Posted on 02/02/2004 9:34:22 AM PST by Maceman
OK Freepers --
My 80-year old Mom needs a new computer, and has asked me for advice on whether to get a PC or a Mac. (Her old computer, which she got in 1999, is a Gateway PC running Windows 98.)
I am a Windows person. I have been very pleased with the Windows XP Professional OS that came with my computer, which I bought in 2001. If my mom gets a Mac, I will not be able to help her with troubleshooting as I have in the past.
On the other hand, her neighbor is a Mac-person, is available to help her with trouble shooting, and has been aggressively lobbying for her to get a Mac.
My Mom is very smart, and has learned the PC environment well. She is not a power user, but she knows how to reinstall Windows and can do a lot of other cool stuff.
But she is confused by the conflicting input she is getting from me and her neighbor.
Cost is definitely a consideration here.
So I put it to my fellow Freepers -- should my Mom's next desktop be a Mac or a Windows XP PC? (Please let's not complicate things with Linux).
A $3,000 dual G5 generally outperforms or performs equally to a dual $3,500 dual 3GHz Xeon. The difference used to be more, but Apple updates hardware less frequently. Expect the $3k Mac = $4K Dell to return at the next G5 speed bump.
Mac speeds will only increase as more applications are recompiled specifically for the G5 using the latest compiler, which gives around a 20% speed increase in itself.
Cheaper
On absolute price, I must agree. But you get what you pay for -- Apple doesn't do the bargain basement systems. Price/performance will improve as the G5 is moved into the laptops and iMac.
Reliable
Apples are highly reliable, more reliable than PCs in my experience, both in hardware and software. Better built hardware is one reason for Apple's price premium.
More and better software
Depends on if you need one specific title not available on Mac. Otherwise, there are thousands of titles for the Mac doing everything, including some of best and most high-end software out there. And don't forget to add thousands of Linux and BSD titles you can run now.
Better support
Apple support is equivalent to Dell support. If you need local support, you are at the mercy of having a Mac dealer near you -- and there only thousands of them in the U.S.
Nuff Said.
Yeah, but it was all wrong.
Neither will any of my windows machines.
Cost is definitely a consideration here
That narrows it down somewhat, eh?
Then give her your computer and you spend the money and buy yourself a new mac.
Blind. OS 9 was way behind the power curve for OSs once Windows 9x was mature, especially in multiprocessing (compared to 2K), multitasking and protected memory. Ask the OS 9 zealots how many times they've had to rebuild their desktop.
I thought the same thing. I'm going to keep an eye on this thread, as it might get fun. Throw in a request for opinions on the Atkins diet, and on bikers vs autos, and I'll start the popcorn and enjoy the show.
Do yourself a favor. Do some simple price comparisons. Look at the software you mom already uses, that you would not have to replace, and that she is comfortable using. Make sure she has some anti-virus software such as Norton (you should have that on BOTH pcs and Macs, no matter what the Mac disciples imply). Btw, what happens if the neighbor goes away, how capable are you at fixing a Mac? I think the answer will be very clear.
My only extensive Mac experience was with a G3 with OS 8.1 in a networked office environment. Sheesh. you had to have third party software ot print on the newtork; It locked up every time I scanned a photo. Total misery. Made Windows 98 look reliable.
I assume things are better now. Well guess what; Windows is also better now. (Although NT 4.0 has been stable and reliable since about 1995.)
I have a similar situation, only my Dad is 9 years younger than your Mom. I'm equally adept with Linux, Windows, and a Mac. I can support any of these operating systems although I lean toward Linux and Windows.
I was inclined to move my Dad from the iMac I bought him a few years ago to a new PC running XP. But after watching him interact with his computer, I think the best course of action is to leave it be. The older one gets, the more difficult it is to learn and remember. I'd suggest your mom stay with the PC. She and you are comfortable and providing her with a Mac will NOT add any value.
Anyway here's my 2 cents:
Have your mother sit at the neighbor's computer and try to do some of the same things she does in Windows (like send an e-mail, search the web, write a word document and so forth). That would help her decide.
If she chooses Mac, I would imagine she should keep her OS at the same level as her friend.
Good luck. Let us know what ultimately gets selected !
I have a G3 running 9.2 while I wait for a friend to ship me Jaguar (OSX 10.2).
Amazingly, 9.2 is extremely stable - kind of weird that only now is 9.2 stable the way all the MacOS 9 releases should have been - but the only reason to have 9.2 now is as backwards compatibility for OSX.
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