(Please note that I use the term 'PC' to refer to any home/office/mobile computer, irrespective of its operating system.)
Just yesterday, I helped my dad's friend and his wife set up their new computer.
It's an Apple computer.
They never had their own PC before and though the wife had used one at her workplace, they are still very inexperienced. "She loves to play that one online poker," Jerry explained, "and she'll be using it for her paperwork and business work and eBay stuff." Okay, that helped me narrow the selection down a lot. We could skew our selection toward lower-to-mid-range level hardware. "Personally, I don't really care about computers. I just have the money and I'm buying one for her." Ah, I see.
WELL, That last line from Jerry made it harder for me to convince him. See, they were already at Best Buy earlier in the day and had given thought to getting a $500 Windows machine. It wasn't the fact that it was Windows that turned me off... it was the fact that it was a $500 package. Costs are cut somewhere and that computer would surely run into problems at that insane price. On a side note: low-cost eMachines and Gateway computers were stacked on the open-box/return table just this past winter on a visit to the store. I was NOT about to let them walk away with some substandard value PC!!
To Jerry, though, it was fine enough. I grinned at his notion in sincerity - to him, all PCs are made to do a similar range of tasks. He and his wife weren't looking for anything particularly specialized. Why spend more?
As we looked around Best Buy, I kept reminding myself and my friend and his wife why a Mac would be better. Thankfully, there are different desktops models that can stretch to the needs of different groups.. from the standard beginner to the power user. But what other perks are unique to the Mac?
Bingo --- Internet Security: They could rest easy knowing that they won't have to deal with viruses or other malicious attacks on their computer and data. The last notable Mac virus I had heard of occured around last November.. and it was a HUGE deal in the Apple community because they don't really happen all that often! It may be true that the ol' Mac isn't 100% impervious, but it certainly holds a standard unmatched by the Windows side of things. That's what matters.
With that, I appealed to their sense of security (and paranoia). Namely, that any confidential records they could have on the computer could possibly be sneaked up by some hacker or kiddie script. Jerry's wife has worked in real estate and does mutual funds and plans to make some business online with eBay.. They have every right to be concerned! So with that distinction, I won them over a little bit.
There were other factors of consideration.. Namely, that the current state of Windows makes it less dependable for use. Windows has been no stranger to stability issues, what with the often-mentioned headache-inducing system crashes leading the way for us users. Over one year ago, Microsoft had the gall to release an "update" to the operating system line, with Windows Vista taking over Windows XP. I'm fine with upgrading software as long as it has its benefits, but Vista doesn't offer enough to justify its inclusion (or cost). It's a RAM hog and OMGSHINYgraphics and some widgets aren't sufficient. It may be a little more secure, but you're still going to need anti-virus, anti-spyware, and firewall software. Heck, new computers come using Vista standard with no option for XP for those of us who would prefer it. On the whole, it's... a crappy situation for the computer community.
(I will elaborate on Vista in a future post.)
In a way, I am glad Jerry and his wife were beginners. I do not resort to the condescending notion that Macs are suitable for computing beginners. Quite frankly, any differences between the Mac and Windows environment are moot as they're equally as confusing/simple to pick up. PCs introduce a new way of doing much of the same tasks we've done before and these machines can be blatantly straightforward (such as with the "files and folders" convention) or mindnumbingly cryptic (FATAL EXCEPTION AT 0d HAS OCCURED). I recommended a Mac to them because they would not have to deal with switching platforms in the future. Sure, things do run a bit differently on the system compared to the standard Windows machine, but to me it appears that people that do switch over do so more often from Windows to Mac. Why waste time getting someone started with one way only to have them relearn it later on?
Well, back to yesterday.. I took the call from Jerry and went over to his house. We set up a desk and laid out the iMac, connected everything, hooked up the printer, and blasted away. I made sure his wife went through the onscreen initial setup herself because every little bit of experience helps. (Plus, I think of the beginning stage of a computer's life as a very sentimental thing, thank you very much.) I installed Firefox over Safari for web browsing and installed NeoOffice to allow them their office productivity. We ripped a CD in iTunes and played it back in Front Row using the included remote. Jerry's wife loved it. I got word later on after I left that she was playing around with it long into the night and that their children were all over it as well. Without a doubt, that iMac is going to see some work.
..I'm kinda jealous actually. As a Windows-mainstayer for 11 years, it was an exciting ordeal through and through -- to get someone else get into the opposing side for the sake of ease and to actually see the hardware and software in motion. NOW I AM CURIOUS and want some more time with some sort of Mac. However, if I were to seriously switch over, I'd want a Mac Pro.. and those start off at 2799USD for the base configuration. However, they're made with some TOP-NOTCH hardware components, so it's justified. (Not that a comparable Windows PC couldn't be made. It most certainly could.)
Though I had heard about it the previous weekend, the iMac line was upgraded with higher tech specs on Monday. We went to look at computers that day and after we left, I just remembered hearing about the upgrade plans from Engadget.com. Well, I called Frys and found out that they had received the new units that morning. It's a good thing we didn't go sooner! I did want to recommend them a Mac Mini at first, so that they could carry it over to a TV with ease and watch video on it, but the iMac won out.
There's some more I can elaborate on regarding Macs in general, but for another day. Rest assured I took in a lot of new info this past week and as a tech and computer enthusiast, I need more. So yeah.. please do not discount the possibility trying out one of Apple's beloved little machines. They really are just as capable.
