Apple's One to One service

OnceYouGoMac · Dec 27, 2012

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'll go ahead.

Am I the only person who doesn't see the appeal or use of Apple's One to One training service? I've read about it a fair bit on here and various other problems since I first heard about it in February 2011 and to this day I still don't see the appeal. What do people learn from it that you can't learn from a book or the internet? And if the Mac is supposedly easy to use is there really a demand for these classes?

I'm just curious as it has baffled me for ages

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch TV

Where did I leave my remote?

rglutz · Dec 28, 2012

OnceYouGoMac said:
Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'll go ahead.

Am I the only person who doesn't see the appeal or use of Apple's One to One training service? I've read about it a fair bit on here and various other problems since I first heard about it in February 2011 and to this day I still don't see the appeal. What do people learn from it that you can't learn from a book or the internet? And if the Mac is supposedly easy to use is there really a demand for these classes?

I'm just curious as it has baffled me for ages Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch TV Where did I leave my remote?

It's simple. First of all there are some people who were Window PC users and going to these apple classes can make the transition a heck of a lot easier and save hours of anguish. Simple things as keyboard differences can be explained in minutes rather than scour thru books. Additionally, books and the internet might be great to READ about how to do something but to actually PERFORM FIRST HAND is a totally different thing. Try reading about how to drive a car versus having an instructor next to you teaching you how to drive in real time, and tell me there isn't a difference!!!! The key here is the price. For 99 bucks for a whole year of classes covering everything is a fantastic price. I'm going to make my wife go thru these and i'll even join her on some of these to learn things i couldnt' have spent the time researching on my own. Does that make sense to you now?!!

OnceYouGoMac · Dec 28, 2012

rglutz said:
It's simple. First of all there are some people who were Window PC users and going to these apple classes can make the transition a heck of a lot easier and save hours of anguish. Simple things as keyboard differences can be explained in minutes rather than scour thru books. Additionally, books and the internet might be great to READ about how to do something but to actually PERFORM FIRST HAND is a totally different thing. Try reading about how to drive a car versus having an instructor next to you teaching you how to drive in real time, and tell me there isn't a difference!!!! The key here is the price. For 99 bucks for a whole year of classes covering everything is a fantastic price. I'm going to make my wife go thru these and i'll even join her on some of these to learn things i couldnt' have spent the time researching on my own. Does that make sense to you now?!!

I think it makes more sense to me now. I taught myself everything about computers (both Windows and Mac OS, with a bit of Linux) but I guess there are some people who learn it better by doing rather than out of a book. I know of someone who bought a Macbook Pro in 2011 and the One to Ones, but I don't know how she got on with them. Are you buying a new Mac soon and the One to One sessions? It seems a bit cheap for a computer course but I guess if someone gets value out of it then who am I to argue? What I do find strange though is people who go in for sessions every day. Surely going in daily is rather unhealthy? Have they nothing better to do in their lives?

Mr_Brightside_@ · Dec 28, 2012

The One to One program occasionally surprises me in terms of the simplicity of what is taught to its members, but over time I've come to realize that some people simply aren't aware of the utility of the Internet/books/etc while learning a new system, and want someone who knows the products inside and out to help them with it. The majority of people I see in the lessons are older, say 50+ crowd, and to them technology can be extremely intimidating, so the lessons are a good way of easing them into the OS X or iOS worlds. Even my teenaged cousin, who just received a MBP, has been texting me nonstop with questions about it, so clearly the idea that most problems or questions can be answered online isn't widely understood.
My better half also used One to One, and learned a lot about FCE from it: coming from a Windows world, FCE can be extremely intimidating (indeed, I taught it to myself, but was very much stuck in my iMovie ways).
Another enormous boon of the program is the data transfer, which in many cases is the selling point for computer buyers (in particular those coming from Windows).

MisterKeeks · Dec 28, 2012

OnceYouGoMac said:
Not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I'll go ahead.

Am I the only person who doesn't see the appeal or use of Apple's One to One training service? I've read about it a fair bit on here and various other problems since I first heard about it in February 2011 and to this day I still don't see the appeal. What do people learn from it that you can't learn from a book or the internet? And if the Mac is supposedly easy to use is there really a demand for these classes?

I'm just curious as it has baffled me for ages Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to watch TV Where did I leave my remote?

Some people are just not tech savvy enough to figure these things out by reading or by guesswork. I learned by messing around, but my parents have trouble with the computer, so they could go to 1to1. However, they don't, so I am left to help them.

Mr_Brightside_@ · Dec 28, 2012

OnceYouGoMac said:
What I do find strange though is people who go in for sessions every day. Surely going in daily is rather unhealthy? Have they nothing better to do in their lives?

See my comment about middle aged / retired individuals.

----------

MisterKeeks said:
Some people are just not tech savvy enough to figure these things out by reading or by guesswork. I learned by messing around, but my parents have trouble with the computer, so they could go to 1to1. However, they don't, so I am left to help them.

Exactly.
Also, nice setup.

nuckinfutz · Dec 28, 2012

You won't find a better deal than One to One.

Even if you only went to one training a month the paltry 99 ducats that you spent wouldn't cover the Apple employees hourly pay to sit there and talk to you.

Pretty much every One to One session is a money loser for Apple but they do it because knowledge is power.

OnceYouGoMac · Dec 28, 2012

Mr_Brightside_@ said:
The One to One program occasionally surprises me in terms of the simplicity of what is taught to its members, but over time I've come to realize that some people simply aren't aware of the utility of the Internet/books/etc while learning a new system, and want someone who knows the products inside and out to help them with it. The majority of people I see in the lessons are older, say 50+ crowd, and to them technology can be extremely intimidating, so the lessons are a good way of easing them into the OS X or iOS worlds. Even my teenaged cousin, who just received a MBP, has been texting me nonstop with questions about it, so clearly the idea that most problems or questions can be answered online isn't widely understood.
My better half also used One to One, and learned a lot about FCE from it: coming from a Windows world, FCE can be extremely intimidating (indeed, I taught it to myself, but was very much stuck in my iMovie ways).
Another enormous boon of the program is the data transfer, which in many cases is the selling point for computer buyers (in particular those coming from Windows).

I've mostly seen oldies doing the sessions but I know of someone who is the same age as me (early 20s) and she signed up for them. One of my friends told me that he was in the Covent Garden store in London in 2011 and he said the place was full of people getting their one-on-ones. All I did was laugh and listen to music

Another friend of mine said he thought it was for old people. You should tell your teenage cousin to get a decent book on Mac OSX and if that doesn't help then maybe direct them to the free workshops Apple offers. I doubt they'd be able to get OTO since you have to get it at the same time as a Mac.

I didn't realise One to One still included the data transfers

I thought they were removed from the program.

nuckinfutz · Dec 28, 2012

OnceYouGoMac said:
I didn't realise One to One still included the data transfers I thought they were removed from the program.

Nope. It's a big deal especially if someone is coming over from a PC and they have no idea about how to get their content across platforms.

I'm thinking about doing One to One on my next Mac purchase so I can get some help with Aperture and Final Cut Pro X.

Sure I could read a book but that's not going give me the type of communication i'm looking for.

Ccrew · Dec 28, 2012

Ok, I'll say it.

Ever spend time in an Apple store? a LOT of the folks don't have the good sense that god gave a box of rocks. There are some REALLY dumb computer users out there. A large percentage of those buy Apples.

nuckinfutz · Dec 28, 2012

Ccrew said:
Ok, I'll say it.

Ever spend time in an Apple store? a LOT of the folks don't have the good sense that god gave a box of rocks. There are some REALLY dumb computer users out there. A large percentage of those buy Windows.

Fixed that for you.

I think the problem is so many people were told that Windows was the platform they should be using so they bought in and brought their work drudgery home and forgot what it was like to be creative. Coming over to Mac is a new world to some people and it does take an adjustment.

"no you don't need anti-virus"
"yes you can run office if you must but there are other options"
"yes, photo editing/management, music making and movie editing are built in"

OnceYouGoMac · Dec 28, 2012

Ccrew said:
Ok, I'll say it.

Ever spend time in an Apple store? a LOT of the folks don't have the good sense that god gave a box of rocks. There are some REALLY dumb computer users out there. A large percentage of those buy Apples.

I certainly have and I've seen the One on Ones in action but never actually listened in on them. I actually know a few people who are completely clueless in the computing department. One of them used the dreaded Windows Vista and she went to computer classes (not Apple, these were PC ones in an adult education place) and she couldn't find the Any key. My dad spend an hour on the 'phone to them telling them how to print an airline ticket once. Painful

Can you imagine those type of people at One to One sessions? The trainer would need the patience of a saint. I often wonder how they cope sometimes.

nuckinfutz said:
Nope. It's a big deal especially if someone is coming over from a PC and they have no idea about how to get their content across platforms.

So they still include the data transfer in it? I had forgotten

aristobrat · Dec 28, 2012

OnceYouGoMac said:
You should tell your teenage cousin to get a decent book on Mac OSX and if that doesn't help then maybe direct them to the free workshops Apple offers.

At the store I worked at, I'd say that less than 10% of the One to One sessions were from customers showing up and saying "teach me something about OS X".

The majority of the sessions were people will specific projects they needed help with, like "OK, I just got back from a vacation. I took 300 photos. How do I organize them on my Mac? Oh, and is there any way I can put the best ones in a slideshow that will display on my TV when I have my friends over? Oh, and can I burn them to a DVD for my grandparents that live on the other side of the country?"

Or, "I'm the treasurer for my daughter's Girl Scout troop. How can I use my Mac to keep track of budgets, receipts, etc? Is there a place where I can save the budget report where everyone in the troop can see it, without being able to change it?"

One to One includes training on all current Apple hardware/software, including the Pro apps, like Final Cut, Logic and Aperture.

For someone looking to get something out of it, paying $99 for a years worth of training sessions can easily trump buying a $30 book for each thing they want to learn about.

OnceYouGoMac · Dec 28, 2012

aristobrat said:
At the store I worked at, I'd say that less than 10% of the One to One sessions were from customers showing up and saying "teach me something about OS X".

The majority of the sessions were people will specific projects they needed help with, like "OK, I just got back from a vacation. I took 300 photos. How do I organize them on my Mac? Oh, and is there any way I can put the best ones in a slideshow that will display on my TV when I have my friends over? Oh, and can I burn them to a DVD for my grandparents that live on the other side of the country?"

Or, "I'm the treasurer for my daughter's Girl Scout troop. How can I use my Mac to keep track of budgets, receipts, etc? Is there a place where I can save the budget report where everyone in the troop can see it, without being able to change it?"

One to One includes training on all current Apple hardware/software, including the Pro apps, like Final Cut, Logic and Aperture.

For someone looking to get something out of it, paying $99 for a years worth of training sessions can easily trump buying a $30 book for each thing they want to learn about.

I always thought it was either aimed at total beginners or those who needed help on "projects" like photos and movies and stuff, but maybe I was wrong. Maybe the value of the sessions depends on what you want out of it. If you're a competent computer user, the basics are probably easy to figure out, but maybe it has some use for the Pro apps. I plan to try and learn iMovie and maybe even FCP X at some point and it'll be interesting to see how well I get on with it without any classes. I'm sure I'll do my best

And what about the Personal Projects side of the One to One program? Is it better to do your work in the store or in your own home?

aristobrat · Dec 28, 2012

OnceYouGoMac said:
And what about the Personal Projects side of the One to One program? Is it better to do your work in the store or in your own home?

Depends on your learning style, IMO.

For people that don't mind Googling for answers when they run into questions/problems, then working from home may be the best.

For folks that just want to raise their hand and have someone come right over to help, even if it's just to make sure that they're on the right track, then maybe showing up for a Personal Project block is the best.

OnceYouGoMac · Dec 28, 2012

aristobrat said:
Depends on your learning style, IMO.

For people that don't mind Googling for answers when they run into questions/problems, then working from home may be the best.

For folks that just want to raise their hand and have someone come right over to help, even if it's just to make sure that they're on the right track, then maybe showing up for a Personal Project block is the best.

I'm the type who tends to Google, ask on a forum, ask friends or look in a book to find an answer/solution to questions or problems. At least at home you have the comfort of your computer chair and easy access to the TV and food if needed

Those black Apple Store stools can't be comfortable to spend an hour or two sitting on.

rydewnd2 · Dec 28, 2012

nuckinfutz said:
You won't find a better deal than One to One.

Even if you only went to one training a month the paltry 99 ducats that you spent wouldn't cover the Apple employees hourly pay to sit there and talk to you.

Pretty much every One to One session is a money loser for Apple but they do it because knowledge is power.

Trust me. As a former Apple 1-1 trainer I can assure you they are not paid anything close to $100/hr.

OnceYouGoMac · Dec 28, 2012

nuckinfutz said:
You won't find a better deal than One to One.

Even if you only went to one training a month the paltry 99 ducats that you spent wouldn't cover the Apple employees hourly pay to sit there and talk to you.

Pretty much every One to One session is a money loser for Apple but they do it because knowledge is power.

Ducats? Isn't that the currency they had in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice? And what do the Apple guys talk to the trainees about? I can't imagine having to make small talk with one for an hour

Ccrew · Dec 28, 2012

nuckinfutz said:
Fixed that for you.

I think the problem is so many people were told that Windows was the platform they should be using so they bought in and brought their work drudgery home and forgot what it was like to be creative. Coming over to Mac is a new world to some people and it does take an adjustment.

"no you don't need anti-virus"
"yes you can run office if you must but there are other options"
"yes, photo editing/management, music making and movie editing are built in"

Not my experience. And I have a 3200 user base that I have as a prime example.

Windows users for the most part quite honestly have an expectation of pain. Masochistic so to speak. Many Apple users have been brainwashed into the "it just works" herd mentality and have chosen it because they haven't a clue what a computer does under the hood, and wouldn't retain it if explained. It's a light up typewriter.

Apple trainers? Have to be the most underpaid people on the planet and must have the patience of saints. I wouldn't last a day before I asked someone "Were you born this stupid??"

Now that said? I have a brother that's a PHD in Bio-Chemistry and an M.D. both from John's Hopkins. The guy's probably brilliant at what he does, but he'd sit in his car with a flat and call AAA because he honestly wouldn't know which end of a lug wrench to use. I guess it takes all kinds. He uses a Mac too

nuckinfutz · Dec 28, 2012

Ccrew said:
Now that said? I have a brother that's a PHD in Bio-Chemistry and an M.D. both from John's Hopkins. The guy's probably brilliant at what he does, but he'd sit in his car with a flat and call AAA because he honestly wouldn't know which end of a lug wrench to use. I guess it takes all kinds. He uses a Mac too

Truer words brother. Some of the most brilliant people I know can struggle with some of the more basic and mundane stuff. Guess it's just how the brain is wired in some of us.

OnceYouGoMac · Dec 28, 2012

nuckinfutz said:
Truer words brother. Some of the most brilliant people I know can struggle with some of the more basic and mundane stuff. Guess it's just how the brain is wired in some of us.

It's fascinating, isn't it? Sometimes I wonder if I should be studying Psychology instead of Law, but I find Law interesting. I tell my friends who aren't law students that if they ever need legal advice they know who to ask

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