since the show began nearly sixteen years earlier when he will use only a fraction of it. Dr. Dave calls it a security blanket but also explains that the choices let him turn instantly when a live conversation suggests a different direction.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-06-23

Emotion first and facts afterward

An Intel Mac poll leads Dr. Dave to a broader observation from age and experience: people are emotional beings who often make a decision from feeling and then use facts to rationalize it. The brothers immediately demonstrate the point through their own jokes about the platform change.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-02-04

Even an email from Mom may not be from Mom

A fake Yahoo page prompts Dr. Dave to reject the familiar advice that messages are safe when they appear to come from someone you know. Malware often travels through trusted names, so he compares an email sender line with a stranger outside the door merely claiming to be your mother: recognition alone is not proof of identity.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-09-10

Every military role matters

Dr. Dave thanks veterans from the bottom of his heart and rejects the idea that people outside combat zones are second-class service members. Fuel, food, tracks, ammunition and even paperwork support those in danger, while every person who joins accepts that they may be called to risk a life.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-11-11

Explain the repair after it works

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain why an unfinished repair can look bewildering from over a technician’s shoulder: diagnosis involves trying paths, backing up and poking around, while the useful client explanation comes after the technician knows what worked.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-02-26

Football used to feel like family

Donovan McNabb joining Washington makes Dr. Dave reflect on an era when players stayed with one team long enough for the roster to feel like family and why free agency changed his emotional investment.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-06-05

Fountain pens and hard-learned eBay lessons

Dr. Dave’s interest in old fountain pens leads into a long personal conversation about learning from mistakes, resisting auction pressure and checking the true cost before committing to an online purchase.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-02

Fountain pens and the street-level Internet

Dr. Dave says his fountain-pen collection would be nearly impossible without eBay because he would otherwise need to search antique stores, barns and estate sales around the world. The ability to monitor hundreds of sellers brings his larger economic idea down to earth: connect buyer and seller directly at worldwide scale, and the Internet changes both business and ordinary life.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-02-02

FreeBSD on a 1999 handheld

Dr. Dave explains that he keeps an old IBM Z50 running FreeBSD simply to prove it can be done, stay good at the work and exercise his Linux muscles because the experimentation is fun.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-03-28

Grateful on Independence Day

Dr. Dave says age has made him recognize that the formation of the United States was miraculous and that birthplace and parents are accidents no one chooses. He expresses gratitude for the freedoms he enjoys every day, including the freedom for two brothers to speak their minds on the radio.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-02

Having kids teaches you about humanity

Watching people become absorbed in phones reminds Dr. Dave of the lessons children learn about noticing the world around them. He says raising children taught him things about himself and humanity that he could not have learned another way, then connects that memory to the basic responsibility of looking where one is going.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-03-03

Hearing what a statement really means

Dr. Dave remembers the period when he began questioning not how reassuring a statement sounded but what it actually promised. An investigator’s declaration that no airplane should ever crash gives the brothers a clear example: the aspiration is admirable, but a literal guarantee could only be kept by ending flight altogether.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-02-04

Hoping Joe Gibbs can turn it around

Dr. Dave explains why years of frustration with the Redskins owner did not stop him from becoming excited when Joe Gibbs returned, and jokes with Evil Steve about a possible Redskins racing car.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-10-09

I am not a change-for-change’s-sake guy

While evaluating the newly announced Microsoft Surface, Dr. Dave states a compact standard that runs throughout his work: he is not interested in change merely because it is new. If a change is better, it is better; the point is to judge the result rather than the novelty.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-06-23

I still want my stuff

Dr. Dave contrasts locally owned software with cloud services that require users to hand their data to a provider. He remembers personal computing as a revolution in autonomy, acknowledges that compelling features and prices—not foolishness—draw people back toward centralized systems, and says that even if a provider is trustworthy he still wants control of his own material.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-05-05

Julie’s computer is working beautifully

Returning caller Julie tells Dr. Dave that a local technician replaced the computer she had struggled with and that the new system is working beautifully. Dr. Dave is pleased to hear that the long-running problem has finally been resolved.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-30

Keep a paper backup for important passwords

Bob asks how to preserve many different passwords, and Dr. Dave describes keeping an offline written record as a backup even when encrypted software is used. The lasting idea is not to assume that information stored on one computer will always remain there.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-03

Kelly's Ride from above

Evil Steve remembers using Google Earth to build a flyover map for the annual Kelly's Ride. The brief example turns a product discussion into a concrete memory of using technology for a recurring community event.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-01-31

Let the chips fall and move on

While introducing a week of password breaches, Dr. Dave observes that daily life repeatedly confronts people with their powerlessness. His answer is to act on the things one can control, protect oneself as well as possible and then let the chips fall and move on.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-06-09

Listeners help program the show

A listener's proposed Google theme leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to explain that calls and suggestions can change the direction of Computer Talk. They welcome good contributions while joking that they still reserve editorial control.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-02-24

Local buyers, cash only

When an out-of-town buyer offers more than Dr. Dave requested for a used netbook, he recognizes that generosity costs a scammer nothing if the payment is fake and responds with a calm boundary: local buyers and cash only.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-03-26

Loyal customers deserve the good deals too

A new-customer discount prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to ask why long-standing customers should pay more, then propose that loyalty deserves equally good offers throughout the year.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-07-10

My kids can surf space at ten

Microsoft's new Worldwide Telescope leads Dr. Dave to compare what his children could know with what he knew at their age. He credits the Internet, educational television and parents, warns that poor information exists too and remains astonished that a ten-year-old can explore space from a computer.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2008-05-17

Never as good or bad as you think

Looking back at the unfamiliar Tuesday broadcast, Dr. Dave says that in radio a person is never as good as he thinks and never as bad as he thinks, while Evil Steve reminds him that discomfort can simply mean leaving a familiar routine.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-02-19

Nick in the studio when Arizona changes the show clock

Dr. Dave names Dr. Dave's son Nick among the extra people overseeing the show, then the brothers explain why their Arizona start time moves when the rest of the country changes clocks. Their interruption jokes preserve the working rhythm of a national broadcast morning.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-11-08

No more capacity for entertainment

Sirius-XM's financial trouble becomes a larger conversation about finite attention: even worthwhile programs pile up, and eventually a person must choose between consuming more entertainment and living life.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-14

Nobody knows the media future

After predicting dramatic changes to radio and video delivery, Dr. Dave admits that uncertainty itself is hard for people and businesses, while Evil Steve reminds him that nobody has ever truly known what even the next minute will bring.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-28

Old books gave me a different understanding

Dr. Dave says the books he values most are old, out-of-print historical and religious works. Reading them gave him perspective on how the present was formed and changed his understanding of ideas he had once belittled, leaving him embarrassed by his earlier certainty and excited to keep learning.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-06-23

One task from beginning to end

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve candidly describe being pulled among unfinished tasks, recognize that six simultaneous activities can take longer than six completed in sequence and propose estimating a task’s hours so one focused half-day can remove it from their minds.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-25

Online safety cannot be solved by technology alone

Asked whether security software can solve risky behavior on social networks, Laura Yecies says technology can limit access but cannot replace teaching, supervision and caution with strangers. Dr. Dave frames the problem as the combination of bad actors and people exposing themselves without understanding the risk.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-29

Owning a missed follow up

Caller Rudy returns because the detailed instructions Dr. Dave promised two weeks earlier never arrived. Dr. Dave locates the email while they are speaking, apologizes without deflecting and promises to resend the steps during the next break, showing accountability when an ordinary service detail falls through.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-11-12

PIMville

Wondering why practical organizer software lost ground to entertainment, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve invent PIMville: a Farmville-style game where feeding pigs manages clients, mowing the lawn removes duplicates and planting seeds schedules appointments. The absurd idea turns a technology-market observation into classic brotherly improvisation.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-10-13

Playing with new operating systems

Rumors of a Google OS netbook reveal Dr. Dave’s restless learning style: an emulator is not enough, and he wants to install an unfamiliar operating system, handle it directly and discover what it can do.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-12-04

Preserving a lifetime of photographs

A veteran asks about slides collected while traveling. Dr. Dave reassures him, discusses cost and effort, then acknowledges uncertainty about home movie conversion and promises research. Retain the whole call; equipment examples serve the preservation story.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-02-21

Prioritize the most likely cause

Dr. Dave tells Don that a good diagnostician starts with the most likely explanations instead of treating every theoretical possibility equally. He declines to recommend a risky BIOS flash without reliable visibility, asks the caller to report back and jokes that listener outcomes are part of how he keeps learning.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-04-21

Protect yourself, then make some noise

After describing an Internet security failure, Dr. Dave rejects both denial and constant fear. His rule is to protect oneself as well as possible, then go out, live and make some noise because that is the only way to move forward, while still keeping important data accessible and under personal control.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-01-05

Pull over before you read it

After describing the severe distraction of texting, Dr. Dave admits the instinct to reach for a notification is powerful. When his own phone sounded on the road, he pulled over before checking a thoroughly unimportant “what's up” message.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-29

Radio is about people

Guest Bill Moore calls radio a companion and describes the voices between the songs as the medium's defining feature. Dr. Dave answers that every technology depends on people who can use, support and produce it; Evil Steve then explains that listeners come for the people live on the air and that DaveMason.com's stream and archive add to the terrestrial show instead of subtracting from it.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-04-26

Running my life on local spreadsheets

Unable to find a personal information manager that fits his Linux experiment and reluctance to put everything in the cloud, Dr. Dave builds a small local system from spreadsheet tabs. A diary, time entries and a journal become fast, reliable and simple enough for him, even if he knows the solution is geeky and old-fashioned.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-05-11

Seven hundred books and a long view of history

Dr. Dave says living through history made him seek a deeper perspective, describes a year of research in more than 700 hard-to-find books and plans to make the reading list available through the website.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-12-06

Stand by your teams through the rough spots

With both Washington and Arizona struggling, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve say difficult seasons are when supporters should stand by their teams most so they can share the eventual championship. The exchange preserves their loyalty and the sports talk that regularly framed the technology program.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-11-04

Stay safe on the Gulf Coast

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve send their thoughts and prayers to listeners and affiliates preparing for a major Gulf Coast storm. Their serious wish that everyone stay safe turns into gentle banter about people trying to surf dangerous waves.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-07-09

Steve Jobs calls a grieving father

Dr. Dave recounts a report that Steve Jobs personally called the father of a teenager killed during a fight over an iPod, offered sympathy and invited him to call if Apple could help. The account preserves a human moment within the period’s rapidly growing consumer technology culture.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-07-09

Susan Boyle and the reach of the internet

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve react to Susan Boyle's sudden audience, warn that appearances can overturn expectations and recognize that YouTube let an American audience encounter a British performance that probably would not have reached them a decade earlier.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-04-18

Suspicion without panic

A confusing purchase email looks like phishing until Evil Steve checks the retailer independently, reads carefully and contacts Dr. Dave; together they discover an account mix-up of their own making and resolve it without anyone losing information or money.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-03-12

Technology does not replace parenting

A report about a violent game leads Dr. Dave to explain that parents should remain involved rather than feeling intimidated by technology or pressured to keep children at a screen.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-08-14

Technology fails when you have to have it

Dr. Dave recalls spending weeks on a domain transfer that should have taken minutes, only to renew with the more expensive registrar before the name expired. He and Evil Steve turn the frustration into a Murphy’s Law lesson: the printer, transfer or computer often fails precisely when a deadline makes it indispensable.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-30

Technology is exciting, not only dangerous

Dr. Dave worries that constant security warnings can hide the real excitement and usefulness of computers, then gives a personal example of research and book buying that once would have taken days.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-02

Technology needs to be kept in perspective

A complaint about nonstop texting and games becomes a broader argument about attention. Dr. Dave invokes an old Star Trek episode in which a game absorbs an entire crew, then rejects the easy claim that technology itself is evil: like many powerful tools, it becomes harmful when people lose perspective and use it without restraint.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-30

Ten years of Saturdays and the show archive

After listeners ask why July has only one archived show, Dr. Dave explains the unusual two-week break and reflects on a decade of Saturdays before joking that no substitute could reproduce what the brothers do.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2010-07-31

The B-52 maneuver Dave and Steve never forgot

Preparing for the local air show, the brothers vividly remember watching a B-52 make an extraordinary low pass and steep climb in 1992, then connect aircraft limitations with human excellence.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-03-20

The college laptop that will get beer spilled on it

Evaluating a low-cost netbook, Dr. Dave calls it a good college machine for a parental reason students may not appreciate: it may be broken, stolen or covered in beer, so an inexpensive computer can be a more sensible tool than a gaming powerhouse. Evil Steve supplies the ninety-percent-games curriculum, and Dr. Dave concludes that this is why his kids hate him.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-23

The election coverage that lasted 37 days

Caller asks about electronic voting; Dr. Dave recalls unexpected extended election coverage and discusses his concerns. Retain his acknowledgement that his prediction could be wrong. These are 2004 views and allegations, not verified findings about any later election.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2004-03-27

The Internet Wild West was still worth it

A report about a worm sent to Reuters leads Dr. Dave to call the Internet a dangerous Wild West while insisting that its benefits still far outweigh the risks. He says that cell phones, laptops and the Internet have become indispensable to his own work.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-16

The joy of tinkering

An Android-modified Nook Color lets Dr. Dave explain that he is a fiddler who loves experimenting and values the flexibility people create when they push hardware beyond its intended limits.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-03-05

The kid who read encyclopedias

Dr. Dave remembers being the child who did not want to do assigned homework but would sit and read encyclopedias for fun. Evil Steve recognizes the contrarian impulse, while Dr. Dave connects that early curiosity to one of the Internet's great pleasures: hearing about an unfamiliar thing, asking what it is and following the answer simply because learning is enjoyable.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-03-08

The laptop Dave broke on the air

Dr. Dave recounts spilling Coke on his laptop during the previous show and then cracking the LCD by pinching its edge, which leads to a frank explanation of his buying priorities and why structural details matter.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-10-30

The nicest people have nothing to prove

Remembering a radio convention, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve contrast people who perform importance by dismissing others with genuinely accomplished people who are relaxed, engaged and kind because they have nothing left to prove.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-03-12

The productivity paradox

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve ask how much productivity they must surrender to gain the promised benefits of connecting Twitter and Facebook, then note that internet users have become involuntary beta testers.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-10-17

The secret of the fries is day-old oil

The official Computer Talk lunch sends Dr. Dave and Evil Steve into an earnest debate about why their favorite fries taste so good. Evil Steve draws on his old restaurant job, Dr. Dave suggests the fryer may still contain the same oil and together they conclude that well-used, day-old oil is the flavor-enhancing secret.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-03-31

The show matters enough to be live for Christmas

Dr. Dave says he enjoys showing up for holiday broadcasts and questions promoting a show as important if its hosts decide the holiday audience is not important enough to serve. He and Evil Steve acknowledge that a weekly program demands fewer hours than daily radio, but they remain live together on Christmas Eve Eve.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-12-23

The Tuesday show without a phone

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain why Computer Talk is unexpectedly live on a Tuesday evening, work through the disruption to their normal rhythm and discover that they cannot take calls because the studio phone is still in Dr. Dave’s truck.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-02-15

The useful edge of pressure

Arriving late yet opening cleanly, Dr. Dave explains that a manageable amount of nervousness can focus performance, just as it does in football, but crossing the threshold produces mistakes.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-08-07

The wisdom crept into my everyday computer use

A contest entrant writes that she first listened without understanding much beyond the brothers' banter, but that their advice gradually entered her everyday computer use until she felt empowered. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve answer with humor, name her the winner and celebrate her connection to the show.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-06-16

The wonder on the other side of technology frustration

Evil Steve describes a television history of ink moving from early writing and fountain pens to microscopic images of inkjet nozzles. Dr. Dave says people understandably become irritated when technology fails, but seeing how it works reveals the opposite side of the coin and how miraculous an ordinary machine can be.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-10-07

Trying the Google theme on reality radio

A listener submits an old song as a possible Google-update theme, and Dr. Dave and Evil Steve debate whether to risk playing it before announcing a five-minute live feed from the normally hidden news break. Their deliberately clunky experiment captures the improvisational personality of the show.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-02-17

Trying to break Windows 7

At the launch of a major Windows release, Dr. Dave explains that he began skeptical, tested it for months and tried deliberately to break it before offering unusually enthusiastic praise. He also states his independence from brand and crowd loyalty.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-26

Up cannot be down

A question about 2005 predictions becomes a lesson in skeptical listening when Dr. Dave objects to reports calling holiday sales “down” even though they increased by less than analysts expected. Evil Steve turns the point into a joke about missing a weight-loss goal.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-01

We did not verify the football schedule

After confidently arguing with an emailed correction, the hosts check the schedule, discover the listener was right and call themselves a remarkable example of a technology show that failed to consult the Internet.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-11-20

We poke fun at everybody, including us

A loyal listener accuses the show of sickening Apple bias. Dr. Dave answers that he respects and uses Apple products but rejects claims that any company can do no wrong, challenges the technology press when praise becomes automatic and insists that the brothers poke fun at everyone, including themselves.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-09-15

What Computer Talk needed to become

Dr. Dave remembers beginning in the late 1980s as a technology evangelist persuading reluctant businesspeople to embrace computers. After decades in the field, he says the negative side of technology had become too significant to ignore and that the program needed to help listeners wrestle with both promise and harm.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-01-24

What the puck? A round phone

In the middle of a serious phone-design discussion, Dr. Dave asks why nobody makes a flat round phone. Evil Steve says it could double as a coaster, the brothers search for a name and inevitably land on “the puck,” turning an improvised design question into one of their characteristically escalating jokes.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-08-04

When intelligent people switch off their minds

Excitement over Windows 7 prompts the brothers to examine how even informed people let emotion outrun evidence, convince themselves that this time they finally understand everything and knowingly repeat choices they already recognize as mistakes.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-31

When Olympic coverage became breathless

Dr. Dave pauses to ask whether he is merely becoming old and cranky or whether every Olympic interview has become hyper-emotional. The brothers contrast appropriate excitement over a world record with breathless questions after every event, then wonder why the shot put receives only highlights while track, discus and javelin invite far more drama.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-08-16

Why Dave kept one and a half million emails

Dr. Dave says he receives thousands of messages a day and has about one and a half million in his mailbox. He keeps them because years later he may need to find an old show guest, listener or other person he once worked with, making the archive part of his memory and radio work.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-09-30

Why the Masons backed the Mason Patriots

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve announce the addition of George Mason University to the Washington Redskins and Arizona Wildcats links on DaveMason.com. The underdog Final Four team is from the Washington area and combines the family name Mason with Patriots, making it feel almost named for them and impossible not to support.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-04-01

“When you deal with me, you deal with me”

Dr. Dave finally tells listeners they can call him for weekday help and explains the small practice plainly: there are few openings because clients receive his own on-site work, not an employee sent in his place.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-25

A brother to be proud of

A listener praises the brothers’ relationship. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve answer with affectionate behind-the-microphone teasing and compare their rapport to the American Chopper family.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-03-13

A camera store in one of Dave’s past lives

Helping a caller whose sister hopes to enter photography, Dr. Dave explains that his knowledge came from helping run a camera store while he was in college. He calls it accidental knowledge from one of his past lives, then connects lens choice to the kind of work the new photographer wants to do.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-12-09

A Christmas jingle wins the giveaway

The Christmas giveaway winner submits a homemade “Evil Steve and Dr. Dave” song about listening every Saturday, needing computer help and remembering to back up. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve call it unprecedented and solid gold, then close their Christmas Eve Eve show by celebrating the singer and her entry.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-12-23

A family of night owls

Banter about eighteen-year-old Dr. Dave's son LT getting out of bed leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to agree that the whole Mason family likes staying up late and sleeping in, then wonder whether it came from nature or nurture.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-08-01

A guest must make a real difference

Previewing a Synaptics interview, Dr. Dave explains the standard behind his guest choices. Liking a product is only the first step; the real question is whether the technology can make a meaningful difference in his life or in listeners' daily experience.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-10-27

A Land Cruiser through Central America

A discussion of unreliable mobile service turns into Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remembering a friend who drove a twenty-five-year-old diesel Land Cruiser with a rooftop tent and trailer from Panama through Central America and back to southern Arizona.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-07-30

A midweek Fourth with family and friends

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve compare the strange feeling of a Fourth of July landing in the middle of the week. Dr. Dave jokes about chronological disorientation, then remembers watching The Wind and the Lion, seeing fireworks and relaxing with family and friends before realizing that the live show is how they know it is Saturday again.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-07-07

A poll question can fish for the answer

Dr. Dave describes turning the tables on pollsters when a question is framed to demand the desired answer, refusing to participate because he sees that wording as a fishing expedition rather than an honest question.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2011-07-05

A song from their younger days

The Apple-update music unexpectedly relaxes Dr. Dave and Evil Steve because they remember hearing it when they were young. For a moment they recall a time when their worries amounted to throwing dirt clods, sledding down the sidewalk and someone they call Fat Rat.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-03-05

A Southeast Washington Temptations flashback

A Temptations record sends the brothers back to Southeast Washington as they identify Eddie Kendricks, remember the falsetto style and enjoy a musical pause in the technology show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-06-12

A suggestion became a feature two days later

Dr. Dave explains that years of friendly conversations with a software developer let him suggest a quick-reply feature he admired elsewhere. Two days later the feature appeared in the developer's program, illustrating both Dr. Dave's practical influence and the relationships that grew around his work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-24

A veteran without self-pity

Dr. Dave recounts his son’s business encounter with a severely wounded Gulf War veteran whose independence and lack of visible self-pity deeply affected him, then explains how the meeting shaped a difficult political conversation the following day.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-09-11

Accounting data recovered while he waited

Looking back at the preceding Test and Tune, Dr. Dave describes recovering a visitor's accounting data while he waited after the man had been quoted hundreds of dollars elsewhere, using the story to show the value of quickly assessing a damaged drive before making a larger decision.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-07-18

An old printer just worked

Dr. Dave tests a cheap, aging HP multifunction printer on an old Linux laptop and is genuinely delighted that printing, scanning and copying all work without adjustment, capturing his habit of testing claims on imperfect real-world equipment.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-07-30

An old story from the Mason family

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve share a brief story they describe as having been told in their family for generations, with both brothers acting out the exchange.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-07-31

An operating system company’s obligation

The Novell lawsuit leads Dr. Dave to distinguish ordinary business competition from the responsibility a dominant operating-system maker has to provide application developers with essential technical information.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-11-20

Ancestry taught us our uncles' real names

A family-record naming puzzle leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to realize that their living uncles had always gone by their middle names. The brothers laugh at reaching their forties before learning something so basic about Uncle Tom and Uncle Randy, then appreciate how family research gets generations talking.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-05-26

AOL’s long decline

A revenue report prompts the brothers to remember AOL’s mailed CDs, its enormous rise and the Time Warner merger while wondering how the former internet powerhouse was still hanging on.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2010-05-01

AT&T reassembles the pieces

The retirement of the Cingular name sends Dr. Dave back to his own migration from AT&T to Cingular and now toward AT&T again. He sees the BellSouth purchase and rebranding as part of a striking reversal in which the pieces separated by the telephone divestiture begin consolidating under the old name decades later.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2007-01-13

Attack the money behind spyware

Dr. Dave argues that unwanted software cannot be stopped only by cleaning one computer at a time or passing laws against actors outside the country. He follows the money to major advertisers and suggests that public consumer pressure could make funding intrusive advertising economically painful.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-14

Be methodical and patient

Dr. Dave turns an unstable set of Windows icons into a clear troubleshooting lesson: reduce the variables, restore one item at a time and work patiently until the conflict reveals itself.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-16

Believe the client who can see what you cannot

Dr. Dave admits that he initially dismissed reports of people perceiving old CRT scan rates until a design-company client repeatedly identified hidden setting changes. Once the evidence showed the client really could see the difference, Dr. Dave stopped judging the complaint and adjusted the display beside him until it was comfortable.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2014-03-01

Bernie Mac and a look inside Dave's head

Dr. Dave says Bernie Mac's family comedy and Gran Torino are the two works that made him feel deeply recognized, remembering looking at his wife during the film and telling her it showed what was inside his head every day. Pizza then becomes Evil Steve's comic route back to life.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-04-11

Bill Gates arguing at an early Comdex

While dismissing the shock over an alleged Steve Ballmer outburst, Dr. Dave remembers the early computer industry as openly emotional. He pictures a young Bill Gates in a hotel hallway at one of the first Comdex events, shouting with a Lotus founder about interoperability between the two companies.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-09-10

Birthday dinner and a day at the lake

After an intense week, Dr. Dave takes the family to a theater presentation and celebrates his wife's birthday over dinner with friends and relatives. Evil Steve and “Dr. Dave's son Nick the Brick” spend a full day on the water, leaving before dawn and returning after dark, so both brothers arrive tired but happy to be on air.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-07-19

Birthday, blessed and in great health

The day before Dr. Dave's birthday, Evil Steve brings out the birthday sounder and jokes that his brother is turning seventy-four. Dr. Dave answers the old line about taking better care of oneself, then turns sincere: he feels very blessed, is in great health and looks forward to celebrating over food with their extended family.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-03-08

Birthdays and pink Cadillacs

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve send birthday wishes to their mother and sister Michele, tease one another about ages and pretend their gifts are supercharged pink Cadillacs. It is affectionate family banter rooted in the show's original website era.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-04-18

Brains, looks, charm—and allergies

A discussion of seasonal allergies becomes a compact Mason-family joke: they inherited brains, looks and charm, but not money—and they got allergies.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-10-08

Corporate principles have to earn trust

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve discuss a controversy in which Microsoft changed a public political position under pressure and shifted again after a vote. A company statement about thoughtful principles leads them to question whether trust can survive when the timing makes those principles look opportunistic.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2005-05-07

Correcting himself after listeners write in

Dr. Dave corrects a claim from the prior week after many listeners tell him that the free software still exists. He admits that the page had changed and that his own impatience, rather than the company, caused the mistake.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-23

Courteously and lovingly stand up for what you believe

Dr. Dave tells listeners not to minimize their own civic role: vote, replace officials who disappoint them and defend their beliefs courteously, professionally and even lovingly when disagreement is uncomfortable.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2010-09-11

Data is important when you need it

A guest's discussion of mission-critical systems prompts Dr. Dave's wry rule that nobody's data feels mission critical except one's own, and it is never important until it is needed. From his recovery work, he remembers people who thought a failed disk held nothing important until they recognized irreplaceable pictures or recent documents.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-11-10

Dave goes to a Blake Shelton concert

Evil Steve can hardly believe that the brother once known for dismissing everything outside jazz, R&B and funk went to a country concert. Dr. Dave says Blake Shelton was brilliant, praises the steel guitar and fiddle and insists his horizons had changed long ago, leaving Evil Steve and the family to wonder who this new man behind the microphone might be.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-03-15

Dave’s birthday and the potato salad

A family birthday party is coming up, and Evil Steve has been assigned the potato salad. Dr. Dave supplies the kitchen commentary as they discuss his birthday and Jackie's the following day.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-03-12

Dave's encrypted handwriting

A simple question about cursive becomes a comic description of Dr. Dave's notes as encrypted script, sounds and pictographs that only family lineage lets Evil Steve decipher.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-01-03

Dave’s Teflon powder for sticky computer buttons

While diagnosing a power-button problem, Dr. Dave describes the fine Teflon powder he carries among his consulting tools for a surprisingly common failure: a large plastic case button sticking even though the switch behind it still works. The tiny practical detail captures the hands-on improvisation of his repair work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-30

Depression cooking and childhood survival food

A video by a woman sharing recipes from the Great Depression reminds Dr. Dave and Evil Steve of making do as children with syrup and bread, cinnamon and powdered milk; they imagine creating their own survival-food video together.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-03-07

Disable before you delete

Helping a caller simplify startup programs, Dr. Dave distinguishes disabling from deleting: if the purpose of an item is unclear, make a reversible change, observe the result and restore it if needed rather than erasing it outright.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-29

Do not believe me—confirm it

Responding to an argument for Twitter as a local-news source, Dr. Dave tells listeners not to believe him merely because he is on the radio. He asks them to use what he says as motivation to research, compare multiple sources and decide for themselves, applying the same skepticism to Wikipedia, traditional media and social networks.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-04-27

Don’t be embarrassed to ask for help

A reported grandmother’s unwanted browser content leads Dr. Dave to reassure innocent users and recall someone wrongly blamed on another show. The human point is avoiding shame and asking for help, not buying removal software.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-05-01

eBay, technology, capitalism and new businesses

After watching a program about eBay, Dr. Dave marvels at the infrastructure and at small sellers who turned personal interests into businesses from home. On Independence Day weekend, he calls eBay a powerful convergence of technology, capitalism and American opportunity.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-07-02

Excitement still has to be communicated clearly

After joking about speech classes, Dr. Dave remembers a client whose singing and Toastmasters experience made communication look effortless. Dr. Dave says he becomes so excited about a subject that he can forget to slow down and present it in a way other people can understand.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-08-27

Expedition 08 at the end of the road

Paul Zway calls by satellite from Nicaragua after a rough drive to a remote beach resort. He reports on the Land Cruiser's repairs, surviving equipment and the challenges of keeping in touch on the road.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-06-28

Family birthdays and a not-so-secret party

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve celebrate their niece Rachel's birthday and graduation, then wish their “second mother” Angie a happy birthday before realizing on air that they may have revealed a surprise gathering.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-05-30

Firearm safety, regardless of your view

While promoting a local fundraiser, Dr. Dave says that people do not need to share the same enthusiasm for firearms to recognize the importance of teaching children how to behave safely around them.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-07-30

Football fixes the shoulder

Dr. Dave remembers a shoulder that hurt for two weeks after sleeping awkwardly, then says tossing a football with a friend during the Super Bowl halftime unexpectedly worked out the kink; Evil Steve declares football the answer to everything.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-02-07

Free download does not mean free software

Dr. Dave objects to companies advertising a “free download” when the program is only a paid trial. He accepts their right to charge whatever they choose but calls deliberately confusing the customer dishonest and predicts that the reputation cost will outlast the initial sale.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-29

Good service after a bad cartridge

A refill cartridge fails after only about fifty pages, but Dr. Dave distinguishes a bad product experience from bad service because the store accepts his account and replaces it promptly without a fight.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-08-07

Grateful for everyone who voted peacefully

After the election, Dr. Dave thanks people on every side who voted according to conscience and did so peacefully, observing that Americans can mistake anything short of perfection for failure while overlooking how rare orderly disagreement can be.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2010-11-06

Halloween at the Mason home

Dr. Dave describes choosing a costume nobody recognizes, trades historical and food jokes with Evil Steve and remembers roughly 600 trick-or-treaters, Gina's spread and the neighborhood's enthusiasm. It captures a family holiday rather than a technology topic.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-11-01

Happy birthday to Linda and Chris

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve send affectionate birthday wishes to their sister Linda and close friend Chris before the family gathering, joking about a giant Dr. Dave banner and shrine room.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-10-03

Happy birthday to Max and Patrick

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve turn birthday wishes for Max and Patrick into affectionate family teasing before announcing another large gathering later that afternoon.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-05-01

Happy birthday to their sister Michele

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve wish their sister Michele a happy birthday, tease her about her age and describe taking her for Mexican food as part of a family tradition. It is direct family history preserved in the show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-04-09

Happy birthday, brother

Evil Steve wishes Dr. Dave a happy birthday, they joke about getting older and look forward to celebrating after the show. Preserve the playful context; 75 is a joke, not Dr. Dave’s actual age.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-03-13

Happy birthday, Michele and Mom

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve wish their sister Michele a happy birthday, look ahead to their mother's April 21 birthday and joke that the women will have to be forced to accept the socks the brothers bought before saying they expect to see everyone the next day.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-04-14

Happy birthday, Steve and Jackie

Before the technology news, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve celebrate Jackie's March 10 birthday and Evil Steve's own birthday the day before. Their teasing about an impossible age, Arizona statehood, piñatas and a family dinner captures the brothers' easy rhythm.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-03-10

Hard work and perseverance make things possible

Frustrated by repeated claims that difficult problems cannot be solved, Dr. Dave says the country has accomplished things once considered impossible through work and perseverance. He locates that determination in people who quietly live their lives, build businesses, raise families and employ others without becoming newsmakers.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-29

He called back to make sure

Joey remembers Dr. Dave helping him by phone and then calling again two hours later to ask whether the fix worked. Dr. Dave accepts the compliment with humility, saying he is not always that good, while Joey insists that he was that day.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-08-29

Helping Diana make an informed choice

A processor-shopping question becomes careful explanation of hidden tradeoffs, memory and the legitimacy of paying for convenience. More than a product recommendation.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-07-03

High tech crisis is like an emergency room

Dr. Dave arrives at the show exhausted by another difficult week and compares his work in high technology crises with being an emergency room doctor. He is proud that the spreading worm did not stop a single client because his practice had prepared them in advance.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-08-20

Hours disappearing inside a hard problem

Twittering proves difficult because Dr. Dave becomes so focused on challenging recovery work that three or four hours can pass before he notices. The studio jokes, but the passage gives a specific glimpse of how completely he immersed himself in client problems.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-05-16

How Dave came to see Reagan differently

Dr. Dave openly describes changing his political judgment, reading personal letters and reflecting on a passing generation. It reveals his own development rather than merely reciting political news.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2004-06-12

I have to know what I am talking about

Discussing the Kindle, Dr. Dave says he carries two laptops and tests a pile of devices because being “Dr. Dave” means he has to understand how they work before he talks about them—a small but revealing picture of his professional standards.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-05-19

If Dave does not know, a listener might

Ray calls with an Internet-provider suggestion Dr. Dave has never heard. Dr. Dave thanks him and says one of the great things about doing the show is that when he does not know an answer, someone in the audience often does.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-03-03

If it is food, fry it

With a family birthday gathering ahead, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve joke about fasting through the show, homemade potato salad and a supposed family motto that anything edible should be fried.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-05-01

Information flows both ways

After a caller supplies a printer reset tip, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve thank listeners for sending knowledge back into the show. Dr. Dave says no one ever stops learning in technology because the rate of change and volume of information overwhelm even manufacturers.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-23

iTunes prices around the world

Soon after the Canadian iTunes Store opened, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve compare song prices in Canada, the United States, Europe and Britain and wonder whether an American listener could simply shop through the Canadian store.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2004-12-04

Knock-Em-Dead Nick and the Pee Wee Wildcats

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve celebrate the Pee Wee Wildcats winning their first three scrimmages and talk proudly about Dr. Dave's son Nick's play. Their playful Dick Butkus comparison and new nickname capture a warm family moment inside the show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-03-10

Know when to understand and when to restore productivity

After helping caller Alan, Dr. Dave explains that deep root-cause research is valuable only when the job requires it; sometimes the responsible choice is the efficient fix. He then recalls regaining his composure and methodically resolving two maddening jobs.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-05-29

Linda’s birthday and the family chest bump

Dr. Dave's son Nick’s junior-high football game leads into plans for Linda’s birthday at Michele’s house, where the Wildcats game starts at the same time and the brothers jokingly describe Mason family greetings as long-distance chest bumps.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-10-09

Mark checks in from Tampa

Regular caller Mark returns from helping his parents in Tampa, compliments Evil Steve’s Cowboys photograph and joins the brothers in laughing about their disappointing teams and what life will look like after the Super Bowl.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-01-22

Meet the user where she is

Helping a caller who has walked five acres to a novice neighbor's computer, Dr. Dave says the first task is to assess where that user actually is and approach the problem at her level rather than expecting technical answers she cannot supply.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-01

Moving Mom on up

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve describe spending their busy weekend moving their mother into a fifth-floor downtown apartment with a veranda and a New York feeling. They joke about being the two strong boys carrying couches upstairs, then agree without hesitation that taking care of their mother is worth it.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-09-29

Moving Mom to the east side

Opening the second hour with the theme from The Jeffersons, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain that after the show they are moving their mother from a high-rise apartment into a single-level home on Tucson's east side. Their quick exchange about lunch, the move and the song captures the brothers caring for their mother with warmth and humor.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-05-18

Nick the Brick finishes undefeated

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve share a proud family update: Dr. Dave's son Nick the Brick and the Punishers finished their season without losing. The oversized photos, plaques and trophies lead the brothers into memories of the tiny plastic football, orange juice and almond cookie children received in their day.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-12-15

Nick turns thirteen

The official show lunch becomes a birthday tribute as Dr. Dave and Evil Steve wish Dr. Dave's son Nick the Brick a happy thirteenth and talk about the party waiting after the broadcast.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-04-03

Nick's first touchdown

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve celebrate another Wildcats win, explain how much they enjoy the practices and proudly describe Dr. Dave's son Nick's first touchdown after his strong defensive play. The passage is a warm family record inside the live broadcast.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-03-17

Nick's tenth birthday

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve celebrate Dr. Dave's son Nick turning ten, his touchdown and four forced fumbles for the Wildcats, then look forward to birthday food and cake after the show. Their pride and teasing create a warm family snapshot.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-04-07

One way or another, we will take care of you

While listeners worry about a security product changing hands, Evil Steve explains that Dr. Dave never throws out a recommendation casually, sometimes thinks it through too much and uses the products himself. His promise that they will take care of listeners even when a stopgap ends is unusually direct testimony about Dr. Dave’s preparation and sense of responsibility.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-12-03

Ordinary people who understood duty

On Pearl Harbor Day, Dr. Dave resists romanticizing the wartime generation as superhuman. He describes ordinary men and women, many from hard lives, who understood duty and fulfilled it; their willingness to do what was needed leaves him humbled and grateful for the world their sacrifice preserved.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2013-12-07

Our mother said, pick up every day

A discussion of small ongoing maintenance reminds Dr. Dave of their mother telling him and Evil Steve to keep their room clean and pick up every day so it would never become overwhelming. Both brothers immediately admit that they never listened, turning a technical analogy into a warm childhood joke.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-11-10

Palm Pre's survival and the long wait

Dr. Dave admits that he rarely takes a cheerleading position but wants Palm and WebOS to succeed, while the brothers weigh whether a long period of secrecy and anticipation will help the launch or exhaust its audience.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-04-18

Pick your battles and solve the problem

Dr. Dave acknowledges that life is often unfair and that mature people have to choose which battles are worth pursuing. He then separates a caller’s support dispute from the practical task of diagnosing a complicated computer assembled from many vendors and explains why a factory restore may be the next useful test.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-04-15

Punish the wrong that actually happened

Discussing Microsoft and a former competitor, Dr. Dave says a company should be held responsible when it does something wrong but not punished for an unrelated act simply because its reputation is poor. He compares the distinction to charging someone for speeding when the actual offense was jaywalking.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2005-07-02

Radio Shack made Unix practical for small business

Dr. Dave remembers becoming skilled with AT&T Unix and Microsoft Xenix because clients used Radio Shack’s powerful, comparatively inexpensive multi-user systems. The recollection connects his early consulting work directly to a largely forgotten chapter of small-business computing.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2011-09-17

Randy Travis needed a push

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember seeing Randy Travis two nights earlier. Dr. Dave praises the singer's storytelling and range, retells a wholesome joke about a stranded man who really needs a push on a swing and admits that he attended expecting company rather than music but left genuinely impressed.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-05-24

Reading is not relaxing

A family Christmas purchase turns into Evil Steve's comic defense of audiobooks: reading requires the very concentration he is trying to turn off, and Dr. Dave keeps pressing the joke.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-12-20

Relaxing at family bowling night

Dr. Dave says he finally stopped trying to bowl like a professional, relaxed his delivery and stopped when his wrist grew tired so he could enjoy time with the children and family. He and Evil Steve praise Dr. Dave's son Nick’s bowling, describe the night as genuinely fun and encourage simple activities with friends and family.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-04-22

Security must serve the user

Dr. Dave says he will not call a company's product bad unless he can support the judgment, then argues that true technical security must be balanced with a customer-centered understanding that protection is worthless if it gets too far in the way of using the computer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-07-11

Security needs a usable middle

Jerry's nighttime calls and Teresa's Vista prompts lead Dr. Dave to the same balance: people tend to be too lax or too strict, and protection that never permits necessary activity is like a locked door that can never be opened.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-31

Seeing Santa in Washington

A Christmas song leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve back to snowy childhood nights in Washington, where kindergarten-age Dr. Dave sneaked out of bed, glimpsed a flash of red and white near the stairs and became certain he had seen Santa Claus.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-12-11

Since the Crystal Radio days

George says he has listened since the show was on Crystal Radio and still makes a point of tuning in every Saturday. Dr. Dave thanks him for years of loyalty and closes with the brothers' familiar teasing warmth.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-03-03

Skepticism belongs in technology expertise

Dr. Dave argues that enthusiasm for every new product is not proof of technical knowledge. He describes clients who buy or download technology despite an uneasy feeling, explains how advertising can shape reviews and says that a technology expert should gain credibility by questioning products rather than promoting every new thing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-04-27

Skype connects Dave’s clients around the world

Dr. Dave explains that Skype let him hold long conversations with clients in South Africa and Australia without enormous international telephone bills. He pairs his enthusiasm for the sound quality and reach with a newly disclosed software flaw and prompt update, preserving both the promise and the risks of early Internet calling.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2006-05-20

Sometimes the pictures matter most

Thinking about what an Internet outage could make inaccessible, Dr. Dave pauses on what his data-recovery clients taught him: sometimes the photographs are the most important things in a person's life, more urgent to them than even their financial information.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-03-16

Spontaneity without being contrived

A Facebook invitation that unexpectedly drew thousands leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to reflect on a pattern from their own work: an off-the-cuff mention can trigger an enormous response while months of planning fall flat. They suspect people respond to spontaneity, but admit that the line between being prepared and sounding contrived constantly moves and cannot simply be copied.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-09-22

Steve’s handmade fountain-pen cases

Dr. Dave describes his growing collection of old fountain pens, praises Evil Steve’s craftsmanship and recounts how Evil Steve and their mother first gave him a deliberately poor store-bought case so they could watch him struggle to be polite before revealing two handmade Peruvian-walnut cases.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-01-01

Success by helping other people

During a caller's question about software that automates driver updates, Dr. Dave steps back to define effective capitalism in human terms: make a living and make yourself successful by helping other people. He treats that mutual benefit as a real operating principle rather than a slogan.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-11-10

Technical support is a shared responsibility

Dr. Dave says remote support is a dialogue with a person, not merely an interaction between a technician and a machine. Across two preserved portions, he explains that an office needs a patient participant who can locate accurate information, listen and communicate clearly, keep stress manageable and recognize that obtaining a timely result is a shared responsibility.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-12-15

Technology cannot fix the message

Dr. Dave argues that a political organization focusing on new communication tools can distract itself from weak substance: better technology only broadcasts a poor message more efficiently unless the people, ethics and commitments are repaired first.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2009-02-14

Technology is a two-way street

Mike adds a thoughtful caution to Dr. Dave's earlier malware answer, and Dr. Dave openly credits the caller's point while adding safeguards and sequencing. Their exchange ends with the broader belief that technology is not effortless and users must accept some responsibility for maintaining it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-02-24

Technology is not a silver bullet for a city

A plan for free municipal Wi-Fi leads Dr. Dave to warn against assigning technology a magical ability to repair deeper problems. He compares the idea with struggling businesses that expect a new computer system to prevent bankruptcy, then returns to two durable principles: useful technology still has a cost and there is no such thing as a free lunch.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2005-11-19

The 1972 Travel Queen

Dr. Dave checks on the family's huge 1972 Travel Queen RV. The engine runs, the brakes still need work and no computer-controlled devices are installed yet, so the brothers compare it with the family truckster and imagine taking it to Wally World.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-06-28

The backup inside the safe

A client knows that a manual backup routine will eventually be abandoned, so Dr. Dave designs an automated alternative: a low-heat solid-state drive inside a bolted safe, connected to a computer outside it and available to the home network. The story shows him adapting technology to the client's actual habits rather than prescribing a routine the client already knows will fail.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-02-07

The boys want to go to the dump

Weekend plans turn into a funny family exchange about Dr. Dave's boys wanting to take the trailer to the dump even when it is empty. The brothers build the story into an exaggerated near-collision before pivoting back to computers.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-02-17

The family Christmas and the day after

Dr. Dave remembers a house full of family and food, while Evil Steve admits how gray the day after Christmas feels and the brothers brighten over pizza and corn casserole.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-12-27

The family is blending the way it should

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve say they are fortunate that a large local family gets along, and delight in the children, new family members and grandchildren all blending together over Thanksgiving.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-11-29

The first iPhone in real life

Dr. Dave's son Nick, just ten, warns that a relative's new iPhone may not suit her needs. His dad admits he was right, then describes a store visit where Apple promptly replaced the faulty phone.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-07-14

The first person to see the commercial

A familiar commercial theme makes Dr. Dave remember getting up early as a five-year-old and deciding he must have been the first person in the entire world to see its premiere. Evil Steve tests every step of the childhood logic, and Dr. Dave insists that nobody else could have been awake earlier.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2014-07-05

The first person to see the hilltop commercial

Dr. Dave remembers waking early while his family was in temporary housing, seeing the famous Coca-Cola hilltop commercial and becoming convinced that he was the first person to discover it, leading the brothers to laugh about how a child’s awareness can feel like the start of history.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-12-18

The Golden Rule for digital work

A MySpace copyright report prompts Dr. Dave to remember rampant software copying in the 1980s and the arguments callers made during the Napster era. He rejects the idea that private use makes taking someone else's work acceptable and applies the Golden Rule: judge the act as though it were being done to your own work.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-05-12

The hidden cost of Internet sales tax

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve use a one-person vinyl-decal business to argue that an Internet sales-tax proposal could impose a very different burden on a tiny seller than on Amazon or Walmart. They follow the administrative example into a forceful statement of their political view that citizens grant limited power and money to government rather than government owning both by default.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2013-04-27

The Linux test that never ended

What Dr. Dave expected to be a three- or six-month Linux experiment has quietly lasted about five years. By 2015 it is still on his primary laptop, supports his business and is running the radio-production computers during the live show—a concise record of how he tested technology in real work before endorsing it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-02-28

The listener is technically right

A listener emails that Dr. Dave’s instruction to press two keys simultaneously is imprecise. Dr. Dave revises it to holding one key before pressing the other and says plainly that the listener is technically correct.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-10-16

The Mason Cood Lindbergh family gathering

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain that the previous week’s live show yielded to a large family event full of food, entertainment and hilarity, while joking about the growing list of surnames.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-04-24

The Mason family burp talking contests

A joke about speaking backward while breathing in leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to remember the burp talking contests they held as children. Imagining a modern public service announcement about the family dinner table makes both brothers laugh until Dr. Dave can barely continue.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-02-25

The motorcycle auction call that scared Steve

An extraordinary auction win makes Dr. Dave call Evil Steve late at night sounding so alarmed that his brother fears an emergency, only to learn that Dr. Dave found a remarkably inexpensive stock 1976 Honda like a motorcycle from his youth.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-05-16

The opportunity to be strong now

Looking ahead to a public speech, Dr. Dave says people often romanticize courage in historical crises but are living through their own chance to be strong and involved.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-13

The Palm Pre needed a battery, not a verdict

Disappointed by unusable battery life in his new Palm Pre Plus, Dr. Dave tests his assumptions, asks for a replacement battery and discovers that the phone is dramatically better when the defective part is changed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-26

The pellet gun and Steve’s ankle

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember a windy childhood afternoon when teenage Dr. Dave thought he could not possibly hit his quick younger brother running across a desert field. Evil Steve still has the half-moon scar on his ankle, and they turn the accident into affectionate sibling banter about the start of his football greatness.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-12-02

The phone feature that disappeared

The Sidekick failure reminds Dr. Dave of buying a phone for one advertised feature, spending a week trying to make it work and learning that the manufacturer had removed it without changing the manual.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-10-17

The right answer depends on the person

After declining to give Betty risky advanced repair steps on air, Dr. Dave explains that each Saturday he must shape recommendations around the knowledge and comfort of the person he is helping. This is not condescension; giving powerful information without considering the operator can turn help into harm.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-04-05

The shoemaker's kids have no shoes

Dr. Dave opens with an apology for email problems and accepts that delaying his own hosting work was his fault. He recognizes the classic consultant's trap of being too busy fixing everyone else's technology to care for his own, compares it to the shoemaker's children having no shoes and decides that sometimes another task must wait so the overdue one can finally be done.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-02-23

The Six Million Dollar back injury

Dr. Dave recalls trying a bionic feat from The Six Million Dollar Man as a boy, lifting a boulder and hurting his back. Evil Steve turns the lingering injury into one more chance to tease his brother.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-08-11

The Six Million Dollar Man and Mason family stories

Dr. Dave’s excitement over a childhood television favorite leads into memories of believing he was Steve Austin, injuring his back lifting a rock in eighth grade and relying on his stronger younger brother. The brothers then joke about parenthood and prove that the Mason boys can hear the word candy even while ignoring ordinary questions.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-04-15

The Skittles mishap

Dr. Dave opens hour two by confessing that a handful of Skittles made his cheeks sore. Evil Steve claims his childhood chipmunk habit gave him a special lining, and the brothers turn candy into a joke about starch and their poor Irish roots.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-08-29

The sled half the time

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember being told to share a sled as children. The older brother took the downhill runs and generously left the uphill half to the younger one.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-01-26

The Sony MiniDisc that fought its owner

Addressing Dr. Dave's son Nick on air, Dr. Dave recalls paying heavily for a MiniDisc recorder intended for interviews and candid recordings only to find core capabilities restricted by Sony's licensing concerns. The personal frustration illustrates how a company's content interests can undermine the device a customer bought.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-25

The vintage-audio sweet spot

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve compare classic receivers, amplifiers and speakers with newer equipment, describing a late-1970s and early-1980s period when unusually high build and sound quality could still be found affordably—and when patient hobbyists could assemble a remarkable system piece by piece.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-07-30

The Volkswagen Bug Dave and Steve kept running

Dr. Dave remembers taking apart his mother's Volkswagen carburetor as a young teenager and racing to reassemble it so she could get to work. He and Evil Steve build the picture together: oversized rear tires changed the gearing, a damaged driver door swung open on right turns and the whole family piled into a battered car that looked like a clown car.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-05-04

Three Amigos and their sister on the Tucson set

Dr. Dave admires Evil Steve's perfectly chosen Three Amigos sounder, and the brothers remember that the movie was filmed in Tucson and their sister spent time on the set hoping to work as an extra.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-04-04

Three months living in the cloud

After deliberately committing to a netbook and cloud services for roughly three months, Dr. Dave reports that he tried to adapt rather than confirm his skepticism but returned because the available tools remained clumsy for the way he organized his days.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-11-20

Tower of Power in a tiny Tucson bar

Hearing Earth, Wind and Fire from a relative's backyard brings Dr. Dave and Evil Steve back to Tucson concerts, including Tower of Power in a tiny east-side bar and Ronnie Laws in an intimate venue. The brothers remember how proximity transformed an already great live performance and then dissolve into a saxophone joke.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-04-25

Troubleshoot methodically instead of flailing

When a frustrated caller considers several tools at once, Dr. Dave slows the process down, chooses one first step and explains why changing too many variables can make the real problem harder to find.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-09-18

VisiCalc made personal computers useful for business

Reviewing a list of consequential software, Dr. Dave explains that early personal computers were largely programming tools or toys until VisiCalc let nonprogrammers produce something useful for business. Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Excel then built on that change.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2006-09-09

Watching automated photo labs change an industry

Dr. Dave remembers working as an assistant manager in a traditional camera store while he was in school. He describes watching Fuji make photo labs more automated, repeatable and accessible, giving a brief personal view of an industry changing around him.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-06-11

We are involuntary beta testers

Caller Tom argues that many people want a simple device rather than endless features. Dr. Dave agrees that keeping a computer safe demands too much time, then says buyers are effectively involuntary beta testers who accept unfinished technology because the world keeps moving too quickly to opt out.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-18

We used to sing like a frog

The brothers play Clarence “Frogman” Henry's “Ain't Got No Home,” wait for the singer's famous frog voice and remember imitating it when they were kids. Dr. Dave says the song puts him in a good mood, and both join the playful frog-style line before returning to the show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-06-21

What DaveMason.com was built to do

Evil Steve describes the original website as a place listeners could turn when they could not reach Dr. Dave live, with practical recommendations, a daily cartoon, a guestbook and direct contact. Dr. Dave says anything he recommends first has to work and notes that much of the useful software cost little or nothing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-04

What Gladys Knight and her brother reminded them of

Dr. Dave remembers attending a Gladys Knight performance with Gina and being delighted when Knight's brother joined her onstage. Decades of performing together gave the siblings an effortless mix of music, humor and chemistry; Dr. Dave and Evil Steve immediately recognize the same dynamic in their own lifelong relationship and radio show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-03-07

What Independence Day means to Dave

Dr. Dave says Independence Day means more to him as he grows older, learns and gains experience. Despite present disagreements and imperfections, he sees a remarkable inheritance of freedom and a fierce independent spirit at the heart of the country.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2006-07-01

What we listened to when we were fifteen

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember being fifteen and listening to Bob James, George Benson, Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock while their friends expected AC/DC and Styx. The music names, impressions and laughter preserve a vivid shared memory of the brothers' early taste and personality.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-06-30

When Internet calls became practical

Early Internet-calling adoption, a client’s delighted report of a call to South Africa and predictions of converging services. Skype and the shift away from conventional telephone networks make this broader history, not a minor-service advertisement.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2004-06-05

When Microsoft changed generations

Satya Nadella's appointment as Microsoft chief executive lets Dr. Dave connect a current corporate transition with people he remembers from the industry's early years. He contrasts young Bill Gates' intensely technical evangelism with Steve Ballmer's exuberant salesmanship, then considers how a cloud leader might guide a company that had expanded from software into services and hardware.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2014-02-08

When the bank seemed to make money

Dr. Dave remembers both boys reaching an age when they understood that banks held money but not yet that adults first had to earn it. In their childhood logic, when the money ran out, a person simply went to the bank for more—a familiar misconception Dr. Dave thought nearly every parent had encountered.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2014-06-28

Where to draw the line when helping a caller

Dr. Dave initially avoids giving risky boot-file instructions until he learns that Ron has edited the file successfully before, then explains how hard it is to judge a caller’s expertise from the studio.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-10-24

Whistling through a wrestling match

Dr. Dave's son Nick catches himself whistling in the middle of a wrestling match. Father and son share the habit, which the brothers jokingly call the Mayberry Syndrome.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2014-01-25

Why personal computer autonomy mattered

Asked about using distant software and servers instead of owning a full computer, Dr. Dave contrasts the idea with old mainframe terminals. He says personal computers became revolutionary because people could customize, move and change their tools without waiting for someone in a central computer room.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-06-18

Why RAID is not the same as a backup

Dr. Dave explains that mirrored drives can repeat errors and fail together, so redundancy does not provide the protection people often imagine.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-26

Worse than me and my brother

Dr. Dave tells Evil Steve about a listener who laughed so hard at their banter that he could barely finish a sentence and said the two hosts were worse than he and his own brother. Dr. Dave adds that his family considers him its storyteller and that he often entertains himself.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-08-22

A 1996 computer for charity

Jim is trying to revive an old Gateway before donating it. Dr. Dave admits what he cannot determine without the machine, works through the possibilities and suggests that even a difficult computer might help a charity train someone, while the brothers keep the long call light with jokes.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-02-03

A caller returns to say the repair worked

Dr. Dave's son Nick calls back with good news: the troubleshooting steps worked. A Windows problem that had frustrated him for two days is finally solved.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-09-11

A cheap drive can hold priceless data

A report of failing hard drives leads Dr. Dave to contrast the low replacement cost of the mechanism with the potentially irreplaceable photographs and documents stored on it, explaining why capacity without reliability is not enough.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-17

A different brand does not let you stop paying attention

Dr. Dave rejects absolute claims that Macs or Linux cannot be infected and tells a prospective buyer that a good platform still does not remove the human responsibility to notice what is downloaded and opened.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-06-05

A supplier's failure stains the brand

The NVIDIA chip controversy prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to explain how a hidden component supplier can damage the computer maker customers actually trusted, and why denial compounds the failure.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-03

An evening hearing Lou Rawls

Dr. Dave’s enthusiasm for a live singer becomes a funny story about older friends and a reminder not to assume another opportunity will come.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-03-13

An old acquaintance checks Steve’s bar status

Randy uses the recurring wireless bar-status joke to tease Evil Steve about earlier Friday nights. The exchange ends with couch-status banter.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-06-26

An old computer can cost as much as a new one

Caller Gary wants an MP3 player for his grandson, but the family computer runs an older operating system. Dr. Dave walks through how an apparently modest upgrade can require more memory and storage until the family has spent the cost of a replacement while still owning an old computer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-22

Apple products are made on Earth too

Using an author’s account of returning an iMac, Dr. Dave repeats a balanced principle he says he has taught for years: Macs can be very good without being flawless, and frustration with one platform should not turn another into a myth.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-12-18

Apple understood human psychology

After rejecting the literal claim that Apple is a religious cult, Dr. Dave says the company's success is not accidental. He credits its presentation, product feel and public image to a deeper understanding of human psychology than many competitors possess, calling that ability brilliant rather than immoral.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-10-27

Back up the backup

From years of seeing failed drives, Dr. Dave warns that a warranty replaces hardware but not lost files. Remote backup does not replace local backup, and a local backup drive is itself fallible; the seemingly silly answer is to make another copy of the backup. It is an enduring preservation principle drawn from the brothers' recovery work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-10

Bad guys understand your motivation

Dr. Dave explains that malicious offers work by understanding what matters to a person—visibility, money, free software or another strong desire—and making that motivation overpower ordinary caution.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-06-18

Breaking Mom's rules to see Halloween

Evil Steve remembers going from Skate Country to the Oracle theater with his high-school football friend Kenny Lee, buying a ticket to Halloween and only then calling home. Their mother was angry, the boys had no idea what the film was about and the experience terrified them enough to remain a vivid shared memory decades later.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-10-27

Choose technology for a reason

Dr. Dave says it is rational to decide that a laptop, cell phone or high-speed Internet is not wanted. His Bluetooth example shows how marketing can create insecurity and make people chase a feature without knowing what it does; the responsible choice begins with understanding why a tool belongs in one's life.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-24

Choose tools you can replace

Dr. Dave explains why he prefers a modular set of tools to one all-in-one package: every suite has uneven parts, while separate components let a person replace only what stops serving them well.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-15

Companies have the right to do stupid things

Discussing an antitrust complaint about Apple tying protected iTunes music to the iPod, Dr. Dave accepts the factual concern but questions whether litigation is the right remedy. His principle is blunt: companies have the right to make foolish choices, consumers can refuse to buy, and market feedback is how change occurs.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2008-01-05

Dave on Steve’s woodworking

A product discussion becomes personal as Dr. Dave praises Evil Steve’s craftsmanship and they imagine a homemade version. Uncued discovery; proposed project is not a completed artifact.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-06-19

Decide whether to change first

From twenty-five years of consulting, Dr. Dave explains why a business should first decide whether change is necessary and well timed, then consider the disruption to its people, and only afterward select the new software or hardware.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-05-12

Define the problem before you buy the fix

Before recommending another wireless router, Dr. Dave warns that an internet provider may blame aging equipment without solving the underlying fault. His master-painter story makes the larger lesson memorable: expertise and expensive tools cannot help when the ladder is against the wrong wall, so define and diagnose the problem before spending money on a fix.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2014-06-07

Do not buy it because it is cool

Dr. Dave criticizes replacing useful equipment or buying more than one can afford merely to follow the newest technology fashion, asking people to understand what is better, why it matters and whether they actually need it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-05-19

Do not discard the knowledge you already have

Dr. Dave questions the idea that old automatically means wrong. Stories of departing aerospace engineers show what is lost when experienced people leave without passing their knowledge to the next generation.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-05-18

Do not let the hiccup infect the rest of the show

After losing the opening feed, Dr. Dave names the real challenge as keeping the frustration from infecting the rest of the broadcast; later the brothers announce that they will remain live after the scheduled close to replace the missing segment.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-10-30

Enjoy the process before it is finished

Working on his motorcycle helps Evil Steve learn to enjoy a project before it is finished. Dr. Dave agrees that the satisfaction can be in doing the work, not simply reaching the end.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-03-23

Every improvement creates a point of failure

With the live show depending on a connection made unstable after a technician’s visit, Dr. Dave observes how often trying to improve a stable system creates a new point of failure. The immediate risk that the broadcast itself might disappear turns a familiar consulting lesson into a vivid real-time example.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-03-17

Facing the Giants with Nick

After watching Facing the Giants with Dr. Dave's son Nick the previous night, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve acknowledge the film's uneven acting and relentless formula but explain why its equally relentless positivity feels refreshing. They admire a story willing to have a moral and to present its convictions without embarrassment or apology.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-06-01

Flying home from Tulsa

After two intensely packed days at a personal appearance, Dr. Dave says he still loves flying and watches the wings, ailerons, slats and imagined cockpit controls like an active participant. The regional plane was so small that he had to bend through the aisle and sat cramped for two and a half hours, leaving him half-joking that he needed to lie down on the floor.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-04-26

Football teaches how to work as a team

Dr. Dave proudly recounts Dr. Dave's son Nick’s fifteen unassisted tackles and effort across the field, then faces the harder lesson behind his frustration: talent and drive still have to become patience and teamwork when other players develop at different speeds.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-09-17

Going back to the original records

Election-week uncertainty sends Dr. Dave back to digitized early Plymouth writings. A caller then imagines tracing citations to original texts, and Dr. Dave explains that when he lacks an answer for a blog he searches and corroborates it across proven sources. The enduring story is his excitement at finding primary material and using it to move from anxiety toward perspective.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-01

Happy birthday, Steve

The brothers pause the technical news to acknowledge Evil Steve’s birthday, with affectionate teasing. Found outside retrieval hits; retain as a short personal moment rather than padding it.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-06-12

Hard times can ground us in what matters

In a brief holiday reflection, Dr. Dave says he does not invite hardship but welcomes the opportunity it creates to become more grounded in what is truly important.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-06

Helping people filter the noise

After a flood of mobile-company names and acronyms, Evil Steve says he understands why people feel overwhelmed and give up. Dr. Dave agrees that even information gets past him, distinguishes real developments from hype and says the purpose of his work is to help people know what to ignore and filter out some of the noise.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-02-16

Helping technology become a positive

A disputed Vista label leads Dr. Dave beyond the lawsuit into a statement of purpose: teach, research and help people resist being pushed around so technology adds value instead of cost and frustration.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-22

I will make my own decisions

Dr. Dave moves from offering free help to listeners into a plain defense of human agency: a search tool should return accurate, pertinent information, while the person—not the computer or its marketing department—retains the decision.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-05-19

If it is working, why replace it?

A joke about someone still using Windows Vista becomes a practical consulting rule: if the computer is working and the person is not constantly fighting it, reputation alone may not justify spending money to replace it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-05-21

Keep your hands dirty

Asked whether remote computer services are legitimate, Dr. Dave describes his own limited house-call work and explains why he must resist becoming detached from practical repairs. If he stops doing hands-on work, he says, he cannot come into the studio on Saturday confident that he knows what he is talking about.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-03

Keep your own copy

A reported loss of correspondence and photographs prompts Dr. Dave to explain why people should retain copies of what matters. This is preservation philosophy, not promotion of a small email service.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-06-05

Know when to quit and cut your losses

Dr. Dave remembers helping a methodical and genuinely curious man through a failed Windows update. After nine days and an estimated hundred hours of good advice that did not solve the problem, the man finally reformatted, giving Dr. Dave a concrete example of the judgment required to stop learning from a repair and start over.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-13

Know why you are buying the technology

Dr. Dave remembers a customer demanding a Bluetooth phone despite not knowing what Bluetooth was, because someone had said he needed it. Using the newly announced Palm Foleo as his example, Dr. Dave argues that people should identify the real need before buying what may be a solution without a problem.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-06-02

Listener feedback on broadband over power lines

Dr. Dave returns to a link sent by a caller, acknowledges that the listener identified a serious issue and revises his earlier optimism about broadband over power lines. He explains that the service could create new Internet competition but that radio interference and signal leakage made it far from ready, preserving both a technology debate and his willingness to follow up on audience feedback.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-05-13

Macs are made on Earth by human beings

Dr. Dave gives a characteristically balanced explanation of Apple computers: tight control can improve quality and reduce compatibility problems, but it can also trade away flexibility. Macs are well designed, supported and often easy to start using, yet they are still human-made computers that require learning and sometimes fail.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-05-12

Make a better product and explain why it is better

A Novell executive’s criticism of Microsoft prompts Dr. Dave’s broader free-market argument that a competitor should build and clearly market a better alternative rather than rely on government intervention.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2004-09-18

Marketing numbers versus real results

Comparing a manufacturer’s headline promise with its own laboratory figure and independent tests, Dr. Dave explains why polished marketing is not the same as practical benefit and why unnecessary software can make a computer worse rather than better.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-04-02

Married to the function, not the platform

Dr. Dave explains that he is not loyal to Windows or Microsoft for their own sake; what matters is preserving the functions and workflows people depend on when evaluating a move to another platform.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-07-30

Minimize what you install

Dr. Dave turns a report about mobile security software into a durable reliability lesson: every extra application adds another opportunity for poor performance or conflict. He admits that he deliberately breaks his own rules to discover what users can get away with, then tells how aggressively removing test applications made his sluggish phone feel new again.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-03-10

New technology must understand human nature

Duke University’s revised iPod experiment prompts Dr. Dave to argue that technologists too often ignore the human factor. He says online criminals succeed because they understand what motivates people and that those trying to protect users must learn the same lesson.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-09

No grooviness for grooviness’ sake

Dr. Dave distills his consulting philosophy into a refusal to recommend or reject technology for brand identity alone: the right choice is the one that improves a person’s productivity, value and ability to do what matters.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-03-12

No matter what they say, it is a people problem

Dr. Dave introduces a favorite consulting rule: no matter what people say, the issue is often a people problem. Communications and data can be damaged by technology, but the decisive solution may depend on handling the human dynamics around ownership, management and office behavior.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-09-24

No matter what they tell you, it's a people problem

A report about attackers manipulating employees leads Dr. Dave to an old consulting maxim he once resisted: no matter what the symptoms suggest, technology problems ultimately involve people. People design the hardware, write and implement the software, create passwords and make the decisions, making human judgment both the vulnerability and the defense.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-07-21

No matter what they tell you, it's a people problem

A favorite consulting book gives Dr. Dave language for what three decades of work taught him: technical tools matter, but failures and attacks ultimately turn on human behavior. He applies the idea to phishing without blaming the people whose credentials may have been stolen.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-02-07

Old technologies change shape

A report about the survival of mainframes leads Dr. Dave to a larger idea: older technologies do not always vanish when something new appears; they evolve into a different role. He immediately applies the lesson to terrestrial radio and argues that misunderstanding what radio actually offers could cause management to hasten the decline it fears.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2008-03-29

One backup is not enough

Dr. Dave warns that a person can make backups faithfully and still discover that the only backup is unusable. He recommends multiple versions and explains why an ideal plan keeps at least one copy away from the building in case the local system and its backup are lost together.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-21

Online support for a broken modem

A caller’s catch-22 reminds Dr. Dave of modem boxes that advertised round-the-clock online support, even though a broken modem made that support unreachable.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-23

Power and ease are different design challenges

Microsoft Office’s changing interface leads Dr. Dave to explain why making software powerful and making it easy to use can pull designers in opposite directions.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-06

Practical products in a hype-filled industry

During a product interview, Dr. Dave summarizes a standard that outlasts the service being discussed: the technology industry is full of hype, while Computer Talk has spent nearly seventeen years looking for practical tools that make a difference when people are trying to get real work done.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-06-28

Pressure makes companies better

A third-party program that bypasses iTunes copy protection prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to discuss why high-profile companies attract challenges. Dr. Dave argues that even when the immediate issue will not stop the world, pressure can force Apple, Microsoft and other dominant companies to think and improve.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-19

Put your energy where it makes sense

Faced with technology and surveillance that individuals cannot fully control, Dr. Dave says constant fear eventually stops producing more security. People still should object and take reasonable precautions, but mature decisions mean choosing acceptable risk and putting energy where it can actually make a difference.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-01-24

Reacting to every bad actor leaves no time to build

Discussing attempts to manipulate search results, Dr. Dave says any human system can be manipulated and warns that reacting to every bad actor can consume all the time needed to keep a useful service running. The observation extends beyond the specific Google example into a durable tradeoff between defense and productive work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-10-28

Real computers are not clean laboratories

Dr. Dave distinguishes the show’s approach from sponsor-driven press-release reporting. His advice comes from helping real people on ordinary systems where years of software, data and imperfect conditions make results different from a clean test computer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-29

Real people using real computers

While introducing an unusual security guest, Dr. Dave explains that the show does not chase technical fashion or controversy for its own sake. Its purpose is helping real people use real computers in the real world.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-11-20

Respect what a netbook was built to do

A specific sale becomes a broader lesson: a small, limited computer works well when it is used for its intended purpose, but disappoints when people gradually demand that it replace a full laptop.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-05-01

Responsibility when the drive fails in your care

Dr. Dave recounts a routine drive upgrade that failed without warning, explains why his policy was to absorb the recovery work, reports recovering the data and admits the final solution remained an educated guess.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-05-15

Security is also what people do

Dr. Dave explains why a security company’s willingness to invest in user education impressed him: protective software is important, but the way people act online remains a central part of protecting a computer and personal information.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-01-15

Security still depends on behavior

The Here You Have worm gives Dr. Dave a familiar consulting lesson: organizations can spend heavily on defenses, but people still need working email and internet access, and a user who volunteers to open the malicious file can bypass those protections.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-11

See them while you can

Dr. Dave remembers seeing Lou Rawls, Earth, Wind & Fire and Howie Mandel with Gina, then draws a poignant lesson from Rawls’s death: when great performers come to town, go see them because they will not be there forever.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-05-21

Simple, simple, simple

Dr. Dave contrasts crowded portals with Google’s ability to manage vast complexity while presenting a clean interface, explaining why Chrome’s underlying design philosophy feels naturally aligned with his own.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-07-10

Simplicity belies power

After the Evernote interview, Dr. Dave explains why the software stands out to him: its simplicity disguises its power. He prefers programs that feel easy and do everything needed over products with so many features or rigid design assumptions that users become overwhelmed and stop using them.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-12-15

Simplicity over hidden complexity

Reviewing Bing at launch, Dr. Dave says Microsoft did its homework but still lacks Google's ability to master enormous behind-the-scenes complexity and present it simply. The passage captures both a historical search launch and a lasting design principle.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-06-06

Slow down before you click

Dr. Dave admits that even he becomes busy and impatient enough to click through a prompt, using that honesty to explain why slowing down before an unexpected download is one of the most important security habits.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-05-21

Small changes do matter

Dr. Dave describes a Google experiment in which two interface boxes look nearly identical, yet the slightly bolder version attracts far more clicks. He and Evil Steve turn the result into a practical design lesson: tiny shifts in emphasis, spacing and visual weight can materially change how people respond.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-30

Somebody give Microsoft a run for its money

After a difficult year for Microsoft, Dr. Dave wonders why rivals are not showing more competitive instinct. Apple is making progress, but he says the deeper secret behind Microsoft's success is that everyone else keeps lying down; rather than merely complain, somebody should give the company a real run for its money.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2007-12-22

Specifications do not tell the whole story

Digital cameras and processors become examples of why a bigger number is not automatically better. Dr. Dave explains that comparison requires understanding what a specification measures, while joking that the confusion keeps his Saturday show alive.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-11-20

Start data recovery with the simplest possibility

Asked what Dr. Dave’s Data Recovery does with a failed drive, Dr. Dave refuses to predict any individual result from general statistics. He explains that the work begins with the simplest and least expensive logical possibility, escalates to physical repair only when required and may still demand human reconstruction of filenames, folders and raw data.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-05-27

Steve and the show’s music

The hosts and Lana talk about Evil Steve playing air instruments, seeing Tower of Power and choosing the show’s music. A personal glimpse of the studio and the brothers’ musical tastes.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-04-03

Steve’s legendary ten-yard dash

A caller’s football joke becomes affectionate studio teasing about Evil Steve’s speed, size and bacon-grease-assisted slide.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-09-26

Technical support is a partnership

Dr. Dave says the user and support professional share responsibility for solving a problem. He explains that calmly admitting uncertainty can disarm tension and invite help, while beginning with anger makes a good human support experience much less likely.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-02

Technology choices are human choices

Moving among Apple, Android, Palm and Linux, Dr. Dave argues that people choose technology emotionally as well as technically and that fresh competition can improve even the established platform.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-05-29

Technology does not remove responsibility

A reported spreadsheet conversion error in the Lehman and Barclays transaction becomes a clear lesson: sophisticated organizations make familiar mistakes, automation does not excuse skipped review and the person responsible must still check the work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-25

Technology in the right measure

Dr. Dave describes the challenge he sees as a working consultant: some organizations reject technology while others treat more technology as the answer without knowing why. He and Jane agree that neither extreme works; technology must be used in the right measure with management, people, risk and a clear understanding of the result it is meant to produce.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-01-19

Technology should make you better

Asked why he prefers one handheld operating system, Dr. Dave steps above the product comparison and gives his rule: he uses technology because it makes a person better, and if it does not, he does not want it. Efficiency and speed are valuable only insofar as they serve the user.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-08-11

The average user cannot track every threat

Using early “evil twin” Wi-Fi hotspots as an example, Dr. Dave explains why security work is part of his profession but expresses sympathy for ordinary users expected to keep up with an endless stream of new risks.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-22

The best backup is one you will actually do

Dr. Dave reduces backup planning to a durable human rule: no matter how sophisticated the design, it does no good if it is so complicated that the person never uses it. The point captures his practical consulting style without depending on a particular product.

Consulting Philosophy · Air date unknown

The hard judgment behind a powerful repair tool

While discussing a powerful malware-removal utility, Dr. Dave weighs a small risk of serious harm against the severe infections it can solve and explains why responsible advice sometimes means withholding a recommendation.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-06

The human factor cannot be unplugged

Ransomware reports lead Dr. Dave back to a principle he says he has taught for decades: hardware and software cannot erase the human factor. Using connected technology requires some vulnerability and some personal responsibility; only unplugging entirely could remove behavior from the equation.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-04-11

The more they say it is urgent, the more you need to back off

Dr. Dave compares a sudden software-update demand with an old filling-station attendant insisting on an immediate repair. Legitimate maintenance can wait long enough to verify, he says; urgency itself is one of the signals that someone may be manipulating fear and human nature.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-02-04

The powerful tool of learning is knowing what to ignore

Dr. Dave explains that a student cannot absorb every element on a computer screen at once. A good teacher identifies what matters now and what can safely be ignored, a principle Dr. Dave learned through his own relentless questions and later used when training clients.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2015-02-07

The printer setup that was not supposed to work

Caller Dan asks whether one printer can use its USB and parallel connections at the same time. Dr. Dave admits that he would have expected the setup to fail, but a client tried it successfully, leaving him glad he had not given an overconfident answer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-04-16

The recovery that worked without an explanation

After six corrupt transfer attempts and repeated changes of cables and controllers, Dr. Dave succeeds by using a different destination drive but says plainly that he still has no idea why the original combination failed.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-08-14

The root cause and the reaction

Dr. Dave remembers studying quarterly FAA accident reports because they separated the event that created danger from the human response that ultimately caused the crash. He applies the distinction beyond aviation: difficult situations can become catastrophes when they are handled badly.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-10-13

The secret rules of customer service

Comcast is said to disconnect unlimited-service customers at an undisclosed threshold, which reminds Dr. Dave of a Cox representative who could escalate a repair only after he repeated a secret phrase she whispered to him. His speed-limit analogy shows why customers cannot follow rules that providers refuse to state.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-04-07

The show with no pants

Frida’s financial-news pun turns into a gleeful caller exchange and a ridiculous portrait of Dr. Dave broadcasting in old underwear with a laptop.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-10-10

The therapeutic value of turning a wrench

After working together on Evil Steve's cafe-racer motorcycle, Dr. Dave explains why mechanical work feels restorative: a wrench gives an immediate physical result, unlike the virtual electrons that fill so much of his professional life. It is a small glimpse of how he recharged.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-05-19

Tom is one of the thinkers

After Tom rapidly works through several ways to build a three-screen advertising display, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve praise his lists, speed and sharp thinking while joking that keeping up with him leaves them exhausted.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-02-07

Trying to do everything can make software useless

Dr. Dave explains why he is withdrawing a recommendation from software that had worked reliably for years. He argues that redesigning a focused tool to include every product, feature and hypothetical need can turn an excellent program into bloated software that no longer does its core job well.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-10-08

We are very proud of him

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve celebrate Dr. Dave's son Nick Mason's three-touchdown, more-than-150-yard junior-varsity game. Their teasing about his sudden intensity gives way to a direct and affectionate message that they enjoyed watching him and were very proud of him.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-09-29

What to worry about and what to ignore

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain that people have different tolerances for security work and may become more frightened after protective software starts showing them blocked threats. Dr. Dave describes the radio show’s role as helping listeners understand which concerns deserve action and which can be ignored.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-01-15

When customer feedback changes a company overnight

Dr. Dave reports that Sony abandoned a proposed charge for removing bundled trial software after one day of negative feedback. What excites him is the larger principle: direct, immediate public response can make markets more efficient and remind companies how important their customers are.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-03-22

When success becomes a Wall Street problem

An eBay expansion report leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to question why dominating a market can be treated as a negative once the rate of growth slows. The exchange separates a successful operating business from the expectations investors place on continued expansion.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-05-21

When success outruns infrastructure

An investigation into an online retailer’s shipping complaints leads Dr. Dave to a broader business lesson: advertising can create rapid success before a company has the service and fulfillment systems needed to handle the new demand.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-03-19

Why Dave kept repeating himself

Dr. Dave admits feeling self-conscious about revisiting viruses, privacy and security every week, then explains that continuing real-world problems made the repetition necessary.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-11-06

Why do you want an iPad?

When a client asks which iPad to buy, Dr. Dave pauses instead of naming a model. He asks whether the client wants an iPad or a tablet, what the device needs to accomplish and whether appearance or status is the real motivation; even that answer is acceptable when it is stated honestly.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-05-12

Why Google’s clean search won

Comparing the new MSN Search with Google, Dr. Dave argues that Google’s clean, streamlined page beats a busy collection of advertisements and graphics. He treats the difference as a matter of product vision and asks competitors to learn from a better experience.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-02-12

Why users need to know the vulnerability

A hacker conference exposing physical lock weaknesses leads Dr. Dave beyond the specific product. The Internet can spread bad information as well as good, but keeping a vulnerability quiet does not stop criminals from finding it; it can merely leave ordinary people ignorant and easier to victimize. Public disclosure, he argues, lets users understand where protection is weak.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-09

Why waste time on products you do not like?

Asked why he likes the guests and products that appear on his program, Dr. Dave says the selection happens before airtime: except for unusually important major companies, he does not invite a bad product merely to fill a segment. He would rather spend the show on people and tools he believes actually work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-07-19

You appreciate the change

Dr. Dave explains why Tucson’s first cool mornings invigorate him even though he loves the desert year-round: a person may not appreciate one condition without experiencing the change and comparison that make it noticeable.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-10-08

You are never better than human

Reading Tim Tebow's book leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to reflect on human fallibility and the difficulty of remaining humble in an environment driven by fame, money and ego. Dr. Dave admires the attempt to live by values while recognizing that no matter how good someone becomes, that person is never more than human.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-03-31

You bought the machine; you should have control

Dr. Dave understands why manufacturers simplify settings to prevent accidental damage, but he objects when the same restrictions remove options from careful owners. People who research a change and bought the machine, he argues, should retain meaningful freedom to control it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-08-18

“Close the door” means close the door

A late arrival and missed countdown turn the opening into a brotherly argument over whether “close the door” is a production cue or merely an instruction to close the door, leaving Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to begin the show in full view of the audience.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-11-06

“I like the Giants because they have prettier uniforms”

Dr. Dave admits that his Super Bowl preference partly comes down to old-school NFC loyalties and the Giants’ throwback uniforms. He and Evil Steve then wander through Patriots uniform history and quarterback names until Jim Plunkett finally emerges from a comically stalled memory.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-01-28

“Informatively stupid” radio

After an overproduced keyboard-shortcut feature, the brothers laugh at how silly it sounds but defend the show’s method: dry, useful information becomes easier to enjoy when it is wrapped in entertainment.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-10-09

“It’s not for looking—it’s for buying”

Dr. Dave tells the story of calling about a used Compaq laptop and meeting a seller who refuses to let him inspect it. The seller’s declaration that it is “not for looking, it’s for buying,” followed by an abrupt hang-up, gives Dr. Dave and Evil Steve an irresistible absurdity to unpack.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-01-10

“No Coin” is worth nothing

Amid a survey of early Bitcoin imitators, Dr. Dave announces his own virtual currency: “No Coin.” Evil Steve tests the spelling and finally asks what it is worth, giving Dr. Dave the obvious answer and the joke its clean finish.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-11-23

“Origamic technology”

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve imagine a future in which a single connected device changes shape instead of making a person carry a phone, tablet and laptop, then jokingly claim the new phrase “origamic technology” on the air.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2011-01-22

“Stop” means stop on live radio

Evil Steve tests a production control on air and learns that stop cuts the sound instantly while fade behaves differently; Dr. Dave points out that this might have been worth discovering before the live broadcast.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-10-02

“That’s my son.” “Steve, you’re just evil.”

Dr. Dave introduces his son LT, then gives Evil Steve an extravagant on-air introduction. When his brother jokingly claims LT as his own son, the correction comes with a familiar dose of teasing.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-06-18

“The more trouble I’m in, the more I pursue trouble”

After acknowledging that the show has gotten into trouble, Dr. Dave calls it a significant character flaw that trouble only makes him pursue more trouble. Evil Steve immediately agrees that he can attest to it, preserving a compact bit of self-aware brotherly humor.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-03-24

“We’ve been doing better longer than we realized”

A listener’s question about how far old radio signals have traveled prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to revisit Computer Talk’s origin. Dr. Dave rejects the 1991 date they had repeated, remembers being on the air one or two years earlier and jokes that they are “accurizing” history and have been doing better longer than they realized.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2012-02-04

A 1993 Computer Guide comes back

At a live appearance, a listener hands Dr. Dave a November 1993 issue of Southern Arizona's Computer Guide containing two of his articles, including one asking whether readers should wait for the still-delayed Windows 95.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-07-18

A big laptop and the tennis court days

Dr. Dave compares his enormous laptop and seventy-pound briefcase with the heavy buckets he and Evil Steve once carried while constructing tennis courts. Their shared memory of racing across the court in the heat turns into a joke that Dr. Dave needs a second laptop for balance.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-04-28

A familiar voice from high school

A caller stays through the break to recognize Evil Steve from school, prompting the brothers to recall other alumni.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-05-01

A flashy new shiny mixer

Dr. Dave tries to begin the show while Evil Steve explores their new mixer’s effects, turning a technical upgrade into affectionate live studio chaos and a compact example of the brothers’ on-air chemistry.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-05-12

A full house and the margarine of evil

Dr. Dave introduces the teenagers and friends filling the rooms around the broadcast, welcomes Harry into the studio and joins Evil Steve in expanding the Evil Steve character from quasi-evil to the “margarine of evil.”

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-08-15

A genuine bad radio voice

After hearing sports hosts strain for a manufactured deep voice, Dr. Dave decides he would rather keep his own bad voice. If a voice is going to be imperfect, he says, at least his is genuine and requires no effort, a compact statement of the authenticity that made Computer Talk sound like itself.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-01-05

A Halloween jack-o-lantern on DaveMason.com

Dr. Dave opens the pre-Halloween edition as the scariest high-tech show in America, credits Evil Steve and asks whether Evil Steve noticed the jack-o-lantern emoticon placed on DaveMason.com. The passage preserves a seasonal example of the brothers designing and discussing the original site during the broadcast.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2006-10-28

A hat fit for radio

Studio banter about Dr. Dave’s illuminated hat develops into discussion of a possible webcam, in-studio photographs and the archive Evil Steve built. The appeal is the hosts’ personalities and the original website’s history, not a product recommendation.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-06-05

A longtime listener’s winning rhyme

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve read a giveaway entry from a listener who says Computer Talk made him look smart after he began listening in 1991, kept him company after a move to Maryland and matched their Redskins loyalty. They praise the entry for showing that he understood the show, keeping it concise and making it rhyme.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-10-28

A P-51 over the front door

Aircraft practicing for the Davis-Monthan air show lead Dr. Dave to describe walking toward his front door as a P-51 flies overhead. His excitement about the sight, sound and history of the old aircraft makes the passage vivid and personal.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-03-03

A repair completed live on the air

Gordon describes a browser error and banking-site loop, follows Dr. Dave's reset instructions during the call and reports that the error has disappeared before the answer is finished. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve celebrate the immediate on-air result as a fitting close to the show.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-25

A show about everything and nothing

Dr. Dave decides to take risks and follow whatever occurs to him, while Evil Steve defines the format as the opposite of Seinfeld: everything and nothing at the same time.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-05-02

A wall of hard drives

A joke about Dr. Dave’s computers and his wall made from years of collected hard drives turns into rapid wordplay about wall drives, mirror drives, clothes drives and food drives.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-07-05

Advice has to fit the person using it

A professional printer who buys ink by the gallon sees savings differently from a family or home office. Dr. Dave reduces the decision to effort versus reward and asks how much inconvenience is worth accepting for a particular benefit, a compact example of tailoring advice to the person rather than the product.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-11-05

An accidentally perfect sounder

Dr. Dave admits that a station sounder paired perfectly with the music entirely by accident, and Evil Steve turns the confession into the familiar maxim that it can be better to be lucky than good.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-07-05

An antivirus update makes the show more real

An antivirus completion sound from Dr. Dave’s laptop interrupts the Hewlett-Packard discussion. Dr. Dave explains that he practices what he preaches by updating it every Saturday, while he and Evil Steve joke that the accidental sound makes the broadcast more real.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-09-30

An autographed Dave photo for the dartboard

Promoting the car-show appearance, Evil Steve offers autographed photographs of Dr. Dave and Dr. Dave jokes that they make excellent dartboards when someone needs a harmless way to vent frustration. The short exchange preserves their self-deprecating promotional humor.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-11-04

An empire built on genuine unprofessionality

While experimenting with new bunker sound effects, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve decide that a polished morning-show format would betray the foolishness and silliness on which they built the program.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-03-13

An F-4 over the Vietnam base

Larry remembers waiting to leave Vietnam when an F-4 Phantom passed the base so quickly that the sound arrived afterward, then climbed out over an artillery piece. Dr. Dave responds to the aircraft as a full-body sensory experience.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-12-27

Apollo 11 on a black-and-white TV

On the mission's fortieth anniversary, Dr. Dave remembers watching Apollo 11 on a black-and-white television and says his family deliberately treats launches as major events worth watching together.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-07-18

Are we still on the air?

The producer signals that the show has run long, but the brothers briefly misunderstand and ask whether they are still broadcasting. Their rapid exchange about one being long and the other short turns an ordinary signoff into an affectionate piece of live-radio chaos.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-04-26

Arizona time explains last week’s studio confusion

The Arizona broadcast has shifted an hour relative to most affiliates because the state does not observe daylight saving time. Dr. Dave suddenly realizes that the change explains his struggle with the studio clock and producer hand signals the previous week, turning a local scheduling oddity into a satisfying callback.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-11-05

Asking Dave about barometric pressure

After visiting a weather website, Evil Steve asks Dr. Dave what barometric pressure means and where the word comes from. The explanation becomes a playful exchange about Greek roots and what people really mean when they call Evil Steve a barrelhead.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-11-27

Audiobooks for a reader on the road

Dr. Dave says he reads voraciously but often lacks time to sit with a book, so spoken-word books let him keep reading while he drives. Evil Steve turns the idea into a joke about Dr. Dave no longer trying to hold pages behind the steering wheel.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-01-20

Back in the bunker after six months

After a six-month hiatus, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve return to the Computer Talk bunker. Dr. Dave delivers the familiar introduction without missing a beat, says it is in his DNA and the brothers immediately settle back into their old rhythm with jokes about access codes, flat tires and spike strips.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2014-06-07

Birthday season in the Mason family

At the close, the brothers stop to wish their sister Michele and their mother happy birthday and call it birthday season in the Mason family. A brief, affectionate family signoff.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-04-19

Birthday wishes for Michele and the Wildcats

At the close, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve wish their sister Michele a happy birthday, joke about the anniversary of her twenty-ninth birthday and congratulate Dr. Dave's son Nick and the SYS Wildcats. It is a brief, affectionate family ending to the broadcast.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-04-14

Bloomberg publishes Steve Jobs's obituary early

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve react to Bloomberg accidentally publishing a prepared Steve Jobs obituary while Jobs was still alive. The newsroom practice of prewriting obituaries becomes a darkly funny discussion of fame, age and whether Dr. Dave is important enough to have one ready, ending with his declaration that reports of his demise are premature.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-08-30

Bob James and the primal low end

A Bob James bumper lets the brothers talk about the record Dr. Dave loves, the bodily appeal of low-frequency drums and the Pandora station where listeners once could hear the show’s musical palette.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-07-31

Brothers who work together think alike

Evil Steve recommends Dr. Dave's latest Truth Blog entries and says they think alike because they are brothers, work together and make a national radio show together. He calls the posts an insight into Dr. Dave's mind.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-09-23

Burl Ives at the stoplight

Dr. Dave warns listeners that the broadcast will use the word Christmas, then he and Evil Steve trade jokes about bargain-bin shopping. Dr. Dave proudly describes pulling up beside someone playing 50 Cent while he pumps Burl Ives through his truck, a compact picture of his holiday enthusiasm and the brothers' chemistry.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-12-08

Childhood air-raid sirens in Hawaii

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember air-raid sirens, military traffic and war programs from their childhood in Hawaii, including Dr. Dave hiding under the couch when the drills made the threat feel immediate.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-01-08

Childhood things existed forever

A song takes Dr. Dave and Evil Steve back to Washington, D.C., where they remember discovering music and watching Romper Room, then reflect on the way childhood makes the familiar feel as if it has existed since the beginning of the world.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-04-23

Chris Hanburger, one of my childhood favorites

Dr. Dave remembers watching Washington linebacker Chris Hanburger as a boy and, after looking at old footage with his sons, praises the player’s humility and team orientation while recognizing how dramatically football and its rules had changed.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-07-16

Chronological dysphoria in the studio

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve try to reconcile the studio clock with hand signals that do not match. Dr. Dave calls the resulting confusion chronological dysphoria and warns listeners that the show may simply cut off, capturing the spontaneous banter that made the live broadcast feel personal.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-10-29

Computer Talk becomes a global radio show

The addition of KJAA in Globe and Superior, Arizona, lets Evil Steve announce that Computer Talk is now literally a global radio show. Dr. Dave welcomes the new audience while the brothers work out the station frequency together on air.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-08-26

Computer Talk breaks the professional-radio rules

Before the Redskins-Cowboys game, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve assure Dallas fans that they do not want to make anyone feel bad, then immediately tell them their team is terrible. They credit listeners for understanding good-natured poking and proudly admit that Computer Talk violates the rules against teasing the audience or revealing which team the hosts support: professional radio is not what they do.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-12-29

Computer Talk grows beyond computers

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve reflect that a program named Computer Talk can no longer stay confined to computers because digital technology now reaches phones, television, cameras, Internet calling and much of daily life. Their solution is jokingly to rename it a show about everything.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-01-29

Computer Talk spreads beyond its own records

Gina suggests asking listeners who hear Computer Talk on Wednesdays or other unexpected days to identify their stations. Dr. Dave explains that affiliates sometimes take the satellite feed without reporting it, leaving the family to discover the show's reach through emails and phone calls after the fact.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2008-01-05

Computer Talk travels nineteen light-years

A report that a 1991 television and radio broadcast had traveled nineteen light-years into space sends Dr. Dave and Evil Steve into jokes about alien listeners, Klingons and sending Dr. Dave to Mars.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-03-06

Computer Talk’s first Linux automation broadcast

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve announce that listeners are hearing their first show run solely from a Linux automation computer. They celebrate the early success, acknowledge the work each brother put into different stages and compare processing their accumulated sound files with opening a storage room and discovering how much has quietly collected over the years.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2013-09-28

D-Day and Evil Steve's birthday

Dr. Dave marks the anniversary of D-Day, is immediately corrected from 1945 to 1944 and then pivots to Evil Steve's own June 6 birthday twenty years later. Evil Steve jokes that he stormed the beaches of Orlando and left a trail of destruction westward, completing the origin story of his Evil nickname.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-06-09

D-Day and the courage that made the future possible

Seventy years after the Normandy landings, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve thank the people who went into extraordinary danger because the work had to be done. They connect that courage and sacrifice to the life America enjoyed afterward and to the different forms of courage future generations would need.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2014-06-07

Data recovery on a data recovery computer

A drive fails in one of Dr. Dave’s recovery systems, placing him in the ironic position of performing data recovery on a data recovery computer. He goes to replace the failed drive so active recoveries can resume.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-10-14

Dave monitors fountain pen auctions during the show

As the broadcast gets underway, Dr. Dave says he needs to bring up eBay so he can monitor fountain pen auctions during the show. He calls it first things first before directing listeners to new blog entries.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-09-16

Dave reconsiders his printer-ink advice

A study of cartridge cost and unused ink makes Dr. Dave openly revisit his opposition to third-party refills. He thinks through how falling hardware prices change the risk calculation and, with Evil Steve, follows the logic to the absurd image of a disposable “comprinter.”

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-08

Dave the former graffiti artist

While explaining how he protects printed work, Dr. Dave recommends a clear spray because it dries quickly and stays durable, then casually identifies himself as a former graffiti artist and says he also worked in other kinds of art. The unexpected detail connects his practical product judgment to a creative part of his own life.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-03-25

Dave, Steve and Jeff at the Windows 95 launch

On the tenth anniversary of Windows 95, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember attending a satellite launch presentation with Jeff. They recall the event as exciting and world changing and connect it with the beginning of the Internet boom that followed.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-08-27

Dave’s cue cards are his Linus blanket

A noisy magazine insert gives way to a live mystery when Dr. Dave cannot find the cue cards he held before entering the studio. He admits he does not truly need them but calls them his Linus blanket, while Evil Steve searches the piles and leaves him to wing the show.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-10-15

Dave’s folding safari desk

A chip in the finish leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to examine the compact but heavy folding desk in the studio, its leather straps and the transportable safari furniture design that made it one of Dr. Dave’s tangible interests beside technology.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-01-08

Dave’s son marches on Veterans Day

Opening the second hour with another thank-you to veterans, Dr. Dave says his redheaded son is marching in Tucson’s Veterans Day parade with Cub Scout Pack 295 and asks listeners downtown to give him an extra wave. The passage connects the public tribute with a warm family moment happening during the broadcast.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-11-11

Dave’s thermal paste stunt

Dr. Dave attempts the show’s promised parody by climbing into an imaginary vat of alcohol diluted CPU thermal paste and trying to hold his breath for thirty seconds. Evil Steve ends the attempt almost immediately, and Dr. Dave solemnly thanks his fans before blaming the thermal paste and alcohol combination and returning to pizza.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-05-13

Digital tapes versus CDs in 1984

While discussing backup media, Dr. Dave remembers a long 1984 debate with a good friend who believed writable digital audio tape would beat compact discs. Dr. Dave recalls arguing that random access and durable media mattered more than rewinding and now wishes he could ask his old friend what he thinks.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-03-12

Do not promise more than credibility can carry

A large Google speed claim reminds Dr. Dave of an old consulting rule: promising dramatic improvement can imply that a prospective client has been foolish and may strain credibility before the work even begins.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-18

Dr. Dave's Olympic radio event

Evil Steve reports from an imaginary Beijing stadium as Dr. Dave approaches the microphone in shorts and a T-shirt for the high-tech talk-show-host competition. He praises the form and diction, predicts a score of ten on a hundred-point scale and later identifies Dr. Dave among thousands of drummers by the hundred-pound difference, before the brothers puzzle over the pommel horse.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-08-09

Dreaming about boredom and practicing mistakes

Asked what he does when he gets bored, Dr. Dave laughs that he dreams about being bored. A studio error then gives the brothers a second joke: listeners do not realize how much skill it takes to pretend to mess up as badly as they do, because they practice making it sound real.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-02-09

Duct tape, bungees and howler monkeys

Paul Zway calls from Costa Rica during Expedition 08. The old Land Cruiser combines laptops and satellite gear with duct tape and bungees; howler monkeys wake the team before dawn, the forest is dark enough for headlights before sunset and its canopy defeats modern communications. Dr. Dave's delight, envy and concern make the update a vivid piece of the show's history.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-05-17

Even Dave gets stuck on technical support

At the start of hour two, Evil Steve warns that waiting on hold will ruin Dr. Dave’s mood, and the brothers joke that listeners may enjoy knowing even Dr. Dave gets trapped in support calls.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-03-27

Even Dr. Dave felt silly about the printer

Dr. Dave replaces cartridge after cartridge without printing a page and laughs at feeling foolish despite being “the king of technology,” before finding one genuine bright side.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-05-15

Even the walking computer needs a handler

Dr. Dave says he can answer esoteric questions while ordinary paperwork and basic tasks may defeat him. Evil Steve observes that he needs a handler; Dr. Dave immediately nominates his brother, and the joke keeps escalating from there.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-07-07

Evernote and Dave's chaotic mind

Dr. Dave says the most appealing part of early Evernote is the speed of getting information in and finding it later without rigid structure. Having fought the chaotic nature of his mind all his life, he almost feels guilty that he no longer has to force every fact into a pigeonhole, and the guest jokingly invites him to embrace the dark side.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-12-15

Every hard disk becomes too small

The line that every hard disk becomes too small if one waits long enough takes Dr. Dave back to IBM AT computers with 20-megabyte Seagate drives. Geeks with half-full 10-megabyte drives asked who could possibly need so much space, much as a 20-terabyte drive would have sounded extravagant in 2008.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2008-03-01

Every sentence was a different font

A discussion of excessive video effects reminds Dr. Dave and Evil Steve of early desktop publishing, when people used a different font and color in every sentence simply because computers suddenly allowed it.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-07-11

Every show is a “best of”

While trying to explain the continuous online archive, Dr. Dave calls it best-of highlights and Evil Steve corrects him that the complete show is segmented there; they settle the disagreement by declaring every segment a highlight.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-09-04

Evil Steve and the ten-thousand-dollar Surface

Dr. Dave discovers that Evil Steve has misunderstood months of Surface discussion and still thinks Microsoft means its old table-sized device. The two improvise around a ten-thousand-dollar coffee table, an aspirin-sized tablet and a projection onto the surface of Evil Steve's skull in a strong piece of brotherly technology comedy.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-10-27

Evil Steve finally gets the Internet at home

After years of working around computers all day, Evil Steve is finally bringing Internet access and a computer into his home. Dr. Dave says he always respected Evil Steve's rational choice not to own what he did not need, then teases that remote work may soon have the producer awake all night just like him.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-10-20

Evil Steve wakes up after two weeks off

Dr. Dave catches Evil Steve yawning and eating the microphone; Evil Steve explains that two weeks away made him forget that he actually runs the show, insisting he is delighted to be back whenever he is awake.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-07-31

Evil Steve's birthday on D-Day

June 6 is both D-Day and Evil Steve's birthday, which sends the brothers into a deliberately chaotic mix of Three Amigos and monster sounders, aging jokes and a birthday song. Evil Steve thanks Dr. Dave for the wishes, then promises never to mention it again and asks to return to the show.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-06-07

Evil Steve's three-step unboxing test

A smartphone discussion turns into Dr. Dave's affectionate description of the office ritual: Evil Steve always opens a new device first, looks at it, rubs it and sniffs it before even switching it on. Evil Steve accepts the portrait, explains that he mainly wants a phone that works as a phone and jokes that the camera might catch him smelling it.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-08-02

Fifteen fonts on one page

Evil Steve tells Dr. Dave that overusing radio sounders is like the first era of desktop publishing, when an office geek could put fifteen fonts into a one-page memo and make it unreadable. Their argument is affectionate brotherly teasing wrapped around a recognizable piece of personal-computing history.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-06-30

Fifteen years and a family laughing together

The guest congratulates Dr. Dave and Evil Steve on fifteen years of Computer Talk and tells them millions of people are grateful. After saying goodbye, Dr. Dave explains that the real delight of the family-tree project was seeing both of his boys laughing out loud and hopping around together over what they discovered.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-05-26

Fifteen years and more to say

At the end of the Palm discussion, Phil McClendon congratulates Computer Talk on fifteen years. Dr. Dave answers that after fifteen years he is still not done talking and still has more to say.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-12-09

Filming a music video in the bunker

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve describe the lights, cameras, crew and dance directions surrounding a live broadcast, teasing each other as they try to perform for the camera. The passage gives a lively behind-the-scenes view of the Computer Talk studio.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-02-03

First December with the whole family in the studio

Dr. Dave welcomes his sons LT and Nick, along with Josh and Evil Steve, for the first show of December. Nick's request for a particularly silly on-air nickname adds to the family fun.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-12-02

First make the cell phone work as a phone

Reacting to the first Motorola phone integrated with iTunes, Dr. Dave asks manufacturers to make a cell phone work reliably as a telephone before adding a music player. He and Evil Steve recall repeatedly losing calls while driving through the center of Tucson, realizing they may have passed within shouting distance and joking that megaphones would have worked better.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-09-10

Fixing computers is methodical, not magic

Cynthia’s unusable computer leads Dr. Dave to explain safe-mode troubleshooting, changing one thing at a time and why even an experienced consultant cannot promise a five-minute fix. Preserve the full caller context and offer of follow-up help.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-03-06

Flash drives became a matter of survival

Dr. Dave carries more than a gigabyte of flash storage in his pocket while Evil Steve wears a drive around his neck. They joke that portable storage has already moved from a geek accessory to a matter of survival and appreciate a new sliding connector that solves the ordinary problem of lost caps.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-10-22

Follow important email with a call

A survey says many customer-service emails were ignored, but Dr. Dave adds that technical delivery failures can look like human neglect. Because sending a message does not prove it arrived, he says he follows an important email with a phone call and sometimes even a fax.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-04

Foreign-object debris in the bunker

The dead studio phone turns out to be a stray bass-guitar wire, sending the brothers into an aviation-style argument that the bunker itself may be made of foreign-object debris and therefore cannot safely become too clean.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-09-25

Four decades, and every minute an adventure

When Evil Steve says the brothers have known each other for four decades, Dr. Dave raises it to five and they decide that every minute of their lives has been an adventure—a warm, spontaneous summary of the relationship behind the show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-09-03

Friends, family and clients on Facebook

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve compare the rise and fade of MySpace, Facebook and Twitter, concluding that Facebook’s practical ability to connect friends, relatives and clients gave it value even to older relatives who were newly coming online.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2011-03-26

Frogman Mason does the show

A hoarse Dr. Dave keeps broadcasting while Evil Steve compares his voice to singer Clarence “Frogman” Henry. The result is a new nickname and plenty of teasing between listener questions.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-02-18

From breaking copy protection to the IBM AT

Dr. Dave remembers learning through early copy-protection experiments, then describes a recent conversation with an IBM veteran about choosing between 20 and 40 megabyte hard drives for the IBM AT.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2004-11-13

From common sense computing to common sense technology

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve realize the program has grown beyond computers, improvise a transition to “common sense technology” and then describe the original DaveMason.com layout with its two blog links, portrait and signature.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2008-11-29

Geeks overestimate the audience

When Final Cut Pro becomes material for a late-night joke, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve gently puncture their own assumptions: technology enthusiasts often imagine there are more of them, and that the public cares more about their tools, than is really true.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-06-25

Gina’s Smoothie Shop

A fresh strawberry, banana, peach and blueberry smoothie from “Gina’s Smoothie Shop” arrives as the official Computer Talk lunch, giving Dr. Dave and Evil Steve room for affectionate jokes about healthy food, protein and whether living longer is worth giving up pork and cheese.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-06-18

Good luck to Nick before the final game

During the opening introductions, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve pause to wish Dr. Dave's son Nick luck before the final football game of his season, describing it as his Super Bowl and anticipating an end of season family party at the pizza place. The brief message preserves a spontaneous moment of a father and uncle cheering him on over the air.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-03-04

Government is still human

During the net-neutrality debate, Dr. Dave challenges the assumption that corporate actors deserve skepticism while government actors do not. Both institutions, he argues, are associations of people and remain capable of the same mixture of good and bad behavior.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2015-03-21

Guessing Dexter Wansel in the bunker

A reluctant music cue becomes an affectionate studio guessing game before Dr. Dave and Evil Steve identify Dexter Wansel and talk about a favorite album.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-03-06

Halloween Eve Eve and Gina’s chili

On the day before All Hallows’ Eve, the brothers rename the date “All Hallows’ Eve Eve,” preview Dr. Dave’s costume and pause over Gina chopping ingredients for her annual autumn chili.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-10-30

Happy birthday to Mad Max and Patrick

The studio wishes Mad Max and Patrick happy birthday and teases them about their ages. It preserves an affectionate moment among people connected to the program.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-04-30

Happy birthday, Nick, in 2013

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve celebrate the April 2 birthday of Dr. Dave's younger son Nick. An old sounder and plans to see him that afternoon make it a short, affectionate family moment.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-04-06

Happy sixteenth birthday, LT

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve pause the security discussion to celebrate executive producer Dr. Dave's son LT's sixteenth birthday. They tease him about the phrase sweet sixteen and the new ability to drive, then call him a good kid, praise his progress with his father and uncle and wish him years of fun while staying safe.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-07-28

High-tech shoes for people who sit

An early wearable-technology story turns into the brothers imagining computerized comfort for people who spend their days sitting at computers. Keep the complete joke rather than promote the shoe.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-05-08

Holding a glowing Space Shuttle tile

Watching the Space Shuttle prepare to return from the space station reminds Dr. Dave of a close friend who worked for years on its thermal protection. Dr. Dave vividly recalls overcoming his instincts and holding a tile that had just emerged from an oven glowing orange yet could safely rest in his hand.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-08-06

How old is that website picture?

After inviting listeners to DaveMason.com, Dr. Dave tells Evil Steve that someone asked how long ago his portrait had been taken. Their teasing moves from whether the picture should be updated at all to Dr. Dave proposing a full-body portrait with bandoliers while Evil Steve begs him to keep the head shot.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-10-22

I just realized it said “apple trees”

After using the same Apple-update sounder for more than a decade, Dr. Dave suddenly realizes that the song itself mentions apple trees. Evil Steve cannot believe it, Dr. Dave insists he understood every other reason for the choice, and the brothers spend the next minute laughing at how long the obvious connection escaped him.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-08-04

I’m a computer guy

After more than a decade behind the microphone, Dr. Dave jokes that radio still does not come naturally because he is a computer guy rather than a standard radio professional.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-10-16

Ice-cream phishing crosses the line

Evil Steve says fraudulent email promising Baskin-Robbins and Dairy Queen offers angers him more than ordinary bank phishing. The brothers exaggerate their outrage that scammers would exploit something as irresistible as ice cream.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-04-30

If Dave stops talking, the air is gone

After hearing another broadcaster run out of material, Evil Steve says the day Dr. Dave stops talking will mean all the oxygen on Earth has been depleted. A short, vivid example of the brothers' on-air teasing.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-10-18

If they could not predict their own demise

After confirming the September date, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve turn the approaching end of the Mayan calendar into an extended comic argument about predictions, certainty and whether a civilization that disappeared could have foreseen the future.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-09-03

If you can screw up correctly, you have talent

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve repeatedly mispronounce a word they have invented and arrive at a perfect live-radio paradox: accidental mistakes are easy, but making the same mistake deliberately and professionally takes talent.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-08-27

Imagining the connected phone future

The hosts and guest imagine a phone coordinating media, location and personal preferences years before those capabilities became routine. Dr. Dave immediately personalizes the idea: on landing in France, his phone should direct him to the nearest fountain-pen dealer. He also says that even as a self-described geek, he wants the convenience of one capable device instead of carrying many.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2008-04-05

Independence Day and daily participation

Dr. Dave says the uncertainty surrounding Independence Day 2009 feels frightening but useful because it can make people pay attention, learn and recognize that citizenship involves more than voting.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2009-07-04

It is like the first show all over again

A pulled headset wire launches Dr. Dave and Evil Steve into an extended affectionate argument about broken equipment, mock firings, being hyper relaxed, missing introductions and trying once to pretend they are radio professionals. It preserves the brothers’ chemistry and the spontaneous style of the live show.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-04-15

It is not a failure, it is a feature

A discussion of slow Windows startup gives way to Dr. Dave and Evil Steve discovering that the new microphone mount can be played like an instrument, after which Dr. Dave cheerfully declares the noise a feature worth keeping.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-04-09

It’s not cloud or no cloud—it’s how you do it

Dr. Dave warns that moving a familiar service to the cloud may change more than its server location. A consultant should understand a client’s tolerance for disruption without judging it, explain the practical differences and remember that success depends less on choosing “cloud” or “no cloud” than on how the move is carried out.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-10-29

Joining the Rolex 24 pit crew

Dr. Dave describes the old racing friendships bringing Jim Downing’s team back together for the Rolex 24 at Daytona, his privilege at joining the pit crew and the earlier fire-extinguisher mistake that became useful practice when a real fire occurred.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-01-22

July Fourth on July fifth

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve try to preserve the illusion of a special July Fourth broadcast until Evil Steve insists on telling everyone that it is live on Tuesday, July 5, turning the date itself into a compact piece of their on-air chemistry.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-07-05

Kind support does not fix a broken system

Dr. Dave gives the carrier’s representatives full credit for treating him well and correcting each exaggerated bill, while still insisting that having to repeat the same call every month is itself a serious service failure.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-10-09

Kindle, books and the bomb manual

Dr. Dave questions whether Kindle's narrow function can replace the feel of a book, and Evil Steve responds with an extended joke that the only reason to read is when a bomb-disposal manual leaves no choice. A major product-era conversation with their contrasting personalities intact.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-04-25

Konica Minolta and the digital revolution

Konica Minolta’s withdrawal from cameras and film prompts Dr. Dave to remember working in the camera business and his own Konica FS 1. He is sorry to see a valued name disappear but accepts digital photography as a genuinely superior development, leading the brothers to compare the transition with records, tapes and compact discs.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2006-01-21

License numbers, birthdays and show times

A time-zone discussion turns into Evil Steve teasing Dr. Dave for remembering every Windows license number he installed while forgetting birthdays, time differences and even when the show begins. It is a concise and affectionate portrait of Dr. Dave’s unusually selective memory.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-04-09

Life is not all about technology

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain that the show exists to cut through hype, and that a person who does not need a computer is free to remain analog without that choice reflecting on their intelligence.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-15

Live advertisements without scripts

The new studio cannot play the national advertisements, so Evil Steve tells Dr. Dave he must perform three minutes of live reads from memory. Their disbelief, teasing and recollection of doing the same thing when the show began capture live-radio improvisation.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-03-12

LiveYourLife.gov

Google’s privacy controls inspire Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to imagine a government website where citizens could log out, opt in or tailor their relationship through checkboxes. The fictional LiveYourLife.gov becomes a sustained piece of political satire about freedom, taxes, benefits and the difference between choosing something for oneself and requiring it of everyone else.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-01-28

Looking like Einstein without thinking like Einstein

A visitor's comment about his hair gets Dr. Dave talking about an overdue haircut. Looking like Einstein, he decides, only works if you can think like Einstein too.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-10-08

Loose radio on a tight schedule

During the Christmas Eve rebroadcast setup, Dr. Dave accuses Evil Steve of interrupting and taking control of the show. Evil Steve explains that he watches the timer and makes a tightly scheduled broadcast sound loose, revealing the structure underneath their spontaneous banter.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-12-23

LT keeps the show moving behind the scenes

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve credit his son LT with keeping the program moving and handling details listeners never hear. A missing sounder gives a glimpse of that work in the studio.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-12-06

LT turns eighteen

Near the end of a difficult broadcast, the studio celebrates Dr. Dave's son LT, also called Dr. Dave's son Leland, turning eighteen with the recurring piñata sounder and jokes about suddenly being a completely mature adult.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-07-25

Microdot advertising in the broken phone

After a motorcycle ride to Tombstone leaves a strange spreading mark on Dr. Dave's phone screen, he and Evil Steve decide the tiny shapes must be secret words. The imagined message says to buy a new phone, inspiring their joke that Motorola or Google has invented microdot advertising that makes a screen look broken.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-05-04

Microsoft's strangest product names

A list of awkward Microsoft names sends Dr. Dave and Evil Steve through Word 6, Bob, Windows Me, Hailstorm and Genuine Advantage before they invent “Windows the Street.” Their teasing about Dr. Dave forgetting he already gave away an answer keeps the history personal.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-04-04

Mom, the Internet maven

Dr. Dave thanks his mother, whom the brothers call the Internet maven, for sending him unusual historical images from Retronaut. He says the appeal is the combination of retro, traditional material with the modern reach of the Internet.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-09-15

More daylight than we need

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve try to calculate the show’s changing time outside Arizona, decide the state already has more daylight than it needs and invent a plan to cover Arizona and Nevada with shade cloth while leaving holes for airports and solar panels.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-06-18

My dad did not believe in paying for TV

A complaint about paying to remove advertisements reminds Dr. Dave of driving across Hawaii in 1967 while his father stared at cable-TV billboards and asked who would ever pay for television. Dr. Dave follows the idea through cable's early no-advertising promise to a world where viewers pay and still see more commercials.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-09-15

My first cell phone lived in the trunk

A discussion of simple phones sends Dr. Dave and Evil Steve back to his first cell phone: a powerful unit mounted in the trunk of the Electra 225 and connected by a twenty-five-foot cable. Both brothers remember it immediately, and Dr. Dave still calls it an incredible phone that he loved.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-03-24

My son asked about Skyactiv

Dr. Dave's son Nick spots a Mazda 3 and asks about Skyactiv. His dad explains what surprised him about the engineering, amid the brothers' memories of racing and rotary engines.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-01-26

Nationwide radio without Internet

The studio upgrade has left Dr. Dave without Internet access. Although he is broadcasting nationwide and has his pizza, he jokes that he feels completely disconnected from the world.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-03-12

New microphones in the bunker

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve test new microphones, wonder whether the desk fans can be heard and introduce the whole studio crew through the show's deliberately absurd “evil” sounders. It is a lively picture of how the program was made.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-06-13

Nick oversees Computer Talk

Dr. Dave introduces his son Nick as the person overseeing things in the studio. It is a brief glimpse of family life behind the show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-10-21

Nick spreads Christmas cheer in the studio

Dr. Dave introduces nine-year-old Dr. Dave's son Nick in a Santa hat, jokes about the silly name Nick requested and then affectionately tells him he is doing a good job spreading Christmas cheer around the station. The exchange preserves Nick’s place in the family atmosphere of the live show.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-12-16

Nick’s questions send the family to the Internet

When his eight-year-old son Nick asks about the world's largest dog, Dr. Dave does not pretend to know. Looking it up together turns one question into a family conversation about animals and life.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-09-24

Observe, orient, decide, act

After taking a position that once felt unnatural to him, Dr. Dave says facts and experience require adapting to a changed environment, then expands the OODA acronym as Evil Steve jokes about hula hoops.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-10-10

Observing the quantum computer broke our computer

Dr. Dave jokingly concludes that reading about quantum observation caused the production computer to fail. He and Evil Steve turn a mind-bending scientific idea and their fresh studio trouble into an extended piece of on-air comedy.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-08-25

One million practical robots

The millionth Roomba becomes a milestone in practical consumer robotics, while Dr. Dave imagines the industrial street cleaner his house would need because of the children.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2004-10-23

One new set of promos every decade

As Evil Steve prepares for an upcoming remote, the brothers imagine Dr. Dave running every part of the show alone and then announce new Computer Talk promotions after using the old set since 2001, joking that they change every ten years whether necessary or not.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-01-08

Open mics create reality radio

After an off-air exchange leaks into the segment, Evil Steve says he sometimes leaves Dr. Dave’s microphone open so listeners receive the real behind-the-scenes Computer Talk story. They compare the result with reality television and turn the production mistake into part of the show.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-11-04

Our brains and the switches left off

A brain-imaging report comparing synapses with all the computers on Earth gives the brothers an irresistible joke: capacity is less important than how many switches a person actually turns on, even though the brain literally surrounds every one of them.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-11-20

Pacer Stack Train

Dr. Dave's lifelong fascination with memorable names turns the words on a freight container into Pacer Stack Train, an imaginary linebacker or defensive end. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve build the character together until the absurdly perfect football name has them both laughing.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-03-02

Paper and computers in the radio studio

With the studio Internet down and his notes left at the office, Dr. Dave remembers producing the early show with only a microphone and four or five hundred printed pages. He values the laptop for quick research but explains that paper still offers a different comfort through writing, highlighting and rearranging material.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-02-05

Patton at the Loft

After spending Independence Day with listeners and the other KVOI hosts at Tucson's Loft Theater, Dr. Dave says he is proud to belong to that radio family. Watching Patton on the big screen also revives the brothers' memory of seeing the film when they were about ten or eleven.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-07-05

Print it the night before

Dr. Dave says every office device works perfectly until it is urgently needed, especially a printer on the morning of a meeting; Evil Steve’s solution is characteristically simple—print the night before.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-09-04

Rachel turns eighteen

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve pause the technical program to wish their niece Rachel a happy eighteenth birthday. They marvel that the baby they helped care for is now driving, turning a short announcement into an affectionate family time capsule.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-06-02

Rachel’s Christmas iPod

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve describe their niece Rachel receiving a red iPod nano for Christmas and being absorbed enough that she would not let anyone touch it. Their teasing preserves a recognizable family holiday moment at the height of the iPod era.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-12-30

Radio as audio Twitter

The brothers compare short Twitter updates with their own live, interactive audio program and turn a discussion of social-media brevity into a playful description of what radio already does.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-02-28

Radio is not dead

Dr. Dave describes a Dennis Miller segment that seemed increasingly ridiculous until it became so funny he could barely drive, then delights in the intellectual connections behind it and declares that radio is not dead.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-07-10

Radio Shack forgot what made it Radio Shack

Radio Shack matters to Dr. Dave and Evil Steve personally: Dr. Dave worked for Tandy in the early 1980s and remembers its affordable multi-user systems as a practical small-business alternative. Looking back from the bankruptcy filing, he argues that the company could have modernized the identity it already owned—the hack store, project store and fun store—instead of repeatedly drifting away from its strengths.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2015-02-07

Reality radio and the crooked microphone

The show begins with Dr. Dave talking toward a badly positioned microphone while Evil Steve points out that the windscreen is not even covering it. They decide the squeaks and adjustment noise belong to “reality radio,” because neither the microphones nor the hosts can filter out every rough edge.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-07-19

Reality radio before it was a thing

When listeners ask whether Evil Steve's sounders embarrass him, Dr. Dave says the brothers are simply having fun. They tell prospective affiliates to listen because the show is unedited, good, bad and ugly, and joke that its clunky mistakes are features other radio programs eventually copied.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-05-12

Rebuilding the website and flying their own bird

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve talk about changing the website, maintaining several blogs and experimenting with early social platforms before spinning the show's independence and recent technical trouble into a Russian-satellite joke.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-02-21

Recording the Christmas promo

Dr. Dave opens the studio process to listeners while he and Evil Steve rehearse, stumble over and finally record a short holiday greeting, then admit that the polished commercials begin as an absolute mess.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-12-20

Remembering Sean Taylor

Before a major Redskins game, the brothers pause to mark one year since Sean Taylor's death and remember how the team responded afterward, then return to hopeful game analysis.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-11-29

Remembering the Compaq Portable

A magazine feature lets Dr. Dave and Evil Steve enjoy the memory of a thirty-four-pound “portable” computer with a tiny display, 128 kilobytes of memory and an expensive optional second floppy drive.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2004-11-27

Renovating the studio with Nick

Doors, carpet, tile, counters, shelves and a large generator are being installed around the live studio while Dr. Dave introduces the crowded room and welcomes Dr. Dave's son Nick back for a special appearance. The banter preserves a vivid family view of the show’s physical home.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-01-27

Santa borrowed the radio line

With hardware failing in the studio and Dr. Dave’s laptop still running a disk check, the crew announces that Santa had briefly hijacked their ISDN line to download his Arizona list.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-12-18

Screens thin as paper and an invisible car

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve imagine flexible OLED displays becoming as thin and commonplace as paper: refrigerator-magnet televisions, animated yard signs, a screen wrapped around a car and even a visual version of noise cancellation that could make the vehicle appear invisible. It is the brothers at their speculative, playful best.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2015-05-23

Skype, a Land Cruiser and an ocean cockroach

Paul Zway calls the studio from a Panama City hotel balcony over Skype during Expedition 08. The hosts compare modern communications with the challenge of running an international business from a Land Cruiser, then become fascinated by an enormous lobster that Paul could not finish and dismisses as an ocean cockroach.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-05-24

Spaceflight is not ordinary

NASA's website leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to stop treating routine shuttle launches as ordinary, marvel at the risk of orbital debris and then tumble into a formula joke and the weekly pizza arrival.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-03-21

Steve turns the extra air tools into a better deal

Evil Steve wanted a larger air compressor but not the extra tools in Sears' online bundle. He sold the tools separately on eBay and ended up paying less than the base compressor would have cost, while the buyer received new tools at a good price. Dr. Dave enjoys how the early online marketplace made everybody happy.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-04-19

Steve's Halloween animation on the original site

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve invite listeners to watch a brief Halloween alteration around Dr. Dave's image on DaveMason.com, joke about the image and explain that Evil Steve intentionally made the effect quick rather than endlessly repetitive.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-10-25

Steve’s in flight map idea

Hearing about location based maps reminds Evil Steve of an idea he had discussed for years: a display that identifies the towns and landmarks below an airplane in real time. Dr. Dave helps turn the thought from a headset or hologram into a screen on the seat, while Evil Steve jokingly announces that saying it on air makes him the inventor.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-07-30

Steve's new radio open

A collage of vintage voices introduces the Dr. Dave Mason radio program, and Dr. Dave immediately tells Evil Steve how much he loves the new piece, praising his work and joking that any defect is a feature.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-05-02

Steve’s water-damaged Palm Centro

Evil Steve explains how water damaged his phone and how drying it brought it back, prompting practical advice and familiar brotherly banter.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-03-06

Stop with the theories—it either does or it doesn't

Dr. Dave announces a real-world test: stop printing stacks of show stories and link them for listeners instead. What begins as a practical paperless experiment becomes a funny mock conversion to Facebook, with Evil Steve explaining how the habit can become automatic and teasing Dr. Dave about finding his radio page.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-06-02

Take a breath before troubleshooting

Dr. Dave admits that frustration can make even a bright person report the problem inaccurately, so the first repair step may be to walk away, clear one’s head and return able to observe and follow instructions.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-05-12

Take the extra chrome off the computer

Dr. Dave explains that even an expensive high performance computer has limits when hundreds of programs load into memory. He compares the overloaded machine to a car covered in fins, wings, tint and chrome, then advises taking the extra chrome and feelers off the computer for a streamlined result.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-26

Taking responsibility for the phone trouble

After discussing the new show open, Dr. Dave returns to the previous week’s failed phone system and accepts his share of responsibility for following incorrect instructions.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-11-13

Team Spencer live from Daytona

From pit road at the 24 Hours of Daytona, chief engineer Wayne Yon describes the technology and hurried preparation behind Team Spencer’s new three rotor Mazda RX 8. Driver Scott Spencer then shares the excitement of entering his first 24 hour race alongside his father, while Dr. Dave and Evil Steve send the team their support and expect to see them on the podium.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-01-28

Technology combat on the air

A network failure leaves the show on backup equipment while staff rush around the studio, adjust levels and report a degraded feed; Dr. Dave and Evil Steve narrate the stress, apologize to affiliates and keep the program moving.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-02-14

Technology, humor and social insight

A listener praises the show's mix of technology, humor and social insight, comparing Dr. Dave's flair to Elvis. The brothers answer her affectionate message with their usual self-deprecating jokes.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-11-19

Technology, stress and making time for family

An extended guest interview with Dr. Dave’s reflections on his friend’s heart attack, rushing meals and listening to his mother. Preserve the hosts’ final one-change-at-a-time reflection, not just keyword-selected fragments.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2003-04-12

Ten valuable sources instead of four hundred

A guest admits that surprisingly little of his day produces something tangible, and Dr. Dave responds with his own experiment in becoming ruthless about email and information. He describes the emotional struggle of abandoning the belief that he must follow hundreds of blogs and choosing a small number of valuable sources instead.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-06-02

Test-driving Mercedes cars at Comdex 2001

An Xbox storage update leads the brothers back to the 2001 Comdex launch and their gleeful memory of driving Mercedes vehicles around a media course outside the convention center.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-04-03

Thank goodness you're all right, Jim

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve send their best to friend and racer Jim Downing after he walks away from a frightening rollover. They remember when people mocked the large prototype HANS restraint he wore, how Dale Earnhardt's death changed that reaction and how the device Dr. Dave once photographed helped protect its own co-creator.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-06-09

Thank you to the veterans

At the close before Veterans Day, Dr. Dave sets aside product talk to thank veterans for their service and wishes listeners a safe weekend.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2010-11-06

Thank you, Stephanie

On what unexpectedly becomes Stephanie’s final regular show, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve thank her for her attitude, work ethic, professional contribution, phone work and even the way she divided the studio pizza. They say they will miss her while wishing her onward and upward at school.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-08-13

Thankful for family, friends and listeners

Before Thanksgiving, Dr. Dave names the people and work he values: his family, wife, friends, listeners, the evening race and the unknown programmers whose tools help others.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-11-22

The “Gratitude” album credibility test

Dr. Dave tests Evil Steve on the year, title, typography and colors of an Earth, Wind & Fire album until both accuse the other of inventing answers and the computer show nearly disappears into music trivia.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-08-07

The abdominal equinox

Trying to name the first day of autumn sends Dr. Dave and Evil Steve through “Ferris Cumulus,” the autumnal equinox and finally Dr. Dave’s definition of the “abdominal equinox”—when a belly crosses a belt line southward.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-09-24

The all-night gearbox repair near Arenal

Paul Zway calls from Costa Rica with the story of a gearbox repair that lasted until five in the morning. He and Angelica improvised with limited tools while keeping their traveling business connected.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-06-21

The Apple update Dave did not have

Evil Steve starts the Apple update before Dr. Dave has found a story, leaving the brothers to improvise a deliberately flimsy update and threaten playful revenge across the control board.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-12-04

The archive became a useful resource

Evil Steve remembers relistening to Dr. Dave’s earlier explanation of DLP while preparing the show archive and realizing that he was still learning from his older brother. He tells listeners that topic labels let them find an earlier question or explanation whenever they need it, making the archive more than a promotion and turning it into a lasting resource.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-02-11

The archive was open all the time

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain that listeners could hear Computer Talk live, catch two separate weekly re-airings or use the DaveMason.com archive “24-7, 365.” It is direct history of the original site and the effort they made to keep the show available beyond its first broadcast.

Memorable Moments · Air date unknown

The banana tip from the doctor

Evil Steve eats a banana during the break, prompting Dr. Dave to turn peeling it from the opposite end into both a practical “tip from the doctor” and an affectionate gorilla joke between the brothers.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-01-08

The blog links were too small and subtle

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve respond directly to listener feedback that the original Truth and Tech Blog links are so small and simple that visitors miss them. They describe the exact red-and-blue text near the date and promise to brainstorm a more pronounced treatment and repeat the links elsewhere on the radio page.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-20

The cable guy arrived during the show

In the middle of a live broadcast, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve discover that the cable technician scheduled for later has already arrived. They send him away until the agreed window, confuse the service guarantee with a pizza-delivery promise and sum the whole interruption up as “the chaos of real life.”

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-03-17

The cartoon of the week on DaveMason.com

Dr. Dave describes adding a favorite security cartoon to the radio-show page, preserving a small but direct piece of the original website’s history.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-08-28

The Christmas elf on DaveMason.com

As Christmas season begins, Dr. Dave invites listeners to see the holiday version of his site and Evil Steve teases that the large face in the design is the Christmas elf. Dr. Dave joins the joke and suggests that the picture needs pointed ears, preserving an affectionate glimpse of the original website and studio chemistry.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-11-25

The computer crashes at signoff

A reboot leaves the show unable to play its ending, so Dr. Dave and Evil Steve improvise live, reveal the timing conversation and turn the failure into “reality radio.” Dr. Dave uses the extra seconds to explain how much he enjoys addressing stories other media overlook.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-12-27

The computer that arrived in a roadie box

A new HP model reminds the brothers of testing a seventy-five-pound Voodoo computer that arrived in a reinforced wheeled crate like the cases musicians use to move concert equipment.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-11-06

The discarded Dr. Dave laptop screen

Evil Steve discovers that the broken laptop screen listeners wanted has already gone into the trash. The brothers consider retrieving it as a rather unusual piece of Dr. Dave memorabilia.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-06-04

The drawing tablet and Steve’s signature

Dr. Dave notices that his family’s drawing tablets mostly went unused, while Evil Steve explains that real illustrators depend on them and that he still uses his for signatures and free-form work.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-04-10

The Elvis microphone upgrade

After two weeks away, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve check whether the show is really broadcasting, identify the date live and test a donated microphone Evil Steve calls the Elvis mic. Better headphones make every hiss and pop audible, leading to the familiar joke that a technology upgrade can feel like a downgrade.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-04-27

The engineers who rescued the radio sound

After the previous show’s microphone trouble, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve thank KVOI program director Matt and engineer Larry for repairing burned circuits on the main board. Dr. Dave calls them the best people he has worked with in years of radio and contrasts their professional response with the brothers’ own self deprecating on air style.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-06-03

The first MacBook Air might blow away

The first MacBook Air inspires jokes about a laptop light enough to blow away. Beneath the teasing, Dr. Dave admires the engineering while questioning the compromises that come with its size.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-01-19

The five-dollar free candy bar

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve turn their objection to government programs and an Internet sales-tax proposal into a deliberately simple picture: someone offers a weekly ninety-nine-cent candy bar for free, then asks for five dollars and eventually delivers a smaller bar after a long wait. The exchange captures the show's political voice through a concrete, memorable analogy rather than a list of policy claims.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2013-03-23

The four-rotors that sounded like another world

A sound from the Sebring broadcast sends Dr. Dave and Evil Steve back to their years as unofficial team members around Team Spencer and Downing Atlanta Racing. They remember Dave Lynn, the extraordinary sound of the four-rotor Mazdas and the unforgettable contrast with the strange front-engine Panoz cars.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2015-03-21

The Franklin benefit kept them all day

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve say they planned to spend only a few hours at the Franklin Museum benefit but stayed from setup through closing because of the listeners, car people and atmosphere. They remember a 1910 REO single-cylinder runabout, the sound of each firing and craftsmanship visible only when viewed up close.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-11-11

The good old days of personal computing are now

A retrospective list takes Dr. Dave and Evil Steve through the 26 pound Kaypro 2, the three pound Radio Shack Model 100 and the Apple II. Dr. Dave remembers early disk drives replacing tapes, appreciates what the machines changed and concludes that despite nostalgia, the good old days are now.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2006-08-12

The guestbook visitor found the wrong Dave Mason

Evil Steve reads a guestbook message from someone who has confused Dr. Dave with musician Dave Mason, prompting the two hosts to enjoy the mix-up.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-08-07

The informative and interesting tweets

Dr. Dave discovers that his automated message to new Twitter followers promises “the informative and interesting tweets.” He and Evil Steve decide the awkward wording, supposedly outsourced overseas, may be special enough to keep.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-08-29

The Internet connects Dave with F 8 pilots

A documentary revives Dr. Dave’s childhood fascination with the F 8 Crusader model he owned at ten, sending him to the web to learn more. He finds a veterans’ site, becomes friends with its organizers and exchanges email with the very pilot he had just watched pursue an enemy aircraft after losing his weapons.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2007-01-06

The Internet reconnects a forty-five-year friendship

Still reminiscing about childhood, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve marvel that the Internet allowed their mother to reconnect with a friend from Hawaii after roughly 45 years. The moment moves naturally from old neighborhood memories to the technology that brought a long-separated friendship back into the family's life.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-01-12

The jiggle factor fixes the studio

After the previous week’s production sound problem, the ultimate repair turns out to be physically jiggling the equipment, and Dr. Dave marvels that even brand-new gear can demand the oldest troubleshooting technique.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-09-18

The judgment calls hidden in grocery shopping

Remembering Webvan leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to notice how many unspoken choices people make when selecting produce and meat. They joke about sending an MP3 of a tapped watermelon while asking where online convenience stops being cost-effective.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-04-25

The laptop fan joins the broadcast

A laptop fan suddenly sounds like a two-stroke engine in the studio, so Dr. Dave and Evil Steve leave it running, imagine listeners worrying about their transmissions and turn a small equipment problem into part of the live show.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-01-31

The laptop that would not sleep

Previewing Windows Vista power management, Dr. Dave remembers closing a laptop, placing it in a padded pocket of his enormous wheeled briefcase and later finding the battery dead and the machine too hot to start. He welcomes a system designed to honor sleep and shutdown commands even when another program tries to interrupt them.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-08-27

The live email finally works

After repeated on-air failures, the crew cautiously confirms their wireless live-email setup and jokes about how listeners can get Dr. Dave’s attention.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-07-24

The mouse board still in storage

A 1987 Computer Shopper photograph reminds Dr. Dave how early PCs sometimes needed a dedicated adapter board just to use a mouse; he admits he still has one boxed away, while Evil Steve says he probably packed it and doubts Dr. Dave has thrown anything out.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-02-28

The mozzarella deficiency

Dr. Dave is visibly tired and congested near the end of the show, but pizza arrives just in time. After a promotional flourish, he announces that the cold was really a mozzarella deficiency and immediately sounds better with cheese in him.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-12-30

The neighbor’s motorized rooftop antenna

A discussion of advertising supported television turns into Dr. Dave’s recent experiment with rabbit ears and then a childhood memory. The neighbor with a remote control color television and a powered rooftop antenna that rotated for each channel seemed like the grooviest person in the neighborhood.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-08-05

The Nigerian FBI email

Dr. Dave reads an absurdly intimidating fraudulent FBI message, and the brothers turn it into a funny, practical warning that email and chat identities cannot be accepted at face value.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-05-01

The old Razr is charging

As the Samsung Galaxy S4 arrives with new biometric capabilities, Dr. Dave reveals that he is charging an old Motorola Razr V3 and may ask AT&T to activate it. Evil Steve turns the contrast into a Matrix joke, capturing Dr. Dave's contrarian instinct and the brothers' shared unease about technology that is impressive and intrusive at the same time.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-03-16

The one dollar yard sale scanner

Dr. Dave stops at a yard sale on a whim, buys a dirty scanner with no cables or software for one dollar, carefully cleans it and discovers that it still works.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-11-20

The original radio show photo gallery

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve point listeners to candid pictures of Lana Gray working in the studio, preserving a direct on-air link to the original website’s photo gallery.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-10-02

The original show archive was built for answers

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remind new listeners that the live show is posted later the same day and that eight months of broadcasts can be searched and browsed on DaveMason.com. They call it the site's most popular area because careful labels let a listener retrieve one phone number, guest detail or answer without hearing hours of unrelated material.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-10-20

The other Dave Mason keeps getting our messages

Dr. Dave explains that the toll free number is one digit away from other radio programs and that he receives late night calls intended for them. Every Monday he also finds messages from people who met through the songs of the musician Dr. Dave Mason, giving the brothers another chance to claim that the computer host is the real Dr. Dave Mason.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-06-24

The other phone launch

On the morning after the first iPhone release, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve pile on the familiar launch language, claim a five-and-a-half-minute wait in line and finally reveal that they have been praising the Samsung Upstage. The playful misdirection captures both the extraordinary iPhone moment and the brothers' instinct to challenge its surrounding hype.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2007-06-30

The paperless show and the paper blanket

Dr. Dave tries again to conduct the broadcast without printed notes while Evil Steve insists he needs his familiar “blanket of paper.” Their environmental teasing gives a small behind-the-scenes look at Dr. Dave's working habits.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2009-06-20

The people who made the show work

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve pause to thank engineer Larry and program director Matt for improving and automating the broadcast. Dr. Dave says the show could not do what it does without Larry, and both brothers describe the station staff as remarkable people and a joy to work with.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-05-14

The positive fact is we’ll see you next week

When Evil Steve asks for something uplifting after a show full of difficult news, Dr. Dave jokes that every program ends with the very positive fact that they will be back the next week. Their movie and music banter turns a simple promise to listeners into a warm expression of the brothers’ on air relationship.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-07-09

The pregnant pause

The second hour begins with unexpected silence, and Dr. Dave and Evil Steve immediately turn the missed cue into a joke about dramatic timing and the extra editing work it created.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-05-23

The printer with no ink cartridges

A woman who has fought an error for months and wants to replace her printer finally lets Dr. Dave look: there are no ink cartridges installed. He uses the story to urge patience, fewer assumptions and a return to basic checks before discarding useful equipment.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-01

The ring that broke the laptop screen

After warning that laptop screens break more easily than people expect, Dr. Dave explains how he set his wedding ring near the hinge during the show and forgot it there. Closing the lid at the end of the broadcast broke the display and led to “a lot of tears.”

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-06-25

The show archive was the most popular feature

Evil Steve reminds new listeners that they could move from terrestrial radio to the live stream and later return to eight months of programs online. He and Dr. Dave say the archive is the site's most popular feature and one of its largest sources of visits because every show is available whenever a listener needs it.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-03-01

The show ends with an eBay auction

As Evil Steve promotes the coming giveaway and the closing music begins, Dr. Dave admits that he is still watching his fountain pen auctions on eBay and hopes to make one last bid before leaving the studio. The moment ties the program’s formal signoff to his recurring collecting habit.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-10-22

The smartwatch that made looking at a phone harder

Evil Steve marks 2014 by getting his first laptop and jokes that a tablet might follow in 2020. Dr. Dave then describes a commercial in which an actor already holding a phone turns his wrist to read the same information on a watch, laughing that the expensive extra screen perfectly illustrates technology sold without making the task more efficient.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2014-01-11

The sounder that makes seriousness evaporate

A familiar comic sounder pulls Dr. Dave out of an overly serious or low mood. He says the instant Evil Steve plays it, taking himself too seriously simply evaporates—a small but revealing picture of what their on-air partnership gave him.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-03-29

The studio team and Arizona time

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve introduce Jesse and Mad Max, joke about the increasingly crowded studio and explain how Arizona’s lack of daylight saving time forces the local crew to arrive an hour earlier while listeners elsewhere hear the show at the usual time. It preserves the people, place and live logistics behind ComputerTalk.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-04-09

The tablets from Comdex come back around

A convertible Lenovo prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to remember Bill Gates presenting tablets at Comdex in 2001. Dr. Dave observes that the 2012 machines are lighter and faster but serve essentially the same function, while the iPad legitimized the market in a way the earlier designs did not.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2012-04-14

The technology version of Click and Clack

Remembering an attempt to explain Computer Talk to NPR, Dr. Dave says the show is two brothers talking about real life and technology, then reaches for the simplest comparison he can give: a technology version of Click and Clack.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2011-01-22

The thousand-dollar Christmas bow

A passing joke about a Lexus with a giant bow becomes genuine disbelief when Evil Steve says car-sized gift bows can cost close to a thousand dollars. The brothers reason through how the absurd price can disappear beside the cost and spectacle of giving someone a luxury car.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-12-08

The truck-sized model C-17

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve return late from break because they are captivated by a giant scratch-built radio-controlled C-17 and the risk involved in landing a model the size of a truck.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-06-05

The two-stroke laptop and a rough voice

Dr. Dave opens despite a strained voice while a noisy laptop joins the broadcast; he and Evil Steve transform both limitations into an imaginary nitro fuel cell and a joke about working at the bleeding edge.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-03-07

The Wildcats game changed Dave’s voice

Dr. Dave arrives with a deep, unfamiliar radio voice and gradually realizes that yelling during the previous night’s Wildcats game caused it. He and Evil Steve turn the mystery into studio teasing before Dr. Dave launches into an animated memory of the game’s hardest hit.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-09-03

The woodpecker at the bunker

A woodpecker interrupts the broadcast and the brothers immediately fold it into the mythology of their underground bunker, blaming the bird for pecking at buried phone conduits beside the air stacks.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-10-16

The worst guest in the early radio years

Dr. Dave remembers urging a printer executive to appear by telephone, only to have him fly a group to the studio and spend the interview performing rehearsed claims for the observers beside him.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-08-14

Thirty years of the Macintosh

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember the first Macintosh, from its high price and limitations to the possibilities it opened for ordinary users. They consider how its graphical approach and Apple's competition helped change personal computing.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2014-01-25

Time traveling through the radio satellite delay

A correction from twenty miles to roughly twenty-two thousand turns into a memory of sending Computer Talk from Tucson to ABC in New York over ISDN while affiliates received the satellite feed. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain the synchronization challenge, call it time travel and pretend that every word of their naturally chaotic banter had been carefully scripted all week.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2014-01-11

Tom had energy from the beginning

Tom from KGOE calls with Fourth of July banter and a blogging question that Dr. Dave cannot yet answer, so Dr. Dave promises to research it. After the call, the brothers remember that their Eureka affiliate has been with them from the beginning and always brings the same infectious energy, even when circumstances are bad.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2008-07-05

Too busy living to Twitter

Evil Steve catches Dr. Dave failing to post during every break as promised. Dr. Dave says there has been too much going on and too much to Twitter about, and the brothers laugh that social posting is the first thing to disappear when a person actually has a life.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-03-28

Trying a paperless radio show

Dr. Dave tries replacing his usual printed stack with documents and shortcuts on his laptop, while Evil Steve teases him about trusting a Windows computer in an Apple-equipped studio.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2004-09-18

Twenty three wonderful years

Evil Steve notes that Father’s Day weekend also marks Dr. Dave’s wedding anniversary. Dr. Dave says he and his wife have shared 23 wonderful years and calls her saintly, patient and understanding.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-06-18

Two ways to be successful

After wishing the guest success, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve are congratulated on Computer Talk's fifteenth anniversary. Dr. Dave replies that success can come from brilliance or perseverance and lets his self-deprecating punch line make clear which one he claims for the show.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2007-06-02

Use the whole rating scale

Dr. Dave questions technology reviews that seem to give every tested product a score between roughly 8.4 and 8.7. Evil Steve agrees that a scale should actually be used: if nothing is allowed to be poor or excellent, every product merely becomes “kind of pretty good.”

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-10-19

Was Windows 7 great, or was Vista that bad?

Dr. Dave's astonishment at the Windows 7 beta becomes a deliberately relative judgment: after Vista, even a return to normal feels exciting. Sneezing and a useless cough button keep the brothers' live studio character in the passage.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2009-03-21

Watching the Caspian Sea Monster with the boys

While learning about YouTube pages and playlists, Dr. Dave remembers searching with the boys for footage of an enormous Soviet ground-effect craft. Their interest in strange engineering and dramatic old video gives the early social-video discussion a warm family center.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-10-25

We come in and have a great time

Dr. Dave jokes that the show is selfish because he and Evil Steve come in simply to have a great time; if listeners learn something and enjoy themselves, that is the bonus. The brief exchange captures the brothers' chemistry and the program's personality.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2012-10-13

We got here; now we have to do the show

After worrying traffic would make them late, the brothers arrived, relaxed in relief and then realized that being in the studio did not mean they had prepared the national network connection. They fold the mistake into their long history of on-air mental lapses going back to 1991.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2008-05-03

We tested everything except what mattered

Changed studio controls leave sounders, headphones, phones and the Internet stream in doubt even though Dr. Dave and Evil Steve tested the setup the night before. They identify the exact date live, laugh that they tested everything except what mattered and choose to keep recording because the archive and refeed will still carry the program.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2013-04-06

We yell, laugh and have a party

While experimenting with the new soundboard, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain that their laughter and shouting carried beyond the open bunker doors so convincingly that people in other rooms sometimes worried the brothers were fighting.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-05-19

Welcoming a soldier home

The brothers interrupt the technology discussion to welcome a friend home after service in Iraq and Afghanistan and express a family debt of gratitude for his valor and service.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-04-25

What if the microphones never went off?

After another break arrives while Dr. Dave is still talking, Evil Steve proposes leaving the microphones up for the entire show because the off-air material may be even better; their teasing reveals how absorbed Dr. Dave becomes in the conversation.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-02-28

What made a bad mood evaporate

Dr. Dave names two kinds of YouTube videos he genuinely enjoys: Milton Friedman explaining economics in an entertaining way and laughing babies. His admission that the laughing babies make an angry mood evaporate is a brief, warm glimpse of what could reset a difficult day for him.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2013-03-23

When 512 kilobytes cost nearly a thousand dollars

While discussing 2005 memory needs, Dr. Dave remembers an early upgrade he first calls 512 megabytes before correcting himself to 512 kilobytes, which cost nearly one thousand dollars. Evil Steve answers with a joke about Dr. Dave beginning his computer life alongside the space program.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-03-26

When businesses want to go back to pencil and paper

Dr. Dave describes business owners asking whether internet complexity has erased technology’s value, then answers with simple safeguards, empathy for frustrated users and his surfing-the-wave metaphor.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-09

When car phones still felt impossible

Discussing his Palm Treo, Dr. Dave says the best phone he remembers may still be a powerful trunk mounted Motorola with a handset in his old Buick. Evil Steve recalls wired handsets in limousines and the amazement of making a call without a line attached to the car, while Dr. Dave explains the antenna and amplifier he later used for rural coverage.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-07-01

When Christmas television was an appointment

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember when three networks aired familiar Christmas specials once on a particular night. Because there was no disc or endless rebroadcast waiting, watching Frosty together felt like an appointment and part of what made the season magical.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-12-15

When Dave dialed the wrong number

Dr. Dave describes panicking when the toll-free line stayed busy, despite having said its number for years, before realizing that he was dialing a different number.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-10-23

When Dave insisted that dot meant period

A simple mention of DaveMason.com becomes a compact, funny recollection of Dr. Dave resisting the word “dot” before deciding it was not the hill he wanted to die on.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-09-04

When Dave started listening to talk radio

Calling himself a radio geek, Dr. Dave remembers when he first began appreciating talk radio and jokes that listeners once needed to be over thirty. He explains that when he chooses audio while working, he prefers talk radio or music he selects himself.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-02-26

When everyone wanted an iPod mini

Launch-era demand, Apple design, Dr. Dave wanting one and banter about shopping online make this major product history rather than a routine deal.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2004-04-03

When is “now” now?

Because Computer Talk recordings replay during the week, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve tie themselves in knots over whether telling listeners the show is live will still be true later. Their “when is now now?” exchange ends with Dr. Dave announcing the date—only for Evil Steve to point out that even the date will be wrong by Wednesday.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2013-10-19

When monsoon rain reached the television

Dr. Dave remembers almost three inches of wind-driven rain entering through the eaves, running down the wall and shutting off the family television. He credits luck, quickly removing power and two patient days of drying when the set later worked again.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2011-09-17

When the atomic clock went out

A dead studio light and failed atomic clock become proof that the 2012 apocalypse may have already happened and nobody noticed. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve turn a tiny technical nuisance into quick brotherly radio comedy, ending with the question listeners might reasonably ask: what kind of radio show is this?

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-01-28

When the machines break down, we break down

After a week of repairs, upgrades and successful tests, the equipment fails as soon as the live show begins. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve laugh that after fifteen or twenty years on air they still react as if they have never done a broadcast before.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2011-08-27

When the other Dave Mason wanted DaveMason.com

A trademark discussion reminds Dr. Dave and Evil Steve that the musician Dave Mason had pursued the DaveMason.com address. They say they were willing to sell but objected to pressure, then turn the conflict into a string of jokes about placing the disputed word all over the site.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2006-09-23

Which music is the out?

As time expires, Dr. Dave mistakes the giveaway music for the closing theme, Evil Steve corrects him and the live show ends in cheerful confusion.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-11-20

Who Labor Day honors

Dr. Dave asks what Labor Day celebrates, and Evil Steve supplies the obvious answer. The brothers then spiral into mock arithmetic about taking the day off to honor work and supposedly having fewer real workers than presidents.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-09-05

Why Dave and Steve created their political website

Dr. Dave explains that the political events of 2000 made the brothers want a direct outlet for their views, leading them to create CelebrityHypocrites.com alongside the radio show.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2004-09-11

Why Dave used the Truth Blog

Dr. Dave distinguishes the technical and political sides of his website, describes being compelled to research economics and politics and says the difficult work is separating material that checks out from internet nonsense. His joke about readers having the right to disagree preserves his voice.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-21

Why they created Celebrity Hypocrites

Dr. Dave explains that he and Evil Steve created the website after the 2000 election so they could answer political statements by highly visible entertainers despite lacking the same media access.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2004-11-06

Wi-Fi did not need a three hundred horsepower dishwasher

Dr. Dave admits to the Tim Allen urge to push a technology far beyond its intended job, describing a thirty mile Wi-Fi link as a three hundred horsepower dishwasher. He praises Frank for managing expectations and explaining the practical local network role rather than claiming Wi-Fi can do everything.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-09-09

Windows 11 will be beautiful and horrible

As Dr. Dave begins warming to Windows 10, Evil Steve invents a Microsoft cycle: an ugly product lowers expectations, the next one wins people back and Windows 11 will eventually be beautiful but horrible. Dr. Dave recognizes enough history in the joke to join in the forecast years before Windows 11 existed.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2015-01-31

Windows before Windows was inevitable

Listener Lynn’s frustration with Windows 95 sends Dr. Dave back to a powerful 386 system and DeskView, before graphical Windows felt inevitable. He and Evil Steve had recently heard old Computer Talk tapes on which Dr. Dave treated Windows as an optional upgrade listeners could safely postpone.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2005-08-27

Windows Vista as a Halloween costume

Dr. Dave invents a Windows Vista costume requiring almost no props: stand still, respond very slowly and complete only half of anything attempted, prompting Evil Steve to ask how that differs from Dr. Dave’s usual behavior.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-10-30

Without your silly voice, what a dull world

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve joke that their own squeaky, silly voices never stopped them from going on the radio, then turn the joke into encouragement for anyone afraid to speak: without that individual voice, the world would be a duller place.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2013-06-01

You need to delete the snippets

Dr. Dave accidentally fires a sound-board clip expecting a computer reference, only to discover it says something else. He decides the snippets need clearer names; Evil Steve says they need deleting, and Dr. Dave insists they make the show fantastic. It is a compact, funny look at the brothers producing live radio together.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2012-05-19

“I am grasping at straws here”

When Pat presents an unusual display problem and System Restore failure, Dr. Dave distinguishes his inference from a diagnosis and twice says candidly that he is grasping at straws before suggesting one possible next step.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-05-30

2,300 files in an old DOS database

Dale still keeps an old DOS computer because a Radio Shack Tandy database holds 2,300 files accumulated over many years. Dr. Dave remembers the software, jokes about how far back it goes and encourages him to test whether the old program can survive on a newer Windows system.

Technology History · Proposed air date: 2008-04-12

A birthday, retirement and the lockbox

Evil Steve marks Dr. Dave’s birthday, and the brothers turn retirement age and Social Security into a quick exchange of political impressions and comedy.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2010-03-13

A caller supplies another explanation

Dr. Dave repeatedly says infection is possible rather than certain. Dan then offers a permissions explanation from his own experience, and Dr. Dave thanks him, recognizes it as a valid alternative and prepares to pass the information back to Bob.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-03

A computer-show listener without a computer

Cynthia asks how to even out television volume and then surprises the hosts by explaining that she listens to the computer show despite not owning a computer. Dr. Dave admits he does not know of the requested device, offers a modest workaround and accepts her challenge to invent one.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-05-30

A diehard fan helped keep the show online

Caller Mike reaches the show from Iowa through an affiliate’s Internet stream and offers to help listeners find it through his own large program list. Dr. Dave thanks him as a diehard fan, explains that the team had bought ownership of its own show and was rebuilding its stream and points to the archive as another way dedicated listeners stayed connected.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-12-10

A new computer should really be new

A caller discovers another person’s file on a computer sold as new. Dr. Dave says the oversight may not affect reliability, but a retailer that resells a return owes the customer a genuinely cleaned and honestly represented machine.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-02

A press release is not daily use

Claire's interest in a convertible tablet lets Dr. Dave distinguish appealing claims from firsthand experience, explaining that a promising idea may reveal cost, screen and durability tradeoffs only through real use.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-01-24

A rational reason not to upgrade

Even while praising Windows 7, Dr. Dave agrees that a caller with a working XP setup and no time for migration has made a sensible decision to wait.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-10-24

A tool being available does not mean everyone should use it

Dr. Dave distinguishes the availability of free technical tools from a person’s ability and desire to use them safely, and encourages honest self-assessment rather than embarrassment.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-06

A workaround can save time or hide the real problem

Unable to explain a disabled recovery-media option, Dr. Dave admits he is baffled. A disk-image workaround might be good enough, but the unexplained failure could point to something larger; he describes the choice between moving on and methodically finding the true problem as a difficult, subjective judgment rather than pretending there is one universal rule.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-04

Accept feeling foolish and keep learning

A caller intimidated by an editing program prompts Dr. Dave to say technical ability begins with accepting that learning is hard, allowing imperfect first attempts and finding enjoyment in gradual practice.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-15

An archive for listeners and for themselves

Evil Steve’s work assembling the quarter-hour segments and descriptions, and the brothers’ surprise at how useful their own archive became. Includes follow-up that they were still preparing the 1991 show, not proof it had been uploaded.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-04-03

An intense hobbyist is not yet a professional

Asked how to hire technical help, Dr. Dave admits that seeing failures every day can make him sound negative, while insisting that many good technicians exist. He draws a clear line between an enthusiastic hobbyist and a professional whose judgment and responsibility can be trusted.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-02

Anonymity is always a matter of degree

A caller asks whether an Internet service can make a person completely anonymous and impossible for government to trace. Dr. Dave answers that privacy and security always exist in degrees, distinguishes ordinary use from becoming a specific target and warns that no user should assume one hundred percent anonymity against legal authority and real time monitoring.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-06-03

Ask before spouting an answer

Dr. Dave initially suspects a laptop adapter, then pauses to confirm whether the caller means the power light or charge light and whether battery-only operation behaves the same way. The answers make him say he is glad he asked before “spouting” an irrelevant diagnosis; after openly admitting he is stumped, one more fact lets him identify a likely broken power socket and recommend professional repair.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-07-05

Ask how it began and why it has that name

Unable to remember why Opera is called Opera, Dr. Dave describes the historical questions he prefers to ask founders before technical details: how the idea arose and why they chose the name.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2010-08-21

Ask the specialist and admit what you do not know

A specialist music-production setup leads Dr. Dave to distinguish likely compatibility from facts he cannot know and repeatedly direct the caller to the vendor with the exact product knowledge.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-10-24

Be ruthless about what loads

Dr. Dave agrees with a caller who prevents maintenance tools from all running continuously. Even a powerful computer can become clogged quickly, so he argues for being ruthless about how many programs start automatically.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-12

Being online is not the same as entering your account

A caller’s alarming allegations lead Dr. Dave to separate lawful public participation online from access to a private computer or email account, which he says should require a warrant.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2010-05-01

Bright does not mean the tool is right

Sandy asks how to follow command-line security instructions on her Mac. Dr. Dave explicitly says her intelligence is not in question; the real issue is whether she wants to become a hobbyist and spend substantial time and frustration learning the tool. His recommendation favors protection that fits her life over the technically interesting route.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-05-31

Brilliant people can still design dumb processes

Dr. Dave discovers that Microsoft’s Windows Experience Index appears to require installing Vista before it can report how well the computer will run Vista. Comparing it with buying a car before a test drive, he concludes that even brilliant people still do foolish things because that is part of being human.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-18

Buy with the best information and move on

A fifty-year-old returning to college worries that any laptop will soon seem like the wrong choice. Dr. Dave says that regret is nearly inevitable in computing: use the best information available, make the decision, and avoid buying a machine so large that daily mobility becomes a burden.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-08

Calm, methodical and persistent

After a caller grows frustrated with removing security software, Dr. Dave identifies the arbitrary mental deadline that makes people abandon method and make a problem worse. He recommends calm, assertive patience, walking away when composure is lost, researching what others have learned and persisting. When praised as brilliant, he deflects the compliment: searching and learning from other people is the real method.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-03-29

Change is not always good

When a caller asks whether he should replace an existing security suite, Dr. Dave resists changing a working setup merely because another option exists. He prefers addressing the demonstrated performance problem first instead of letting a broad recommendation create new trouble.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-18

Change one thing and check it

A caller has entered the BIOS and changed several settings while trying to repair a display problem. Dr. Dave carefully explains that computer work demands a discipline he does not claim in every part of life: make one change, test it, know exactly what it affects and preserve a path back before moving to the next thing.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-01-26

Change one thing at a time

Betty has upgraded, uninstalled, restored and removed programs while trying to repair her dial-up computer. Dr. Dave admits that even he gets tired of waiting and wants to jump ahead, but explains that changing several variables at once makes it impossible to know which action caused the new problem.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-04-05

Check the simple things first

Rick’s sound problem prompts patient troubleshooting, gremlin jokes and Dr. Dave’s story of a supposedly broken scanner with its transport lock halfway engaged. Preserve both the call and story to show the practical consulting principle.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-02-28

Checking the notes rather than guessing

Returning caller Daryl describes a new Windows error tied to his unresolved reboot problem. Dr. Dave says he remembers encountering it but not the exact repair, so he will check his notes during the break before answering, an unusually clear example of accuracy taking priority over sounding certain on live radio.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-11-26

Computer Talk was and still is caller driven

After caller Dr. Dave finally phones instead of emailing, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain that direct questions are the essence and original core of Computer Talk. They value new communication tools but say nothing replaces talking one to one with listeners live on AM radio.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-25

Confirm the diagnosis before you spend

A caller fears that repairing an aging rebuilt computer will become an endless series of charges. Dr. Dave reconstructs the machine's true age, distinguishes a failed drive from a possible infection and says the decision to repair or replace should come only after those conditions are confirmed—otherwise a new computer may inherit the same infected data.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-07-05

Controlled force and the line between success and damage

A caller removing a processor fan leads to a funny but serious lesson about controlled force. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve remember wrestling with RAM and drive connectors on extremely delicate machines and describe how repair sometimes demands surprising strength even when the precise threshold between effectiveness and permanent damage is difficult to see.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-04-05

Courtesy with email attachments

Bert's unreadable attachments lead Dr. Dave to a durable communication rule: tell the recipient what kind of file was sent so the person has enough context to open it or seek the right viewer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-12-20

Dave forgot the antenna

Dr. Dave owns a simple mistake while Evil Steve teases him; the answer arrives after the break and is essential to the full story.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2004-07-03

Dave had no platform loyalty, he used what worked

A caller jokes about Microsoft, Apple and open source rivalries, and Dr. Dave rejects all three camps. He wants what works, what he can afford, what is reliable and what produces the result he needs, praising open source where useful without pretending every system suits an average user.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-09-09

Dave hated throwing computers away

A recurring laptop power socket failure leaves Dr. Dave weighing repair against replacement. He says he hates throwing out a computer that otherwise works and has been paid for, yet honestly warns that this particular design weakness could return even after a successful repair.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-26

Deciding whether a laptop repair is worth the risk

A caller asks whether tightening an old laptop hinge is within his abilities. Dr. Dave describes the delicate hidden clips and adjustments, recommends finding the service manual and then frames the real decision around what the aging computer is worth versus the chance of breaking it, declining to give a blanket blessing while respecting the caller’s urge to try.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-03-18

Do not buy a replacement for a problem you do not have

A caller is ready to replace an external hard drive because his computer boots slowly whenever it is attached. Dr. Dave first separates the drive from the boot process and identifies a likely firmware setting, then warns that buying a new disk before testing the diagnosis may spend money only to reproduce the exact same delay.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-11

Do not carry the old chaos forward

After so much trouble, James scrutinizes every unfamiliar symbol even though his computer now works. Dr. Dave calls the reaction hypervigilance, tells him to note real misbehavior without assuming disaster and urges him to enjoy the good position he earned rather than carrying all the old chaos into the present.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-05-27

Do not guess without the details

Ruth describes a repair reached partly by luck and asks for a spreadsheet formula. Dr. Dave cautions against random changes, then admits he cannot translate the formula responsibly on air without seeing the exact original and offers to research it from her email.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-14

Do not spend months when you can move forward

A mysterious permission change could require a long investigation, so Dr. Dave recommends a safe system restore. He admits that as a professional he always wants to discover exactly what failed because that is how he learns, but warns that someone outside the business can spend months chasing the answer when a practical route forward already exists.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-03-15

Do what you reasonably can, then move forward

Answering a caller who is worried about online safety, Dr. Dave says he tries to lower risk in a practical way while recognizing that one hundred percent safety is impossible. After doing what he reasonably can, he moves ahead, gets the work done and does not let fear become the job.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-07-07

Don’t pull your own tooth

Kevin returns to explain that an attempted server upgrade kept his dental office working late, strained the staff and ultimately cost more than hiring an expert would have. Dr. Dave compares his repeated exposure to technology failures with a police officer seeing crime every day, and Evil Steve closes the lesson by saying he would not pull his own tooth.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-06-17

eBay patina and the art of reselling

A suggestion to resell a rarely used power supply tester turns into Dr. Dave and Evil Steve’s mock lesson in describing ordinary or damaged eBay merchandise as collectible, vintage or blessed with patina. The exchange captures their quick shared humor without depending on the troubleshooting question that follows.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2005-06-11

Electronic voting needs independent auditing

A caller corrects an earlier partisan generalization and brings a report questioning whether electronic voting machines can be secured. Dr. Dave argues that a system cannot establish public trust when it audits itself, hides its source code and leaves no independent paper record to compare with the electronic count.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2006-12-02

Experience from the minefields

Confronted with an unfamiliar installation message, Dr. Dave says part of what makes him good at the work is not unusual brilliance but having made many mistakes, seen many problems and learned by stepping through the minefields.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-05

Experts still hit brick walls

After pointing a caller toward an obscure motherboard identifier, Dr. Dave explains that expertise comes from years of learning where, how and whom to ask. He adds that twenty years of experience does not make every problem easy; experts still reach dead ends and must find another route around them.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-06-09

Facebook is a tool, not a cause

A sensational health headline leads Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to distinguish a communications tool from the human behavior taking place through it, using car brands and Twitter as comic counterexamples.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-27

Fall back on intuitive experience

Caller Annette describes a computer that overheated only outside Windows and a successful BIOS reset; Dr. Dave calls her reasoning brilliant and observes that when no obvious explanation fits, experienced intuition can suggest the next careful experiment.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-06-11

Fifteen local years and five national

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve look ahead to July 2006, when Computer Talk would mark fifteen years since its local debut and five years since national syndication. Their teasing about Evil Steve joining later and making the show what it became turns the milestone into a concise piece of the brothers’ shared radio history.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-05-13

Fifteen years of Computer Talk

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve mark approximately fifteen years since the local show began in 1991 and five years since the national broadcast launched in 2001. They joke that the program ought to be better after so long and preview a month of guests and giveaways for the anniversary.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2006-07-01

Find a friend with broadband

A caller with an extremely slow dial up connection needs a large Windows download. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve turn the practical suggestion to borrow a broadband connection into a warm running joke about whether the caller has any friends and what he can offer them besides a modem.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2006-05-06

Flag Day and the Cub Scout

With Father's Day approaching, Evil Steve remembers that it is Flag Day. The brothers discuss displaying and illuminating an American flag respectfully; when Evil Steve asks how Dr. Dave knows the custom, Dr. Dave says he was a Cub Scout and that respecting American traditions is part of who he is.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2008-06-14

Get it out of the inbox

A discussion of old saved email becomes a practical lesson about attention. Dr. Dave recommends clearing the inbox aggressively after reading each message because email can quietly degrade productivity; Evil Steve answers with the perfectly in-character objection that this sounds too much like cleaning his room.

Consulting Philosophy · Air date unknown

Give the technician a chance to succeed

A frustrated caller expects the cable company to fail, but Dr. Dave resists condemning every technician in the organization. He asks the caller to let the visiting person succeed or fail on the evidence, because attacking a potentially excellent technician at the door can become counterproductive.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-02

Honesty means admitting what cannot be done well

Although skeptical of cartridge refilling, Dr. Dave is impressed by a local provider who does not know who he is and immediately admits that some cartridges cannot be refilled reliably. The willingness to turn away work rather than pretend every job can be done well earns more trust than a blanket sales claim.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-20

How the team plays matters more than the score

After watching Washington play Pittsburgh, Dr. Dave says a preseason result matters less to him than whether the players move with effort and fully commit. He can accept a loss when the team is flying around and selling out, a sports principle that also reflects how he evaluates effort more broadly.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-08-27

If it does not feel right, do not build it

Dr. Dave explains that even commercial support is imperfect, but a buyer should choose a level of responsibility and recourse he can live with. Because Frank already feels uneasy about building the machine, Dr. Dave treats that intuition as valuable evidence and recommends an option he can return if something fails.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-11

Josh's last show

As the broadcast closes, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve note that it is Juravicious Josh's last show, wish him luck and say they will miss him.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2009-08-22

Just do the next right thing

John describes an apparent hidden email infection that several scanners have not found. Dr. Dave admits he cannot recall the next tool on air, promises to research it during the break and urges John not to panic but to proceed patiently, one right step at a time.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-02-24

Kevin will hear the answer in the archive

Caller Kevin asks how to open music files with the program he installed on his wife’s computer, thanks Dr. Dave warmly and says he will replay the archived show if he needs to hear the steps again.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-08-07

Knowing what to ignore and what to write down

Bob’s pictures arrive successfully even though the same old message appears after every send. Dr. Dave says computer skill sometimes includes knowing what can be ignored, but asks Bob to record the exact wording before they try to diagnose and remove it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-15

Leave yourself a back door

Asked how to handle a detected virus, Dr. Dave bases his answer on a larger rule rather than bravado: choose the sequence that preserves the ability to undo a mistake. Healing, then quarantine and only then deletion leaves a back door and a measure of safety at every step until the irreversible choice.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-02-16

Leave yourself a way back

Because he is not fully confident what two startup references mean, Dr. Dave tells a caller not to delete them. He recommends disabling them reversibly so they can be restored, explicitly explaining that uncertainty requires leaving a way back.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-05-06

Linda wants Computer Talk back online

After a Facebook question, caller Linda tells Dr. Dave how much the program helped her and asks how to hear it now that her local station no longer carries it; Dr. Dave explains the show’s internet-focused future.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2010-04-10

Look for horses before zebras

A caller suspects a failing video card, and Dr. Dave works through the monitor, memory, motherboard and power-supply possibilities before returning to the simplest tests. The conversation changes direction when the caller mentions recently adding a second hard drive.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-11-20

Macs are still earthly machines

Responding to criticism that the show teases Mac users, Dr. Dave praises Apple’s quick setup and operating system while rejecting the idea that nothing ever goes wrong. However good they are, he says, Macs are still made on Earth and built by human beings rather than being spiritually superior.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-26

Memorial Day thanks from Computer Talk

Dr. Dave distinguishes Memorial Day’s central purpose while choosing to thank living service members too, and says that age and research have deepened his understanding of what the country owes them.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2010-05-29

Nearly twenty years of Computer Talk

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve work out that the original show began in the spring almost twenty years earlier, then laugh about still running the same commercials because the audience enjoys the nostalgia.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2011-06-25

Never assume basic knowledge

When a caller asks what “default” means, Dr. Dave rejects the instinct to dismiss the question. He says computer people often jump many steps ahead by assuming basic knowledge, then patiently explains the term and even concedes that a default setting can sometimes be better than compulsive customization.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2011-10-29

Not every process is trivial

At the end of a long operating-system changeover call, Dr. Dave corrects any impression that his confidence makes the work easy. Some procedures are not trivial for everyone, he says, and require attention, method and care.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-06

Not for half a percent more speed

Asked about performance tuning, Dr. Dave says he will not accept substantial risk, pain and effort for a tiny theoretical speed gain, even though a safe improvement may still be worthwhile.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-08-01

Not led around by technologists

A doctoral student describes freezing in an unfamiliar Office interface and choosing another tool. Dr. Dave responds that Computer Talk tries to stay practical and refuses the faddish assumption that everyone must adopt the newest product, even when that leaves him feeling like an outsider.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-28

Observe and define the rare problem

A browser failure affects only a small share of websites, making it less disruptive but much harder to reproduce. Dr. Dave asks the caller to observe which sites fail and what they share, openly says he is grasping at straws, offers one cautious test and apologizes that he cannot give a more confident answer.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-07-19

One problem behind two symptoms

Dr. Dave connects a Mac caller’s DVD-writing and printing failures through their shared dependence on the hard drive, then honestly says he needs time to think before offering a confident fix.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-23

Only risk what you can afford to lose

Tom asks whether a highly rated online seller makes questionable software safe to buy. Dr. Dave says reputation reduces risk but never guarantees a transaction, explains his policy of buying only when a total loss would not matter and recognizes a nine dollar industrial laminator as a true Dr. Dave Mason deal.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-22

Patient help for Katrina photographs

A caller from Ocean Springs says the technical discussion is over his head and asks how to preserve roughly ten thousand photographs, including images a friend took after Hurricane Katrina. Dr. Dave slows down, explains how to identify a CD writer in plain language and offers to continue helping by email when airtime runs short.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-11-11

Pit crew at Watkins Glen

While describing the physical force of a rotary racing engine, Dr. Dave remembers serving at sixteen on Thad Appleman's Opel GT pit crew and seeing the Watkins Glen track-record plaque. The memory still gives him goosebumps and connects his lifelong enthusiasm for engineering, racing and firsthand experience.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2012-09-29

Possible is not the same as likely

A caller asks whether running old calibration software could possibly damage a Windows XP machine. Dr. Dave refuses to turn “possible” into a useful probability—aliens could theoretically have written it—but judges the actual likelihood extremely low and closes with the practical disclosure that he would run it on his own equipment.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-09

Ray Bradbury broached a lot of unusual ideas

Dr. Dave interrupts the planned Apple update because he does not want the show to pass without remembering Ray Bradbury. He and Evil Steve discuss Fahrenheit 451, then Dr. Dave praises Bradbury's unusual ideas, creativity and groundbreaking style after the writer's death at ninety-one.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2012-06-09

Reality lives between panic and denial

Dr. Dave says people often swing between panic and the belief that a problem could never happen to them. He and Evil Steve argue that practical reality usually lies between those extremes, before joking that listening to their show is the one exception.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-06-18

Reduce the risk without pretending certainty

Asked whether a large power unit can stop lightning damage, Dr. Dave refuses a guarantee, describes unpredictable damage he has seen and gives his broader 80-20 rule: build a rational hierarchy of worries and use strong protection without pretending any measure is absolute.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-07

Remembering the pilots and their stories

Dr. Dave says the preserved veterans’ stories give him goosebumps and describes their memorial with genuine emotion, not merely a website recommendation.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-03-27

Respectful, firm, assertive, not aggressive

Dr. Dave acknowledges the caller’s frustration with outsourced support and advises asking respectfully for someone easier to understand. He distills his customer service approach into being respectful, firm and assertive without becoming aggressive, then brings the advice back to getting the machine repaired.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-04-29

Say when you do not know

Asked to compare professional scanners, Dr. Dave immediately says the caller knows the particular line better, asks how the equipment is actually used, identifies throughput as the real requirement and recommends against changing a combination already proven in that office.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-21

Say when you do not know the product

When Howard asks about an unfamiliar printer, Dr. Dave does not invent an opinion or turn a store demonstration into an endorsement. He says plainly that he has not heard of it, asks clarifying questions and promises only to research it before speaking intelligently.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-12-09

Scanning old negatives and X-rays

A caller wants to preserve 1930s and 1940s medium-format negatives and accepts that scanning them one by one will take time because it gives him direct control over each image. Dr. Dave then reveals his own experiment: scanning back X-rays with a transparency light so he can keep digital copies in his personal files, while joking about adding mysterious details for the doctor.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-23

Security failures have a human factor

Dr. Dave says online privacy depends as much on behavior as on technical protection, then continues after the break by pointing to sensitive data exposed because a person took a laptop home. Even sophisticated tools cannot compensate for poor decisions, unclear rules or ignored rules.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-08

Set an honest budget

Asked for a single best computer, Dr. Dave refuses to invent a standout in what he calls a “pit of mediocrity.” He tells the caller to define what he actually needs, be honest if the real budget is eight hundred dollars rather than six hundred and buy from a source whose integrity and support can be counted on.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-07-05

Should a computer help decide prison sentences?

A report that a Chinese court used software to standardize prison terms prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to question whether a computer should make decisions about individual punishment. The exchange preserves an early version of a continuing debate about automation, discretion, bias and accountability.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2006-10-07

Solve a multilayer problem one layer at a time

At the end of a heavily infected computer call, Dr. Dave says frustration tempts people to skip steps, rush and make the situation worse. He recommends staying calm and methodical, treating a problem with many layers one layer at a time and repeating each stage until it produces no further negative result.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-05-27

Solve the right problem before buying a solution

A caller wants an expensive solid-state drive because several laptop drives have rapidly corrupted data. Dr. Dave notices that the plural “drives” means replacement has already failed, explains that memory, a connector or the motherboard may be responsible and warns that a costly new drive could immediately reproduce the same failure.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-07-12

Some problems need hands on troubleshooting

After caller John describes a confusing sequence of failed restores and a blank display, Dr. Dave explains the limit of remote certainty. He can offer broad possibilities, but the machine must be placed in front of someone who can troubleshoot it methodically, and he is candid that the radio cannot replace a hands on diagnosis.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-12-31

Stan thanks Dave and Steve

After receiving a simple answer about Google Maps, longtime caller Stan tells Dr. Dave and Evil Steve that they have been fabulous over the years. Dr. Dave thanks him and says it is good to have him joining them every Saturday.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2005-05-28

Start with horses, not zebras

A caller reports an extraordinary buzzing computer. Dr. Dave acknowledges the strange possibilities but begins with the simplest electrical explanation, recommends testing in a neutral environment and stresses documenting the problem before the warranty expires.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-02-24

Start with what the business needs to accomplish

A dentist asks about office email, but the actual need is simply replacing paper notes passed among staff. Dr. Dave rejects starting with a costly server product and says to define the desired outcome first, then use technology creatively, which leads to a small network message tool that mirrors the existing workflow.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-08

Stay calm, methodical and walk away

After a difficult reinstall call, Dr. Dave reveals that his best results come from staying completely calm and methodical—something easier with a client's machine than his own. When a long process fills him with nerves, he walks away for a while; the caller agrees that household work between discs helps, and Dr. Dave says he trims hedges the same way.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-16

Step back before forcing the fix

Gary cannot delete apparently empty folders and asks for a forceful workaround. Dr. Dave steps back from the visible symptom, checks when the filesystem was last examined and refuses to jump to deletion utilities until a more fundamental corruption problem has been tested.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-07-22

Take the extra step before erasing

A caller confirms that Dr. Dave was right to suspect an overlooked browser plug-in. Dr. Dave uses the result to urge a second, third or even later look before making an off-the-cuff judgment and wiping a machine, because reinstalling is slower and more destructive than people expect.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-05

Telling the truth gives the helper a real shot

Dr. Dave praises client and caller Charles for freely admitting that he clicked a false Microsoft update. Telling the truth not only feels better, the brothers explain; it gives the person trying to help an accurate picture and a real chance to repair the problem instead of working through a diluted story.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-02-16

Test support before you buy

Caller Ken asks about a company that rebuilds laptop batteries. Dr. Dave says the underlying work can be legitimate but advises testing the company first by contacting technical support, checking its return policy and using a payment method that offers recourse.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-07-30

The 80-20 rule and learning a new way

A caller wants to remap an awkward laptop keyboard, but Dr. Dave asks whether the effort is worth the return and recommends an external keyboard or time to retrain the brain. The brothers connect that 80-20 judgment to changing their own advertising process after sixteen years: improvement requires getting through the unfamiliar pain until the new method becomes easy.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-02-23

The best computer for the student

For a new college student choosing between Mac and Windows, Dr. Dave rejects brand zealotry, praises Apple candidly, acknowledges cost and failure risks, then bases the recommendation on budget, classes, friends and the environment in which the machine will be used.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-06-20

The best computer starts with the person and budget

When a caller asks whether one manufacturer makes the best high performance computer, Dr. Dave first asks what best means and how much the buyer wants to spend. His story of clients demanding the absolute best until hearing a twenty five thousand dollar possibility turns the vague request into a practical conversation about needs and budget.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-02-11

The broken belt may be only a symptom

A caller asks whether to replace the failed belt in an inexpensive printer. Dr. Dave explains that the belt itself may be easy to replace, but friction from a worn track may have caused it to fail, so a good repair decision considers the root cause, uncertainty, time and value of the machine.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-01-14

The caller's paper log may be better

Al needs credible proof that he visited construction sites at night. Dr. Dave first explores photographs and voicemail, carefully noting what each fails to prove, but when Al describes a signed slip in a secured box Dr. Dave immediately says the simpler idea may be better than his own and offers to keep thinking about it.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-08-30

The Computer Talk Christmas song

Dr. Dave and Evil Steve replay a Computer Talk Christmas song recorded years earlier by four- or five-year-old Abigail Prochnow. Dr. Dave remembers fitting her a cappella performance to music and matching its changing pace, preserving an affectionate piece of the show's history and the people who helped make it.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2012-12-22

The ComputerTalk online archive begins

Dr. Dave announces the original archive, its month/date navigation, eight segments and topic descriptions. Particularly meaningful context for the restored archive, and not found by keyword retrieval.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2004-02-28

The customer between two vendors

Robert's specialized real-estate software problem reminds Dr. Dave of decades of vendors blaming one another while the customer remains in the middle with no working system and nowhere effective to turn.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-02-14

The devil is in the model number

A caller repeatedly asks whether a DVR can use a wireless adapter or laptop. Dr. Dave explains the plausible options but refuses to turn them into certainty without the manufacturer's documentation and exact model.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-03-21

The early mobile web

A caller asks whether a phone can reach the complete web from anywhere. Dr. Dave explains the gap between technical capability and practical usability, mentioning the phone he finally replaced after glue and tape could no longer hold it together.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-30

The eighty-twenty rule for computer care

A conscientious caller wants to keep cleaning a nearly new laptop, and Dr. Dave asks whether the time spent will create a meaningful benefit. He favors simple periodic maintenance and more storage over obsessive tidying that can waste time or delete something important.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-01-27

The fuel-truck racer

Ron calls to praise Evil Steve's first racing-team stint and reveals that Randy accidentally took a truck carrying race fuel onto Road Atlanta. Randy then calls to defend himself, claiming he mistook the workers' flags for encouragement and offers to warm tires with any spare fuel truck.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-05-16

The manufacturer must honor its part of the bargain

Chris has already restored a nearly new display laptop and tried the available driver fixes, yet the sound has never worked correctly. Dr. Dave says the caller has done more than his part, the repair is no longer his battle and he should remain courteous and polite while being very firm that the manufacturer supply a working machine.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-08-05

The office on September eleventh

Dr. Dave remembers sitting with Evil Steve in their office during the September 11 attacks and talking through the consequences the following day. He recalls dismissing Evil Steve's warning that America would forget, then says eight years later he believes his brother was right.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2009-09-12

The provider should know its own policy

A caller has asked several employees to explain contract fine print without getting an answer. Dr. Dave says customers are not responsible for attending the company’s training or reading its internal memos, and a representative who does not know the answer should connect the customer with someone who does.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-03-18

The radio show learns to use the Internet

With his laptop screen finally repaired, Dr. Dave remembers doing the program for ten or twelve years without a computer and only a stack of material. He explains that real-time Internet work had since become necessary, even though he still could not simply research an answer while speaking with a caller.

Personal Stories · Proposed air date: 2005-05-21

The right answer requires the right problem

A caller describes a “USB wireless Internet” connection, and Dr. Dave refuses to guess from words that could mean dial-up, DSL, Wi-Fi or cellular service. He asks concrete questions until the hardware and account finally make sense, explaining that even a correct solution is useless if it solves a problem the caller does not have.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-09-27

The same power for a president he dislikes

Tom asks about proposed emergency authority over internet traffic. Despite opposing the sitting president on many issues, Dr. Dave says he must ask whether he would allow the same power to a president he trusted; if yes, consistency requires the same answer here, while still acknowledging grave misuse risk.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2009-04-11

The value of time is the critical business cost

A business owner considers whether to struggle with Vista or pay to install XP so that old programs keep working. When the caller says he cannot afford the lost hours, Dr. Dave agrees that the value of time is the most critical business element and admits that even he often fails to count it properly.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-11

There is no technological magic bullet

After a caller's disappointing ReadyBoost experience, Dr. Dave says hype does not eliminate the real benefits of technology but every choice carries a cost. Going in with open eyes preserves enjoyment without believing a device can be magic.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-11-01

Troubleshoot from facts, not motion

When a caller reports a repeat crash after reinstalling Windows, Dr. Dave resists flailing at the machine to look busy and instead recommends collecting crash evidence and building an informed strategy.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2010-03-27

Twenty years of Computer Talk

A dated station promo prompts Dr. Dave and Evil Steve to recognize that the show had begun twenty years earlier in April 1991 and had reached its tenth anniversary as a national broadcast in July 2011.

Memorable Moments · Proposed air date: 2011-07-30

Use technology when it makes sense, and keep it at arm's length when it does not

A university caller describes feeling lost in a jungle of spreadsheet data. Dr. Dave answers that increasing capability makes simplicity more important: accept necessary complexity, but do not become immersed in tools merely because vendors produce another device or version.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2008-10-25

Value is how the world works

A caller searching for free Internet service prompts Dr. Dave to defend fair payment. People provide value to employers or customers, receive compensation and use it to care for their families and daily needs; he respects a business changing from free to paid when it honestly follows that exchange.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2007-09-15

Wait before Windows XP Service Pack 2

Dr. Dave applies his avoid-the-bleeding-edge principle to a major Windows release, explaining why ordinary users can benefit from letting early adopters find problems first.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-08-07

What does a consultant owe a customer?

A caller challenges whether a repair visit should be paid for time or results. Keep Dr. Dave’s answer in full, including both customer satisfaction and the limits of guarantees.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2003-04-12

What email can do to good manners

Inviting live email, Dr. Dave says criticism is welcome when it is courteous, interesting and readable. He then wonders why otherwise intelligent and polite people sometimes abandon clarity and good manners when they communicate online.

Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2005-02-26

When a computer is really obsolete

Asked for a rule, Dr. Dave says a computer is obsolete when it stops doing what its owner needs rather than when a processor, operating system or age threshold says so.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2009-09-19

When hiring an expert saves money

A business owner wonders whether to replace a server himself. Dr. Dave and Evil Steve weigh the owner's time, the value of experience and the responsibility a professional takes on when something goes wrong.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2006-04-22

When starting over may cost less than continued repair

A fellow computer consultant and Dr. Dave compare the uncertain cost of cleaning badly damaged systems with reinstalling them, while carefully acknowledging that moving data and rebuilding software can be just as complicated.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-09-18

When the solution becomes the problem

Diane’s slow computer lets Dr. Dave explain how individually sensible protective programs can collectively consume the limited memory in an older machine.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-10-09

Why can't voting work like an ATM?

Caller Dan asks why electronic voting cannot borrow the auditability people already expect from ATMs and gift cards. His deliberately provocative plan uses a voter card, a tiny account transaction and a printed receipt; Dr. Dave points out that every design has holes but calls the comparison elegant and commonsensical.

Politics · Proposed air date: 2007-08-04

You never stop learning

Dr. Dave welcomes solutions from callers and openly says listeners teach the hosts things they did not know. A concise personal statement of learning and humility.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-03-27

Your own data should remain accessible

A reported Microsoft Money outage leads Dr. Dave to a durable principle: remote services can add convenience, but people should retain dependable access to important personal information.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-07-31

“It’s always a people problem”

A compromised personal email account, rather than broken encryption, lets outsiders hear an international law-enforcement conference call. Dr. Dave uses the incident to revisit an old consulting maxim he once thought too simple and now finds increasingly true: designers, programmers, operators and attackers are all people, and people remain the weak point.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2012-02-25

A birthday before Monday

Evil Steve announces that Dr. Dave's birthday is Monday, March 9 and jokes about his age and rough voice; later fellow host Doug Martin wishes him a happy birthday and joins the same affectionate exaggeration.

Humor · Proposed air date: 2009-03-07

A combination device is a compromise

Using the Treo 650 as an example, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve explain that combining several devices saves space but usually means compromising each individual function. Dr. Dave says the right answer depends on the person’s actual needs rather than the impressiveness of the gadget.

Consulting Philosophy · Proposed air date: 2004-12-18

A decision needs an explanation

Drawing on decades as racing fans and pit-crew members, Dr. Dave and Evil Steve challenge a late black flag while repeatedly admitting they may lack information; their deeper objection is that officials publicly cited a rule without clearly showing how it applied.