USB Device Promises a Cure for Computer Confusion

By Ian Bush

PHILADELPHIA (CBS)– A British company says it has the solution for those who just can't seem to get the hang of using a computer.

Plug in the Homekey USB stick, turn on your PC, and up pops what Nigel Houghton calls the Simplicity Envelope.

"It's a very, very simple approach for people who really have enormous difficulties with computers to get online, write documents, to be able to store photographs, play games, do a lot of the normal things that people do most of the time," he says.

Houghton, the managing director of Simplicity Computers, explains that Homekey is based on the Linux operating system, but you don't need to know anything about that to make it work.

"The top triangle -- it's a large area -- it takes you to e-mail," Houghton says. "The one on the right, you click on it, and it takes you to the web. The one on the left takes them to documents and photos."

And a video tutorial button in case you get stuck.

"There's no way of getting confused when you use our software."

Houghton says customers range from the very young to very old to the developmentally disabled.

"Then there are the people in between who just want a simple way of getting access to the very few things they want to use."

Homekey starts at around $90.

Details at http://www.simplicitycomputers.co.uk/usbmicrosite/index.html.