Kids as the new IT department

[Applespider]

There's an article on the BBC's website today about kids becoming their parents' IT department for anything from 'I've lost my email program' to 'my computer has just burst into flames'. It's primarily focusing on cleaning up viruses and spyware so I thought I'd just spread the Mac message - and they published it :)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4156333.stm

[bubbamac]

I'm the tech support guy for my Mom's Dull running XP, my Stepmother's iMac (I think) running OS 8.3, and my Mother-in-law's new Dell running XP (formerly had a Dell running Win2000), and my wife's Dell running Win98SE.

Yep. I spend a lot of time on the phone.

[jsw]

"Dom M", I presume?

Nice comments. It's too bad that more less-computer-literate people don't get Macs. OS X and Win XP are arguably similar enough in usability (I give the edge to OS X, but I'm too biased to know if I'm right). It's the lack of adware/spyware/viruses - as you pointed out - that make the Mac superior for these people (and, really, for all non-gamers!).

[OutThere]

"Dom M", I presume?

Nice comments. It's too bad that more less-computer-literate people don't get Macs. OS X and Win XP are arguably similar enough in usability (I give the edge to OS X, but I'm too biased to know if I'm right). It's the lack of adware/spyware/viruses - as you pointed out - that make the Mac superior for these people (and, really, for all non-gamers!).

Many, many people don't have a clue about spyware and adware, or the fact that their computer needs to be cleaned and updated every once in a while. Most less computer literate people seem to think that their computers need no service or work whatsoever, which results in them coming to a screeching halt all of a sudden and needing hours of work put into them. I try and help out everyone I know who isn't really with it per se in the aspect of computers. It really hurts me to see someone with a dual g5 and no clue how to use it. :(

[munkle]

I'm still my Dad's IT department even though he's recently bought an iMac, the constant reinstalling convinced him to switch over...and maybe my constant prodding and threats of withdrawing all help if he gets another PC had a little something to do with it too!

Admittedly the phone calls are a lot less frequent now and often revolve how to do something rather than how to fix something. And my visits don't involve doing a spyware/adware scan anymore - joy behold!

[Applespider]

"Dom M", I presume?
It's the lack of adware/spyware/viruses - as you pointed out - that make the Mac superior for these people (and, really, for all non-gamers!).

Yup - bang goes the anonymity although Applespider is actually a translation of my surname rather than just a nick.

I did have to stifle a smirk today when my work colleague who had been planning to get an iMac and then changed his mind to get an HP 2 weeks ago, came in today and said that he'd spent the weekend re-installing XP because he'd picked 'something' up while trying to get the security updates done on dial-up. :p