My father want´s a laptop (PC), pls help me

[DryEyez]

In my personal opinion you should just respect your fathers wishes. He doesn't want anything fancy, he isn't going to be doing anything demanding, he wants familiarity and a PC. Win7 isn't something that is going to explode 2 minutes after installing it, nor is XP. If he can save $400.00 and I'm assuming he has a budget if he feels it's too expensive, then he can use that money he has saved to enjoy his retirement and indulge in other hobbies. *Personally* I think a good son would try to accomodate his needs. my 0.000001 cents.


Macs are not the alpha and omega, and they're not for everyone.

 

[Blu101]

Because running Windows on a Mac makes troubleshooting easier?

Because running windows for 1 game and everything else on the mac is easier. Should cut down the time for potential problems, viruses, etc. I'm sure his dad will do a little web browsing, e-mail, etc.

 

[thejadedmonkey]

plus remember that Windows won't get malware unless you install it, using social engineering. And lets be frank, I did the exact same thing you did, made my parents get a mac so I wouldn't have to do any tech support...

...and I come home for spring vacation, and I find a mac with some malware on it. But because it's a mac, I have no idea how to remove it.

Moral of the story: troubleshooting macs is harder, and you gain nothing by forcing OS X upon someone.

 

[Blu101]

In my personal opinion you should just respect your fathers wishes. He doesn't want anything fancy, he isn't going to be doing anything demanding, he wants familiarity and a PC. Win7 isn't something that is going to explode 2 minutes after installing it, nor is XP. If he can save $400.00 and I'm assuming he has a budget if he feels it's too expensive, then he can use that money he has saved to enjoy his retirement and indulge in other hobbies. *Personally* I think a good son would try to accomodate his needs. my 0.000001 cents.

That's what everybody that doesn't have to help their parents says.

I had to help mine with their PC and it was a complete nightmare. Basically, you're tech support and open 24/7, whether you realize it or not. And you just can't say no, because hey, it's your parents - you're always going to help.

I finally convinced my parents to get a mac and their need for my tech support has just about disappeared as far as problems go, and turned into teaching lessons on how to use a mac vs a pc, which, once they learn (and they have), is reduced to a question here and there. My daily support is now once a week maintenance.

And they got the cheapest iMac (2010), which was only $200 more than what they spent on their old Dell.

Best part? My parents are actually happy! Turns out the pc didn't just make my life misearable, it also made theirs (since they couldn't do what they wanted every time they tried).

plus remember that Windows won't get malware unless you install it, using social engineering. And lets be frank, I did the exact same thing you did, made my parents get a mac so I wouldn't have to do any tech support...

...and I come home for spring vacation, and I find a mac with some malware on it. But because it's a mac, I have no idea how to remove it.

Moral of the story: troubleshooting macs is harder, and you gain nothing by forcing OS X upon someone.

You still have to teach your parents on what to do and what not to do. You can't just drop the computer on their lap.





Hey, it's not going to work for everybody. Worked for me though.

 

[wct097]

Because running windows for 1 game and everything else on the mac is easier. Should cut down the time for potential problems, viruses, etc. I'm sure his dad will do a little web browsing, e-mail, etc.

Dual booting for a non-savvy user isn't easier and makes it less likely that they'll use OS X over Windows as there is a Windows only app in question.

 

[Blu101]

Dual booting for a non-savvy user isn't easier and makes it less likely that they'll use OS X over Windows as there is a Windows only app in question.

Yeah, I can see that. A friend of mine wants to get a mac but wont pull the trigger because of flight simulator x or whatever it is he's hooked on.

I think the OP will have to put up with tech support for a while.

To the OP: use Microsoft Security Essentials - free and pretty good anti-virus.

 

[Inakto]

That's what everybody that doesn't have to help their parents says.

I had to help mine with their PC and it was a complete nightmare. Basically, you're tech support and open 24/7, whether you realize it or not. And you just can't say no, because hey, it's your parents - you're always going to help.

I finally convinced my parents to get a mac and their need for my tech support has just about disappeared as far as problems go, and turned into teaching lessons on how to use a mac vs a pc, which, once they learn (and they have), is reduced to a question here and there. My daily support is now once a week maintenance.

And they got the cheapest iMac (2010), which was only $200 more than what they spent on their old Dell.

Best part? My parents are actually happy! Turns out the pc didn't just make my life misearable, it also made theirs (since they couldn't do what they wanted every time they tried).




You still have to teach your parents on what to do and what not to do. You can't just drop the computer on their lap.





Hey, it's not going to work for everybody. Worked for me though.

I had a similar experience with my mom. In the beginning she needed some help but now she knows how to work it pretty well.

 

[yoak]

Tell him it's going to cost him $50 every time he calls for your help with the PC.

When he says something like "...but I'm your dad..."

Tell him the regular price is $250.

Then tell him if he gets a mac you'll help for free.

His choice.

I would hope he only ran it in Windows when he wanted to play, but I guess that´s a long stretch.
As he is familiar with Windows, he probably would just stay in Windows and then it´s hardly worth it.

I´m tempted to put up the difference, because I have a feeling he will come to me with his PC problems although I dn´t have much clue.
That will mean me having to spend a lot of time in Windows trying to figure stuff out.
If he gets a Mac, at least I can say to him; Just boot up in OSX

 

[nefan65]

Unless your folks have had a new PC in the last few years, chances are they'd be going from XP to Windows 7. My Dad was adamant that a low end laptop would be fine for him. Email, Web, and the occasional Facebook. So that's what he got...first thing he says? "This is different...how come Windows looks different than my other one? Fun...NOT!

Since then, every time I go over, or my son tags along, it's "Hey...how come my laptop is doing this?" Usually it's a foolish Windows Update, or a Security Essentials Update. And if they fail, and can't update, he calls. "I think there's something wrong with my computer?...Says something failed..." [Face in hands] sigh...

For what he does, I should have given him my sons old MB, and we could have replaced ours with a new MBP...sigh...lesson learned!

 

[Blu101]

I would hope he only ran it in Windows when he wanted to play, but I guess that´s a long stretch.
As he is familiar with Windows, he probably would just stay in Windows and then it´s hardly worth it.

I´m tempted to put up the difference, because I have a feeling he will come to me with his PC problems although I dn´t have much clue.
That will mean me having to spend a lot of time in Windows trying to figure stuff out.
If he gets a Mac, at least I can say to him; Just boot up in OSX

If he really sticks with windows, the best I got with my folks was with MS security essentials, Spybot and web of trust (you have to show them how to use it with google search or whatever search engine they like). There's more good anti-malware software out there too, but I just didn't have the time to keep up with it all, I have a life too...

Good luck man!

 

[yoak]

In my personal opinion you should just respect your fathers wishes. He doesn't want anything fancy, he isn't going to be doing anything demanding, he wants familiarity and a PC. Win7 isn't something that is going to explode 2 minutes after installing it, nor is XP. If he can save $400.00 and I'm assuming he has a budget if he feels it's too expensive, then he can use that money he has saved to enjoy his retirement and indulge in other hobbies. *Personally* I think a good son would try to accomodate his needs. my 0.000001 cents.


Macs are not the alpha and omega, and they're not for everyone.

I think he would be very happy with a Mac, but he can´t see how he can justify the cost as a MBP would be twice as expensive.
Guess he could buy a new RC plane for the savings though

 

[notjustjay]

If he doesn't need a Mac, just get a cheap pc contrary to popular belief they don't just crash on their own. As long as he isn't downloading crap it should do just fine and he'll have more then enough power to do what he needs to do. You don't need to spend extra cash if it isn't necessary.

Absolutely agree. Let's just call a spade a spade: You want him to use a Mac because you want him to use a Mac. Not because the software will run better (it's still Windows) or because it's "only $400 more". Those are justifications, not reasons. There's no reason for him to get a Mac other than to make you happy.

Some people simply don't want or need a Mac. You have to respect this. "How can I convince him?" is a losing argument. If he "comes around", it has to be on his terms, not yours.

As far as not wanting to support a PC, you can honestly say "sorry, I never have that problem on my Mac and I really have no clue how to do that on a PC" and leave it at that. No need to be a jerk about it though.

My dad's much the same way. He buys cheap PCs only to see them slowly fall apart. Meanwhile myself, my brother and sister all switched ourselves to Macs. He sees us using them. He sees us never having problems. He still doesn't want one. *shrug* His call, not mine.

 

[Grouchy Bob]

As he is familiar with Windows, he probably would just stay in Windows and then it´s hardly worth it.

Is your father a a drooling idiot? If the old man can handle a flight simulator then I'm sure he can still manage mean old Windows on a PC.

Sounds like he's just being practical and is immune from the mac fetish. Let him have his cheaper PC. I guarantee somebody his age has better things to obsess about other than a shiny new MBP and OSX.

 

[DryEyez]

That's what everybody that doesn't have to help their parents says.

I had to help mine with their PC and it was a complete nightmare. Basically, you're tech support and open 24/7, whether you realize it or not. And you just can't say no, because hey, it's your parents - you're always going to help.

I finally convinced my parents to get a mac and their need for my tech support has just about disappeared as far as problems go, and turned into teaching lessons on how to use a mac vs a pc, which, once they learn (and they have), is reduced to a question here and there. My daily support is now once a week maintenance.

And they got the cheapest iMac (2010), which was only $200 more than what they spent on their old Dell.

Best part? My parents are actually happy! Turns out the pc didn't just make my life misearable, it also made theirs (since they couldn't do what they wanted every time they tried).




You still have to teach your parents on what to do and what not to do. You can't just drop the computer on their lap.





Hey, it's not going to work for everybody. Worked for me though.

That's quite pretentious to assume I don't help my parents. They're not computer savvy, they use PCs, if they call me up with a problem I go round and help *if I can and have the time*. I think some people think of their parents like children. They are by far more intelligent than their offspring *you* and given the chance are able to figure things out. But I feel as though a lot of statements towards choosing the mac regard windows as some sort of minefield. It's a simple operating system like osx, neither are that complicated. I chose osx because it's a pleasure to use and for apples customer service. I don't think either you can force people over to an OS because *you* think they should do, it's what they want.

These are all my personal opinions, I think all you can do if you feel osx will suit them better, is show them the benefits, but other than that you can't really do much else. They want what they want, and if you can't help them, then again, explain to them you have no clue about windows and re-direct them.

 

[altecXP]

Install malware-bytes, install MSE, and set them to scan once a week.

That's really all a person needs to do on a Windows PC. I don't get how thats so hard.

 

[trip1ex]

Just get him a Windows pc. I mentioned Macs to my parents, but just ended up building them Windows pcs.

You'd think they would love Macs. They didn't grow up with computers. I find Macs easier to use and less hassle and I know computers.

Yet they are so afraid of using something new and have little understanding of why Macs would be better that they won't try one.

Last it doesn't help that Windows pcs are quite a bit cheaper.

Anyway if you are booting up to Windows it defeats the purpose of having a Mac.

I built myself a gaming pc again finally after trying to game on Macs. Its' just not worth it when you have to go into Windows anyway.

 

[koruki]

I love my Mac and I love my PC. If he wants a PC, get him a PC. Build him a desktop, install the games, software, internet security antivrus etc that he wants. Image it, if he has crazy malware/virus then just roll it back with the image. At the end of the day, the PC's are still the platform for gaming.

 

[koruki]

My parents recently broke their PC laptop after getting their email hacked w/ a keylogger (and possibly a bunch of other stuff). They finally installed the free Norton that came w/ the system and now that Norton locked down the system, it won't do anything.

I'm about to give them my old 2008 MBP which after two years is still running like a champ. Since they live a few states away, I was thinking if they need help, maybe we can do iChats and share screens and get it done that way but honestly, I just hope they don't find a way to slow this machine to a crawl.

My parents may be my MBP's biggest challenge yet. =)

Teamviewer is an easier solution.

 

[beret9987]

With what hes doing, I'd recommend a Windows system as well. A properly setup W7 system can last for a LONG time in my experience. I do IT on the side and some of these W7 clients I have just don't call me back except for their yearly "checkup" that some of them like to get.

And PC problems aren't actually THAT bad, I find Mac ones usually more a PITA personally. Example: Bought new hard drive for MBP, doesn't work. Actually had to take it to an Apple Store to get a new SATA cable?! Never had a hard drive cable go bad in my experience. Anyways, I'd just get a decent Windows 7 laptop, load up Microsoft Security Essentials and be happy!

 

[barebackbadger8]

i had a similar issue with my uncle.
he retired and found he had a lot of time on his hands, so he wanted a pc!
took him rounds shops etc and he decided on a laptop.
picked an acer (£400) because he wanted something cheap and cheerful just to browse sites looking for rare books (yes books lol)

considering he only used it for very basic web browsing. no word of a lie, he was ringing constantly with problems! some very simple, some requiring me to crossloop onto his laptop and sort them.

anyway cut a long story short i lost my rag with him constantly calling etc so he then said "well what do you use?"
at the time i had a white macbook (2years ago), so i took it round to him and left it with him (i had to work nights one week so thought why not)

the following weekend came, i saw 2 macbooks? he had gone and brought one haha

until this day he as only had 1 problem with it (and that was about a month ago now), and it aint the macbooks fault. he cant get yahoo mail to work in mail, but thats more to do with yahoo!

moral of my story, get him a mac your life will be better for it lol

 

[yoak]

I love my Mac and I love my PC. If he wants a PC, get him a PC. Build him a desktop, install the games, software, internet security antivrus etc that he wants. Image it, if he has crazy malware/virus then just roll it back with the image. At the end of the day, the PC's are still the platform for gaming.

No offence, but did you get the part where I said I don´t have a clue about PCs? I haven´t touched one in years.
Building one is certainly not on top of my list

 

[Jason Beck]

Take him to a store and look with him. Look for 15-17" PC's with at least a decent Radeon graphics card. Make sure there are at least 4 gigs of ram in there and ddr3 at that. Make sure it has wireless N built into it. Check the screen out, and check out program responsiveness. For even faster performance (since you will be saving some money going with PC), consider buying a small SSD drive for him to use. 80 GB would be plent for him.

For chip, consider mobile AMD Phenom 2 Black Edition based machines. Def. get him a quad core.

He would have a laptop that can run any game on the market with at least medium settings. And he would have a decent media center.

With all these specs his machine would also last a few years. He would also probably pretty happy with the performance from the ssd. Windows 7 will boot in mere seconds. Games will load ultra fast and his browser and other programs will load instantly.


First thing when you are at home with him, install AVG Anti Virus Free Edition.

Also I suggest downloading the Internet Explorer 9 Release Candidate from Microsoft. It is amazing and really reminds me of Safari with its snappiness.

 

[yoak]

Take him to a store and look with him. Look for 15-17" PC's with at least a decent Radeon graphics card. Make sure there are at least 4 gigs of ram in there and ddr3 at that. Make sure it has wireless N built into it. Check the screen out, and check out program responsiveness. For even faster performance (since you will be saving some money going with PC), consider buying a small SSD drive for him to use. 80 GB would be plent for him.

For chip, consider mobile AMD Phenom 2 Black Edition based machines. Def. get him a quad core.

He would have a laptop that can run any game on the market with at least medium settings. And he would have a decent media center.

With all these specs his machine would also last a few years. He would also probably pretty happy with the performance from the ssd. Windows 7 will boot in mere seconds. Games will load ultra fast and his browser and other programs will load instantly.


First thing when you are at home with him, install AVG Anti Virus Free Edition.

Also I suggest downloading the Internet Explorer 9 Release Candidate from Microsoft. It is amazing and really reminds me of Safari with its snappiness.

Thanks, I think I´ll do that. The SSD isn´t a bad idea. He won´t need much storage space at all

 

[Jason Beck]

Thanks, I think I´ll do that. The SSD isn´t a bad idea. He won´t need much storage space at all

Windows 7 is pretty good. If you sit with him a few times he should have it. As long as AVG is installed everything should be great. That matched with IE link checking, you almost have to go out of your way to get a virus.

Have not had a computer virus since I was a teenage and created virii. That was 1999. All I do is browse, Adobe, Office, game. As long as you instrict him how to control alt delete and then close Internet Explorer if a weird popup comes up, then he won't get anything. He probably doesn't know torrenting, and I don't know if he looks at porn. (lol), but if he knows how to force quit in windows, then he's golden.

 

[Jason Beck]

And show him how to snap Windows ! That is the biggest productivity enhancement on the platform yet in my opinion LOL.