My Mom wants a Computer! (shock!)
My mother has never been interested in having a computer.
My father just called me a few minutes ago to tell me he wants to buy my mom a computer for mothers day (!) and would like my advice on what to get.
She's decided the internet's for her after all. Honestly, I know she will really only use it to get online
I'm tempted to recommend the 17" iMac, I think she'll love the looks and the all in one package. The 17" LCD display would be ideal for her.
The problem is, is it worth getting the 17" iMac strictly for accessing the internet over lets say a $500 PC with a 17" LCD monitor?
The practical side of me says no but the other side of me says yes!
What would you do?, I know my father, he'd go for the iMac if I told him to get it.
My father just called me a few minutes ago to tell me he wants to buy my mom a computer for mothers day (!) and would like my advice on what to get.
She's decided the internet's for her after all. Honestly, I know she will really only use it to get online
I'm tempted to recommend the 17" iMac, I think she'll love the looks and the all in one package. The 17" LCD display would be ideal for her.
The problem is, is it worth getting the 17" iMac strictly for accessing the internet over lets say a $500 PC with a 17" LCD monitor?
The practical side of me says no but the other side of me says yes!
What would you do?, I know my father, he'd go for the iMac if I told him to get it.
Comments
EDIT: As far as what kind of computer to get... definitely go for a Mac. It's so much easier for beginners, and we both know that Macs are better right?
Another possibility is a cheap low-end iBook. Just a grand, and it's portable, and probably more than enough for your mom. The only problem might be the small screen if her eyes aren't great. And you'll have to get more RAM and a mouse if you get an iBook.
I'm going with my father tomorrow morning to the Apple Store to show him his choices.
I know the eMac would be the most logical and price conscious choice, but I think the iMac is better for her, the LCD display is easier on the eyes than the eMacs CRT display.
I guess if you want a Mac you just have to look away from the PC's much lower price.
Then again their is no PC that matches the elegance and simplicity of the 17" iMac., thats why the price is higher.
We'll see tomorrow what my father thinks.
Originally posted by dygysy
Nah, a notebook computer wouldn't be for my mom, it must be a desktop.
can u explain why?
Originally posted by Paul
the eMac's CRT can make things REALLY big with no hit in quality... if your mom has trouble seeing type, you should get the eMac and make the res 800X600 or 1024X768....
pffff....some ppl forget about fontsettings
14" 1024x768 is big enough for graphics text
The practical side of me says no but the other side of me says yes!"
If you are asking at this forum, you already know what you want to do, don't you?
Get her an eMac. Great value, all she will probably need.
Don'y know why I'm so psyched, my mother embracing technology, never thought I'd see the day!
However, your mom sounds like one of the few people for which an eMac makes sense. One box, not so scary, and at 799, a decent price, though others manage to include a 15" LCD at this price.
Too bad they just don't have a compelling headless version for the other 90%.
Mac or PC. Don't believe all the "ease of use" crap. That's why she has you around, ahaha! OK, I will say this, I find the mac more discoverable. less scary, and if your mom is coming from zero experience (and NO pre determined windows habits) she'll probably find the eMac easier to discover/use on her own. Easier means she'll use it more, and it's les likely to gather dust after a few frustrating forays. BUT, for just e-mail/internet and word, which sounds like her intended use, the PC isn't noticeable difficult either. YOu set up her Windows so she can do minimal meddling. Slap a handful of nice big icons on her desktop so she does minimal navigating, and off you go. XP does seem to go out of it's way to get in your way at times.
Mebbe it's this 12"PB I'm using, but I find myself relucantly wanting to endorse even the hated AIO concept.
More pop-ups, more confusing movement, more annoyances. Just those damn ads with the fake alerts that look like official Windows alerts don't look so scary to someone using a Mac. They don't look like official warnings anymore.
Just my two cents.
Firsr both my dad and I loved the 1gig with 256mg Ram 17" iMac, I've been in Apple Stores many times and have never really played with one, most of my time lately has been spent with the 17" Powerbook, but the 17" iMac really is a tour de force in simplicity and elegance.
Then we looked at the 1gig with 128 ram eMac, at a grand to tell you the truth I personally think the $1799 for the iMac is a better value considering what you get (beautiful 17" LCD, Swivel Arm, more ram, elegance, etc)
In the end I had to talk my father OUT of getting the iMac, I wanted to sefishly say to get it, hell after playing with it I wanted one myself! But I figured for my mom the eMac would be plenty.
The funny thing is when I told the salesperson we would take the eMac, my father wanted to think about it, thats how impressed he was with the iMac.
On the way out of the mall I was shocked to see a Dell kiosk I didn't even know Dell had such things.
Good thing too because after my dad saw the PC's it made him even more impressed with the iMac, he hated the Dell black boxes.
In the end we both decided to take my mom back tomorrow after mothers day brunch and let her choose herself, but it was certainly an education.
I know I don't have to tell ya, Apple has some wonderful products!
Originally posted by dygysy
[B]Well, it was a tough decision./B]
i see
Originally posted by dygysy
Well, it was a tough decision.
Firsr both my dad and I loved the 1gig with 256mg Ram 17" iMac
...
In the end I had to talk my father OUT of getting the iMac
...
my father wanted to think about it, thats how impressed he was with the iMac.
...
after my dad saw the PC's it made him even more impressed with the iMac, he hated the Dell black boxes.
the mom gets to decide for herself between the eMac or iMac... but i bet she comes home with a 14" iBook
90% it will be the eMac, my mom's too practical to say the iMac. She'll like the iMac better, but tell my dad to get the eMac.
Or she'll be confused and want nothing!
Originally posted by Paul
wow you guys are either bad at showing sarcasm or need to read more better...
the mom gets to decide for herself between the eMac or iMac... but i bet she comes home with a 14" iBook
8)
She has been using a PC for years and is ALWAYS complaining about how it never works. When I set her Printer up, and by setting it up I mean pluging it in. she pulled out all this Photo paper she has had for years with the hopes her PC would print on it.. well that never happened. now we have six new Glossy photos from slides we just scanned in. I swear she had a tear in her eye when we got that photo of grandpa holding me as a small boy printed full size.
I think the best thing about being a mac user is actually getting people to sit down with one and hearing them say:
"You can do that?"
"its only one button?"
"so thats it?"
"what another rum and coke?"
yep, my mom is super happy.
<thanks FormerLurker for your scanner help!>
flick.
Set it up yesterday and my mom loves it!
It's a gas watching her play with the mouse, at first she had no idea what to do with it (told ya she's not tech savvy!)
I haven't even yet started showing her any of the iLife programs, that will come later when she's more comfortable.
I'm surprised at how much I like the eMac myself, it actually looks nicer in the house than I thought it would .