Switching my dad to an iMac
Looking for some general input here. My dad is 85 and uses a Windows PC. He has an iPhone that he syncs to it along with my mom's iPad. He is becoming a little less able to manage the computer and I am not a Windows person. I used to work with XP systems years ago, but I know little about the newer versions. When he has issues, I struggle to fix them - because, you know, Windows. Macs I have used, installed and maintained for decades, thus the desire to switch him. Plus he worries constantly about viruses and malware, so getting him on a Mac will alleviate some of that worry.
I am considering switching him to an iMac and want to be sure I can do that without too many hiccups. The only Windows exclusive app I know of that he needs is Fidelity's Active Trader Pro. There is a web version, but I have read that it is not as responsive. I am willing to install Fusion or Parallels so he can have access to this app. I understand that Fusion does a better job of masking the whole Windows experience - PC apps just launch and run without having to boot an actual Windows OS. He is not a power user, so performance is secondary to smooth seamless operation. Again, I read that Fusion is better in that area. Any thoughts on this?
Since he syncs to the PC I am curious as to how you move the iTunes sync data to a Mac. Anyone have experience with that?
Thanks!
Comments
Both Parallels and VMWare boot a full Windows OS (and require you to install a Windows OS first) but they do it inside the app while OS X is running. Bootcamp boots a full OS too but has to shut down OS X first and natively boots Windows. VMWare is very stable and fast. There is also an app to convert a physical PC to a VMWare image so that the old PC is transferred exactly as it was but then it would also migrate any malware that might be there already:
http://www.vmware.com/products/converter
I would highly recommend getting a computer with an SSD/Flash for this rather than a hard drive or Fusion drive to reduce boot-up times and suspend times.
Apple has a guide here on moving things over:
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204318
You just move over the iTunes folder to the equivalent location and authorize the devices.
Check what size display they use now too to make sure the Mac interface won't look too small. The iMac uses 1080p on the 21" and 1440p on the 27", which can sometimes make the UI look small for people. Some people on the forum have gone the route of connecting laptops and Mac minis up to larger 32" TVs instead where you can run 720p/1080p on a 32" screen so things look a lot bigger. A laptop would also make it easier for you to setup because you can sit it next to the PC to migrate things over better and they can sit with it in bed or a more comfortable chair.
A laptop would also make it easier for you to setup because you can sit it next to the PC to migrate things over better and they can sit with it in bed or a more comfortable chair.
Thanks, good information. I'll ask him about the laptop idea - he might like that.
I'm all for switching to a Mac ... but... at 85?
Just make sure he understands there will be a bit of a learning curve associated with this.
I also like the idea of using a Mini (or laptop) with a standalone screen so that you can bump the resolution down and make the interface MUCH easier to read if his eyesight is not what it used to be!
Ah yes a Mini would make sense for the reasons you say and we could use his existing monitor.
Yes at 85 this might be an ordeal. I haven't proposed it to him yet, probably this weekend.
Ah yes a Mini would make sense for the reasons you say and we could use his existing monitor.
Yes at 85 this might be an ordeal. I haven't proposed it to him yet, probably this weekend.
I know someone who is 90 and uses a mini today. Your dad will be just fine with this.