Need some help convincing

[mariahlullaby]

I have decided to switch to Mac (yay!!). I have a four month old laptop on Windows that I am going to sell for (hopefully) $1700-2000 (lots of extras). It's very powerful, so I think I can get a good price on eBay; I will set a reserve price to ensure I don't get less than I want.

Now, I am a 17 year old and yes, this sounds silly, but my parents think I am making a bad decision and basically won't let me sell my laptop that I bought myself. Personally, I think I am going to get a more powerful computer, but my parents fail to see that while I have a good PC, it is possible to get something better. My mother thinks my computer is God...she wants it very badly (but won't buy it, conveniently); note they are currently on a 5 year old Dell and would think my graphing calculator is better.

BTW, here is what I am switching to:

iMac G5 17" 1.8GHz SuperDrive
Bluetooth Module + Apple Wireless Keyboard & Mouse + Mac OS X - U.S.
1GB DDR400 SDRAM - 2 DIMMs
160GB Serial ATA drive
SuperDrive (DVD-R/CD-RW)
AirPort Extreme Card

My current computer has an 80 GB HD, no DVD burner, no bluetooth, and is only 15.4". Because I want the portability of a laptop, in a few months, when I get the money scraped together, I plan on buying:

iBook 12" 1.2GHz Combo
AirPort Extreme Card
30GB Ultra ATA drive
Combo drive (DVD-ROM/CD-RW)
768MB DDR266 SDRAM (256MB built-in & 512MB SO-DIMM)

This will just be for basic computing needs on the road (Internet, watching videos, word processing, etc.).

Now, I need help convincing my parents (I feel stupid saying this) into letting me sell MY laptop so I can get my iMac!! What can you Mac experts say that I can't put into words except that it's "better" and "I want it". THANKS!

 

[mrgreen4242]

Well, what is your Windows laptop? What kind of processor, gpu, RAM, etc? There's a great chart out there that shows the speed of various Apple CPUs compared to x86 based chips. It's not all that accurate, but does show a basic comparison. Sadly I can't remember the URL.

If I can recall right, the 1.8ghz G5 compares to something like a 2.8ghz P4, a 1.8ghz Athlon64, and a 2ghz Pentium-M (not a P4-mobile). I could be a little off on that, but it's close.

The Mac isn't so much about going up in pure hardware power, but you will gain a lot in usability. The software (mainly OS X and the iLife Apps) are amazing compared to what you cna get for a WinTel machine.

Depending on what kind of GPU your laptop has the iMac may or may not win in that area as well. The 5200ultra isn't great, but it's also not bad compared to a lot of the mobile GPUs out there.

All in all, a new iMac will be an upgrade from just about any PC out there... try to convince your parents by showing them the same things that convinced you to switch.

Maybe you could try convincing them to upgrade thier aging Dell to a Mini, which would hopefully convert them and make them more agreeable to selling your machine for an iMac.

 

[jsw]

The standard litany of reasons - which is standard because it's true - is as follows:

(1) No viruses. None.

(2) No spyware. None.

* (1) and (2) are sufficient reasons alone, in many people's opinions.

(3) Excellent bundled software. You simply cannot beat iLife as far as bundled multi-media apps are concerned.

(4) Everything you need comes with the system (email, text editor, iLife apps, browser, etc.).

(5) MS Office is available ($149 for student/teacher edition).

(6) People who've used OS X don't seem to switch back; i.e., a number of people have gone from Windows to OS X, but none seem to decide to go from OS X to Windows. It's not because they drug you when you buy a Mac, it's because the Mac offers a more pleasant computing experience.

(7) Full power of UNIX underneath - not important to many, but very cool to those who appreciate it.

(8) All the standard accessories (keyboards, multi-button mice, external drives, etc.) work on Macs just fine.

(9) Better looking. Come on. Compare an iMac with a wireless KB/mouse to a Dell. No contest. Mac mini vs $500 HP. No contest. PowerBook vs Sony. No contest.

Weaknesses of Macs/OS X:

(1) Games. Gaming is lots of fun on a Mac, but the latest, greatest 3D games don't tend to run at all or as well. To me, this is a non-issue, but others seem to care.

(2) Umm... still thinking. I'll get back to you.

Common misunderstandings:

(1) Macs are more expensive. When you look at all you get, the monetary advantage goes away - look at resale values of five year old Macs vs five year old PCs: Macs hold their value much better.

(2) Macs don't have any software. Not true. Aside from some of the latest 3D games and AutoCAD, it's all on the Macs as well - plus all the Unix software as well.



Using OS X is different than using Windows. It'll take a bit of getting used to, but it is, once learned, easier to use. I use WinXP at work and have a very nice Windows laptop which I never turn on. It isn't because I'm a Mac fanatic. It's simply because I've found I get more done and am more creative when using the Mac.

 

[jsw]

BTW, I can't emphasize the no viruses/no spyware enough. Regardless of what they think of the Macs, you can't argue that it's a good thing to need to run anti-virus software and Ad-aware 24/7 to stay "safe".

And iChat is excellent as well - better than any PC video chat software.

And don't forget - it's your PC, right? If you manage to sell it and get the iMac, write back - we'll let you know lots of cool stuff to win over your folks.

 

[mariahlullaby]

Thanks for the info!

I personally feel I will be more productive on my Mac. One of the leading factors is all the spyware/virus protection mess; it's impossible to keep up with. I can't even open a Word file without getting a freaking scan.

BTW, here are my PC stats:

-15.4" Widescreen display
-3 ghz Intel Pentium 4 processor
-1 GB (2 DIMMS) RAM
-80 GB 5400 rpm HD
-DVD-ROM/CD-ROM-R
-WiFi built in

I crave a bigger screen, as well, and a sleeker work environment. Windows has just gotten to be a pain lately.

Thanks for the input!

 

[jsw]

That's quite the nice laptop you have - you shouldn't have any trouble selling it.

And I'm not bashing Windows - a lot of people use it and do so productively. It's simply that, for some people, OS X is a lot more comfortable, and I think you sound like one of those people.

Ultimately, the computer is a tool, and you should use tools with which you are comfortable.

 

[deebster]

You might want to consider getting additional RAM for your new Mac(s) from 3rd party vendors instead of from Apple at point of sale.

It'll be cheaper and installing RAM in all but the Mini is an absolute doddle.

 

[vtprinz]

Unless you're an avid gamer, there's absolutely no downfall to switching to OS X.

Most people who have never used a mac still have the mindset that there are a lot of compatibility issues with windows, and with this obviously being a windows based society, they immediately think you won't be able to use the mac for school/business/etc

This is simply not true. There's nothing you can do on a PC that you can't do on a Mac. Especially with school work. Seeing as you're 17, I'm assuming you're still in high school, but if you have a university near by, most campus bookstores sell MS Office X for $70, though you might have to have a university ID to get that price. Documents, pdfs, powerpoint presentations, excel sheets, and anything else you can think of that you would need for school will be perfectly compatible with your mac. And if you're planning on going to college, most university networks are riddled with viruses and hackers, none of which you ever need worry about on a mac.

And not only will everything work on a mac, most of the time it will work BETTER. Since Apple makes not only the OS, but the hardware and software as well, they can optimize everything to work beautifully with each other. Safari, Mail, iChat, Address Book, iCal, iTunes, iPhoto/iLife, etc, etc, etc, all work seamlessly with each other in ways that you'll never find on a PC.

Outside of games and the fact that most people still use PC (which really means nothing other than to cloud the minds of people afraid of change), I can really see no argument in favor of PC over Mac

 

[Timelessblur]

well I can think of a few other things that dont work on a mac out side of games that I use but they are in the more high end apps that very few people use.

A good question is what are you planning for you major in collage because that can easily effect things. If you are planning to be a cs, engineering or archtechal major it would be a good idea to hold on to your PC due to capiblity issue that come up with Mac and the software side there is lacking mac side.

Lastly I can see where you parents are coming from when they dont want you to sell you laptop. to be honest it shows that you are pretty much thowing you money away and wasted it. I think you might get them to agree on a comprimise though. Instead of you selling you laptop keep it and you just save a little longer and buy a Mac desktop. Think about long term here and think will you regret spending all that money later on. Also 4 months is not a long time and am wondering why did you orginal buy a PC 4 months ago and now deside that you want to switch to mac why did you no do it then. No offence but it sounds like you are making this desision pretty rashly and on a implus. Hence the reason I say dont sell you laptop and just keep saving and buy a mac desktop when you have the money. Also think about collage min now as well because you are going to want spending money while you are off at school and putting it into some computers will mean you will very little money to just spend on having fun with friends and things that you want/need.

 

[mariahlullaby]

Yes, you make a lot of good points

I definitely understand where you are coming from (as well as my parents). Why didn't I get a Mac before? Well, I almost did -- I seriously considered it. But when I bought it, I had a much smaller budget and I needed the computer ASAP for school. I also worried about compatability; PB's were too expensive and at the time, a desktop (i.e. an iMac) would have been useless because I had no desk -- or room for it -- nor the means to get one. I have since gotten a job (something I wasn't predicting at all when I bought it) and have a more-or-less steady income (for a part-time job that is). My parents also got me a very nice computer desk, chair and lamp for my room for my birthday/Christmas. My brother has started at Boston University, so he'll get the edu discount for me.

Basically, I've always wanted a Mac but when I got the computer, I couldn't really wait because school had started and needed a computer (my mother got a new job around that time and had been using the family computer a lot more than usual, so I was usually stuck doing my HW at odd hours).

I also have been putting away spending money for college on my paycheck, so I am ok in that department.

Thank you for all your feedback and concern-- I really appreciate it!! You guys are great