Simple opinion poll on imacs please...

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Level 1

30 points

Simple opinion poll on imacs please...

Hello Everyone,

I have ran a G4 Powerbook for years and my g/f has a Macbook but I have no experience on Mac desktops.

Having just visited my parents I am now seriously considering the following;
1 - persuading them to throw out their Windows installed PC's and;
2 - going out and buying them an iMac.

Every single time I visit them there is a problem of some kind happening on their computer and I just wish they could have an easier life.
My Mum just uses it for Ebay (so basic photos and web surfing), and my Dad uses things from iTunes through to basic video editing. I am going to let my Dad loose on my G4 to see if he gets along with the OS and if he does I am going to put the proposal to them.

What I need from you guys is your very basic opinion on Mac desktops.

Is there anything negative that anyone can think of about the iMac, or is it really the mutt's nutt's?

Thanks,

Double-ohh

Message was edited by: double_ohh7

G4 Powerbook, 15", Mac OS X (10.5.4)

Posted on Nov 16, 2008 3:52 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

lkrupp

Level 6

14,206 points

Nov 16, 2008 4:36 PM in response to double_ohh7

Remember that these discussion forums are user-to-user. Users with problems visit here. Users without problems have no reason to unless they want to try and help. The analogy has been made to think about a hospital. If you visit the hospital of a particular town and find that everyone in there is sick would you then jump to the conclusion that the entire town is sickly? Of course not.

Survey after survey has ranked Apple computers at the very top of design, reliability, and customer service. But no company or product is perfect, not by a long shot. Your description of how your parents use their computer makes them good candidates for an iMac, especially the 24" model. It has a big screen that older eyes will appreciate. It is simple in the extreme. Just plug in the keyboard and mouse and the power cord and away you go.

The bigger question is how they will receive support. Are you their technical support and, if so, are you familiar with the Mac platform? Are they close to an Apple store or authorized Apple re-seller? Things do go wrong from time to time. Not as much as Windows PCs but things do happen.

I have the iMac 24" 2.8 ghz model and it has been absolutely perfect for me, problem free.

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Answer 2

elmac

Level 5

4,252 points

Nov 16, 2008 4:54 PM in response to double_ohh7

Hi, beware trying to push your enthusiasm onto people who have used PC's & maybe not so adaptable to a new learning curve..If your parents have issues with their PC's I would first get those issues sorted.
Maybe even consider a Recon iMac with the proviso that you may well have to return them to PC's should they not be able to adapt. Mac's are great remembering they have a steeper learning curve & updates can be an issue if not correctly installed etc..That said I'm sure that if you have Applecare. AppleHelp can & will talk them through most easily sorted issues...L

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Answer 3

Mikeske

Level 1

45 points

Nov 17, 2008 12:05 AM in response to double_ohh7

I am 51 years old and have been using PC's since the early 1980's (Early in President Reagon's first 4 years in office). After years of buggy and clunky working PC's I got tired of PC's and wanted to learn something different.

I finally made the leap when my 4 year old PC had a bad hard drive and I went MAC. It was really easy for me to learn the operating system and I went with the 20 inch base model iMac. My eyes are rather weak and the 20" is fine for I do. This thing has lots more room on the desktop then my old 17" CRT on the PC and it expands out for me to see even the hardest to see things.

I would turn your father lose on the Powerbook but I will say one thing, you may lose your hand trying to get it back. I have never had a easier to operate computer then this and after I got my iMac I got a used iBook and a used Powerbook. I intended the iBook for my personal use but my wife grabbed it and I ended up getting the Powerbook for myself when I am at work or on the road.

What you are describing is a basic use for a iMac and for that reason I would recommend the basic (also known as the cheapest) iMac and then order and install the 4 GB's of ram as it does make the machine run faster.

One other thing is my desk has lots more room because I do have a tower and I am using the area under the top of desk for additional storage.

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Answer 4

scalawag

Level 1

95 points

Nov 17, 2008 7:50 AM in response to double_ohh7

Hi

I swapped from PC to Mac in July this year. There is a settling in period, but it is more like having to unlearn windows than learning OSX. OSX is so much more straight forward and intuitive once you find where everything is.

Don't forget too, that you can run windows on an Intel based Mac so if you really cant get used to OSX then you can still use windows. This also has the advantage that if one person in the household likes one operating system and someone else prefers the other no problem the one machine will run both.

I love my iMac to bits. I have had very little in the way of problems, and what I have had (a scratch on the screen straight out of the box) Apple sorted it out straight away with no arguing and no fuss. Can't remember the last time I had service like that anywhere let alone from a PC vendor!

The iMac looks stunning in my opinion, it takes up much less space on my desk as there is no tower to cope with (I have less cables on my desk, a bigger screen, and more desk space, that can't be bad eh!). It works flawlessly out of the box, is fast and the screen looks great, and the support and service is second to none.

I don't know why I did not switch years ago (Oh well I do really "fear of the unknown"), but I am really glad I did now and will definitely not be going back.

Hope this helps

Paul

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Answer 5

dwb

Level 7

32,920 points

Nov 17, 2008 8:49 AM in response to double_ohh7

This thread may or may not be killed because it is a poll but by the same token asking for help with switching so it might not. Just be warned.

I think the iMac would be a good choice but one question to consider is how set in their ways are your 'rents? About 10 years ago my in-laws decided to buy a computer and without asking anyone's opinion bought a PC at a big box store because that's all they had. After a year of providing tech support and listening to their complaints my wife and I gave them a used (but very good) Mac. My FIL took to it like a house-a-fire but my MIL just couldn't adapt. After listening to her complain and moan for a month he got another computer desk and set the PC back up for her. So now they have two computers and my MIL is always complaining over her computer problems but even though she sees Dick having almost no problems, she won't switch.

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Answer 6

pogster

Level 5

4,247 points

Nov 17, 2008 11:24 AM in response to double_ohh7

Well 007 you didn't say how old your parents are but I'm going to assume they are my age (50ish ?). If your g/f has a macbook I'd ask her if she wouldn't mind letting your parents use the laptop for a few hours. Let your parents poke around with it doing the things they want to do with a computer and ask them how they feel about it. Give them some assistance if needed. I just got my first mac about 6 months ago and had no problem making the adjustment. I'm quite confident your parents will find a mac equally easy to use if not easier.

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Answer 7

double_ohh7 Author

Level 1

30 points

Nov 17, 2008 1:07 PM in response to double_ohh7

Well, Thank you very much to everyone who has replied. I didn't have much doubt in it but I wanted to get an opinion from people who use them. As far as Mac in general goes I have a fair bit of experience and have no worries at all about levels of quality, be it software, OS's, customer support or hardware.
From what every one has written so far I now have little doubt about the iMac either.

As far as my Mother is concerned, she will claim to not understand any computer I put in front of her (it's bad enough trying to upgrade her phone). But if I do go ahead with switching them to Mac, they already have two PC's set up at the minute so there would be no problem leaving one of them where it is for her and, in fact, that will most likely be the set up anyway.

My Father on the other hand is the more technical one and, while he will certainly have to struggle for a week or 4 while he gets windows out of his head I am quite sure he will adapt to Mac and OS X well enough. And an iMac will certainly run the kind of programs he uses much better.

As far as support goes, I think between me, the Mac store and these support pages there will be plenty.

I have just spent an hour or so trying out an iMac in the Mac store and I couldn't really fault it. The 20" version would be more than enough. I am a bit disappointed that the graphics card isn't upgradable. I would have liked the NVIDIA card in there but it is only available on the top model.
Also I imagine that having all the input/outputs around the back could start to be a bit of a pain. But it certainly won't be any more inconvenient than it is for them with their PC set up at the moment. I understand that it wouldn't be such a tidy looking piece of hardware if there were cables hanging out of the side of the screen. And I like that there are two USB ports on the side of the keyboard. And i'm sure a well positioned USB hub would solve any issues.

Other than that, I thought it was great. And I spoke to a guy there who uses one at home; no complaints.

The next opportunity I get I will let them loose on mine or my g/f's Mac and see how they fare. As far as I am concerned it seems like a superb desktop computer and I think my Dad will love it. For once I might go home to visit and see him working on all his projects instead of seeing him fixing all his problems.

Thank you once again for everybody's help and advice. I use this forum often and like to see occasional posts of positive discussion as well as complaints and problems. It's wonderful that there are so many well read people here to help out!

Thanks!

Double ohh7

Message was edited by: double_ohh7

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