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Getting Grandma on a Mac

W

welling1

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jan 11, 2008
16
0
Brooklyn
My grandmother, a 75 year old who can navigate email and a game of freecell (some PC game that she seems to be addicted to), really needs a new computer. She's still on dial-up and on an ancient PC. We're getting her onto high speed and I'm trying to pursude the people doing the computer buying (who are PC users) to go with a mac for ease of use.

I'm wondering what this community could suggest for a very simple mac that is on the cheap side for an older user. Also, if refurbished is the way to go, what's a good on-line seller?

thx!

(edit-- the cheaper the better! This doesn't need to be a high-tech machine, I just would like her on a mac since they're so user friendly. And a desktop, no laptops.)
 
Is cost an issue? If so, a mac mini is going to be the cheapest you can go with. I'm assuming your grandma is using the computer in a desktop situation. If price is not an issue, an iMac would probably be even more simple, due to it being an 'all in one,' so your grandma would only have to turn on one thing.

In terms of refurbished, I'm gonna go with the apple online refurbished store on this one.

But definitely wait for some more experienced users to weigh in before you make any decision!
 
If she's used to Windows maybe its best to stick with that - especially as she probably wants a desktop which will be much cheaper.
 
Before you buy her anything, why not let her try some? Is there a Best Buy in the area? Let her try a PC/Win 7 then a Mac, and have her tell her you what she likes? Then you can make an informed decision. Saying she should just get a PC, because she's used to it, is crazy. What is she using now? XP? If so, Win 7 is a lot different. She needs to see that...not just that it's a Windows PC.

I mean for everyday use, a Mac is simple. But...it's different...so...and she's into Solitaire...and I'm sure that'll be her first question. And you said email; kind of generic. Is it web based? If so, then there's no difference in accessing. If she's used to Outlook Express, well...again...it'll be different on Win 7 and OS X. Win 7 no longer has an email client included, and OS X uses Mail.

So either way, it's change for her. It's just a matter of what she wants...
 
This is in the middle of rural NH, so getting to a place that even carries macs is impossible.

She just needs something that is easy to use for email and getting around on the internet. I think macs Mail is much easier to navigate than outlook (which she's on and gets confused with).
 
welling1 said:
This is in the middle of rural NH, so getting to a place that even carries macs is impossible.

She just needs something that is easy to use for email and getting around on the internet. I think macs Mail is much easier to navigate than outlook (which she's on and gets confused with).
Click to expand...

Oh...well then there you go. If she has to learn something new, why not a Mac. It's easier, and more reliable.

I'd recommend a refurb iMac. 20" or 21.5" [if the latter is available. Might not be though]. All in one, and easy to use/maintain.
 
She should stick with a PC.

even the cheapest refurb mini, $429 *when you can find one* is 1/2 the machine a $500 PC would be

but a new PC probably wont play freecall either...
 
I would also say an all-in-one machine would be a good choice for her.

Heck, why not a G4/G5. Might be good at a good price as she may never be into the whole watching movies online.
 
If the PC people are going to be troubleshooting for her, they will curse your name every time if you convince them to get a mac.
 
go grandma its your birthday, go grandma its your birthday..so party granny style like its your birthday.

macs are for all ages.
 
If she's 75, learning something new even if it's easier, may be more trouble than it's worth. If all she's doing is using an internet browser, then a PC might be the way to go.

If money is not an issue, then a Mac might be good, but it might be very stressful for someone that old to learn something new. It probably won't be worth the extra money you spend.

Plus, I hear this new-fangled Windows7 is good!
 
I have converted 3 elderly friends to Mac.

One man kept his Dell (just in case), but he never used it again. He is a full-fledged, card carrying, Fan Boy. He even got an iPhone.

One woman, 93 years young, found iPhoto to be so easy, she scanned all of her old photos and made books to give her great-grandchildren. Now she is making movies. She got an iPhone, too.

Finally, one woman who used to call me weekly about one PC problem or another got her iMac and calls to thank me instead. No more problems to fix with her Mac.

If your Grandma wants a Mac, get her the biggest screen that will fit on her desk. If you can get her to Salem or Nashua once a month or so, get her the One-to-One as well.
 
joepunk said:
Heck, why not a G4/G5. Might be good at a good price as she may never be into the whole watching movies online.
Click to expand...

Why is anyone suggesting PPC, they are slow and aren't compatible with much software now - within a year or two new web browsers/flash probably won't be compatible anymore, which makes them not future-proof.
 
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