MUCKYFINGERS said:
alright, so basically if i pimp it out with more ram, the cube should be a sufficient machine for my parents' needs (e-mail, web browsing, itunes).
Yes, I think it would, too. But from how you describe their machine...as much as I'd love to own a cube myself... it is going to seem like a dog, coming from a P4/2.8 running XP. I think anything less than an iMac G5 would seem like a dog coming from that computer, honestly.
Can you say more about why you want to transition them off that computer? I'm shuddering as I think about what I'm about to write, but....
That computer, while it would never be my choice, either aesthetically or OS-wise, is a fast, capable computer in many ways. What about either of these two options as better for them:
1) Clean install Windows, and set up Firefox, T-bird (or probably even Outlook, since most of the Outlook virus problems are passé, to my knowledge), iTunes, and whatever else they need. Get them to understand the concept that they should avoid using IE whenever possible. This in itself will result in a pretty stable system that will work well for them, for a long time. The step from Windows using MSIE to Windows not using MSIE is probably bigger than the step from Windows w/o MSIE to MacOS, at least to me, in terms of reducing headaches.
2) Install a Linux variant and apps that cover the basic functionality. Here, you'll also have the advantage that they won't be ABLE to compromise system functioning, because they won't be able to install things.
Are either of those feasible? Buy the Cube anyway. It's a beautiful piece of industrial design history, and I think you'll love playing with it. Just don't use it for this. That's my thought.
