Computer Classes in Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch

Most computer classes are written for people who already know the words. This one isn’t. If you have a laptop you’re nervous about touching, a phone full of photos you can’t get off, or a nagging feeling that one wrong click will break something expensive — that is exactly who these sessions are for.

You bring your own laptop or tablet. That matters more than it sounds. You learn on the machine you’ll actually go home and use, with your files, your email and your settings — not a shared classroom PC that behaves nothing like yours.

Everything is taught by the same person who does the repairs and the in-home callouts across Manatee County. No script, no slides full of acronyms, and no question is too basic.

What’s on offer

Windows Basics — small group, 6 hours

Two 3-hour sessions, Saturday mornings or weeknight evenings, a week apart. Everything from what the taskbar actually does through to spotting a scam email, with a printed workbook you keep and a month of follow-up support afterwards. $300.

See what’s covered

One-to-one help, in your home

Nobody watching, nothing to keep up with, and we work on whatever is actually bothering you. Set up a new laptop, rescue photos off a phone, get email working, sort out the printer, or just go slowly through the things you’ve been avoiding. $85 per hour, two-hour minimum.

How it works

Talks for communities and clubs

Free 60–90 minute sessions for 55+ communities, HOAs, churches and clubs in Manatee and Sarasota counties. Current topic: what to do about Windows 10, which stops receiving security updates on 13 October 2026. If you organise activities for a community and want this on your calendar, get in touch.

Classes being planned

These run once there are enough people on the list. Tell us which ones interest you and we’ll let you know when one is forming.

• Online safety and spotting scams — how the phone calls, pop-ups and emails actually work, and what to do when one lands
• Your photos: off the phone, organised, backed up — the one everybody asks for
• Smartphone basics — iPhone and Android taught separately, never mixed
• Video calling — WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom, so you can see family and join a meeting without needing help every time
• Windows 10 to Windows 11 — what changes, whether your computer can even do it, and what happens if you do nothing

Who these classes are for

Anyone who wants to learn. There’s no age range, no minimum starting point, and no assumption about why you’re here.

People come for all sorts of reasons. Some have never needed a computer and now do. Some are going back to work and want to stop guessing. Some have used one for years without ever being shown properly, and have built up a list of things they work around rather than fix. Some just want to stop calling their son every time something changes.

All of those are the same class. What’s taught is the same either way — the difference is only in which questions get asked, and there’s room for all of them in a group of six.

Under-18s are welcome and should be enrolled by a parent or guardian, who is also welcome to sit in.

For businesses

On-site training for your team, priced per session rather than per person: Microsoft 365 for small teams, security awareness and phishing training for staff, and practical AI for small business. Delivered at your office, built around how your people actually work.

Get in touch about team training

Where and when

There is no fixed classroom. Group classes run at partner venues around Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch, or at your own community’s clubhouse if you have a room and enough interested residents — that is often the easiest way to make one happen.

Next class forming now. Classes run on Saturday mornings or weeknight evenings — join the list and you’ll hear the date before it’s advertised anywhere else.

BRATechSystems carries $1,000,000 general liability and $1,000,000 technology errors and omissions insurance through The Hartford. A certificate of insurance is available on request.

Common Questions

Do I need to bring my own laptop?

Yes — bring the laptop, tablet or phone you actually use at home, plus its charger. You’ll learn on your own machine with your own files, which is the whole point. If you don’t own one yet, come anyway and ask what to buy before you spend.

I’m a complete beginner. Is that a problem?

No. Complete beginners are who these classes are built for. Nothing is assumed and every term gets explained the first time it’s used.

Is there an age limit?

No. The classes are open to anyone who wants to learn, whatever the reason. Under-18s should be enrolled by a parent or guardian, who is welcome to attend alongside them.

Where are the classes held?

At partner venues around Bradenton and Lakewood Ranch. If you live in a community with a clubhouse and a few neighbours who’d come along, a class can often be run there instead — get in touch and we’ll look at it.

When is the next class?

Classes run on Saturday mornings or weeknight evenings, with the date set once there are enough people on the list. Call, message or email to be added and you’ll be told first.

Can I get help without joining a class?

Yes. One-to-one sessions in your own home are $85 an hour with a two-hour minimum, and can usually be arranged much sooner than a group class.