argh!

[danielos]

I'm losing horribly in convincing my parents a mac is better,but a little good thing is my dad used to use a mac in the 80's, an apple IIc. I thought a good idea was to sell my computer to get money for an ibook,but they thought I was crazy. They also said "the grass is always greener on the other side" and said I wouldn't be happy with it. Plus they said you have a good computer already, you don't need another, and the usual "NO.".
If i even try to talk about it all I get is NO or never. And I can't take them to an Apple Store and show it to them in person either because I doubt apple is even considering building an apple store in pensacola, florida. BUT there are resellers and they don't even want to goto a reseller.
My parents aren't exactly computer-folk either, but my dad knows some since when he was a kid he worked with unix mainframes for banks and stuff,but just didn't keep up.

I could sell this pc and get an imac or ibook, it's worth enough, $1305.I could get a nice ibook for that or the low config imac. OR I could be the basic config ibook and maybe an ipod if I put in money I already have.

Anyways, anybody have any real reasons or anything to help convince my parents let my sell my pc to get a mac or just get a mac? Thank you very much!

 

[witeshark]

They need to know that between the idiotic need for 3rd party apps (firewall, spyware, virus scan) the security holes in doz even in xp! and the huge improvements in OS X has made the Mac a night and day BETTER then doz can ever be. The only way a i86/Athlon PC can be a "good" PC is by running Linux! Period. It has become absurd to ignore Mac. tell them to e-mail me if they like! No. that wasn't enough! Never has there been a more HUGE quality difference in product quality between Mac and M$ PC! It's like a BMW compared to a rusty old bike!

 

[Chamorro]

First off, an Apple IIc, while being a good computer at the time, was definitely NOT a Mac.

Tell them that my household has a Dell P4 running XP (been here the longest) a G4 Cube (mine! mine!) and an original iMac, both Macs running OS X. The Dell is <2yrs old, the Cube is >4 years old and the iMac is ~6years old. The Macs get the most use and are the easiest to set up and add peripherals.
OS X is MUCH less vulnerable to viruses/spyware/worms, and is extremely stable.
Apple hardware is definitely higher-quality. If you ever do run into a problem, Mac users are not just fanatical, but also knowledgable and willing to share their knowledge.
If you really NEED to, you can run Windows on your Mac.

 

[danielos]

They want like facts, and if they do, they will just say my pc is fine.
Is it true that os 9 is more stable than os x?The local internet cafe here has like 12 or so 800mhz/256/60gb iMacs running os 9/os 10.2.8 dual boot. The guy who owns it keeps the machines in os 9 because he thinks os 9 is more mature and has more programs for it...
/I might be able to get them to a reseller today, as we have time for it.
witeshark, I need FACTS, not opinions.

 

[witeshark]

OS X is the most stable- near uncrashable OS in computing history. The force quit (google it) application allows a crashed program to be shut down without destabalizing the whole system. The memory management is the best in all OSs. Also, in newer system be sure to upgrade RAM first thing! I recommend at least 384Megs. Also, being a Unix BSD based OS OS X is the most secure in personal computing! This can all be varified on th internet with google!

 

[ApplejustWorks]

......My question is.....if you can sell YOUR current computer for $1305 and YOU can buy a Mac for $1305........why not just sell the PC, hand Dad or Mom the $1305, go online with Dad or Mom and buy a Mac under $1305.....Everyone's happy - You get Mac(Gigantic Plus!!!!), your parents don't spend a penny, and your parents get that money in cash(or check depending on the buyer)!

 

[danielos]

......My question is.....if you can sell YOUR current computer for $1305 and YOU can buy a Mac for $1305........why not just sell the PC, hand Dad or Mom the $1305, go online with Dad or Mom and buy a Mac under $1305.....Everyone's happy - You get Mac(Gigantic Plus!!!!), your parents don't spend a penny, and your parents get that money in cash(or check depending on the buyer)!

That sounds good, but wouldn't it be better to have both?
and I think I have this straight,if I were to get an ibook,all I would have to do to transfer iTMS songs is put them on the ibook, and then deauthorize the pc and authorize the ibook, right?

 

[ApplejustWorks]

absolutley correct!!! But back to what you said at the beginning of your last post, why would want to have a pc and mac? Whats the point if you could save approx. $1305 s? I mean you could save that money and just buy Virtual PC to run all Windows apps......I don't even see why you would need that either!.....A Mac comes with everything you need which is why you won't need VPC unless you NEED to run a windows app.........

Just a bit of my opinion but: Switching to the Mac world is certainly cooler when you cut ALL your strings with MSFT.......

Just think......A computer world........without..........Micro$oft!!!!!!!!!! Sounds Bundi-Bah!!!


BTW: If you were wondering what Bundi-Bah is........it's word that my uncle uses to say everything is fantanstic......but it sounds soooo much more......Apple!


Anywayz.........HAVE A BUNDI-BAH DAY!

 

[danielos]

The only bad thing about selling this pc to get a mac is what if I don't like the mac? I think I'm going to this authorized reseller in town to test drive a mac in Panther, as the last time I used a mac was a month ago at that internet cafe.

 

[witeshark]

In a little while of use you will get to love it! I have no doubt! It didn't take me long at all! The command line (terminal) is fun, and knowing that you have Unix security and stability rules! Once you get it you need to get familiar with the crons and repair permissions, but it's easy!

 

[Stevejac]

Or maybe not

If you can really, really can get $1305 for your PC then you have a high end PC. I don't know about the used MAC market, but the PC depreciates immediately when unpacked. Probably 50%. If you can get $1305 for your used PC you must have something like a 2.5Ghz P4 plus or AMD equivalent, 512MB or more RAM, a large HD (80GB plus). Your computer is running XP since it must be less than 2 years old. If your machine is less than the above, more or less, you're kidding yourself about resale value or have a buyer who's kidding him/her self.

Comparing that sort of a MS box to a low end MAC is ludicrous. In spite of what folks say here, XP isn't slow and it isn't unreliable. The arguement about having to buy antivirus software is relevant if you're buying new, but if you already have an XP box, you've got virus sw (or if not, you're unwise). The firewall is included in XP but you can get Zonealarm free as you can for Adaware and Spybot.

XP boxes typically go months between crashes. While my iBook has already crashed once in the month I've had it, my XP box is about 4 months old, heavily used by the whole family and has crashed a total of zero times. It's current up time is a month and a half. They only reason to re-boot it is that it needs it sometimes to install new sw or updates. As fo r reliability, my Gateway low end XP laptop is a year old and doing fine. My iBook has a marginal trackpad such that I'll probably need to send for repair.

The time you need to spend keeping XP up to date and safe is really the biggest advantage of the MAC. But you are a kid, you've got time. As far as I can see, a lot of the pro-apple, anti-MS stuff is just emotion about MS's business practices (awful) and esthetics (OS X is really pretty, but XP isn't bad...)

The bottom line is that if you go from a high end PC to a low end mac you won't be all that happy. Comparing my P4 2.8Ghz 1.5GB Ram machine (I needed the high end to do digital photography) to my 12" G4 iBook is--well, really no comparison. The iBook is far slower. It's fine for what I bought it: as a 3rd computer for the family and a small, light laptop to take when I travel to download digital photos and burn CD of them. But I seriously doubt I'd be happy with Photoshop on this laptop.

Another thought-- do you have a reasonable PC monitor? Could you use it on your MAC?

Anyway, there are some other things to think about.

 

[witeshark]

If you can really, really can get $1305 for your PC then you have a high end PC. I don't know about the used MAC market, but the PC depreciates immediately when unpacked. Probably 50%.
XP boxes typically go months between crashes.<...>
to take when I travel to download digital photos and burn CD of them. But I seriously doubt I'd be happy with Photoshop on this laptop.

Another thought-- do you have a reasonable PC monitor? Could you use it on your MAC?

Anyway, there are some other things to think about.

Photoshop?? wait til you try iPhoto!! And should I even get started on iTunes? If you crashed your iBook, amazing achievement! There should be an award for that! A month on my Mac proved beyond any doubt that Mac - better - then M$ pc has been brought to a new level! Troll much?? they are waiting for you in Linux forums to Unix - kernel BSD based OS can never be matched by any M$ attempt. And shall we talk about worms, the ZERO secure address book in outlook express virus and the idiotic lack of permissions to execute in the registry DOH!

 

[witeshark]

danielos: In any forum, when people talk big on M$ isn't that special !!! it's called trolling by M$ people that are scarred of the insane lapse in M$ quality and the true and rightly competition Apple is setting up. Mac is Better -simple as that!

 

[ApplejustWorks]

I totally agree with WhiteShark......SteveJac, If what you are saying is actually true, you must have gotten a 1 in 1 million iBook, because if your eXtra Problems pc can beat your lovely iBook, there is a problem............Daneilos, go check out the apple at a reseller or retailer, play around with the macs, get used to them.....Then if you feel ready, sell that Trouble Causing PC and buy that beautiful iBook!!!!!

 

[StarManta]

Photoshop?? wait til you try iPhoto!! And should I even get started on iTunes?

Um.... Photoshop and iPhoto are completely different applications. I have both and use both.

And iTunes is hardly a reason to switch...as it's on Windoze....

 

[danielos]

If you can really, really can get $1305 for your PC then you have a high end PC. I don't know about the used MAC market, but the PC depreciates immediately when unpacked. Probably 50%. If you can get $1305 for your used PC you must have something like a 2.5Ghz P4 plus or AMD equivalent, 512MB or more RAM, a large HD (80GB plus). Your computer is running XP since it must be less than 2 years old. If your machine is less than the above, more or less, you're kidding yourself about resale value or have a buyer who's kidding him/her self.

Comparing that sort of a MS box to a low end MAC is ludicrous. In spite of what folks say here, XP isn't slow and it isn't unreliable. The arguement about having to buy antivirus software is relevant if you're buying new, but if you already have an XP box, you've got virus sw (or if not, you're unwise). The firewall is included in XP but you can get Zonealarm free as you can for Adaware and Spybot.

XP boxes typically go months between crashes. While my iBook has already crashed once in the month I've had it, my XP box is about 4 months old, heavily used by the whole family and has crashed a total of zero times. It's current up time is a month and a half. They only reason to re-boot it is that it needs it sometimes to install new sw or updates. As fo r reliability, my Gateway low end XP laptop is a year old and doing fine. My iBook has a marginal trackpad such that I'll probably need to send for repair.

The time you need to spend keeping XP up to date and safe is really the biggest advantage of the MAC. But you are a kid, you've got time. As far as I can see, a lot of the pro-apple, anti-MS stuff is just emotion about MS's business practices (awful) and esthetics (OS X is really pretty, but XP isn't bad...)

The bottom line is that if you go from a high end PC to a low end mac you won't be all that happy. Comparing my P4 2.8Ghz 1.5GB Ram machine (I needed the high end to do digital photography) to my 12" G4 iBook is--well, really no comparison. The iBook is far slower. It's fine for what I bought it: as a 3rd computer for the family and a small, light laptop to take when I travel to download digital photos and burn CD of them. But I seriously doubt I'd be happy with Photoshop on this laptop.

Another thought-- do you have a reasonable PC monitor? Could you use it on your MAC?

Anyway, there are some other things to think about.

Finally, a person with real logic!

Actually, my pc is worth $1305 including the monitor, without its about $800-1000.

AppleJustWorks, this is anything but a trouble pc.It's only crashed twice in a year and has great uptimes. How you describe pc's sounds like my mom's old amd k6 500mhz box with win ME.

 

[witeshark]

Um.... Photoshop and iPhoto are completely different applications. I have both and use both.

And iTunes is hardly a reason to switch...as it's on Windoze....

True, iTunes/iPhoto is no reason to switch... yeah... ONLY Everthing else I pointed out is, those other points were just along for the ride.

 

[ApplejustWorks]

Well Danielos, If you start getting into high-end apps like photoshop, etc, you will see that windoze has no chance(I am not talking speed here, i am talking stability).....Windoze just isn't a unix-based os, and is therefore just simply not as stable, not as secure, etc....Even if going from a $1305 Pc to a $1305 Mac is a speed drop, its still worth it for the OS. Besides, with Macs youget what you pay for......even if you do end up having to spend a little more on memroy, a speed bump up, screen size you'll will much more pleased with your Mac and it is DEFINETLEY worth the extra $ to get a Mac!!!!!!!

 

[msSwitch]

I think Danielos is contemplating the cart before the horse. In your initial post you appeared as if you were dead set on a Mac and your main goal was to convince your parents of its value by obtaining factual information supporting your decision to switch. However, it now seems that you haven't truly decided to switch, you're still kicking the idea around. I think you should take some more time to decide WHY you are looking at a Mac in the first place. Yes, it's cool, stable, reliable, and beautiful, no question. However, in order to fight your fight with your parents you must have your own reasons for wanting to switch, not ours.

Good luck!

 

[ApplejustWorks]

I think Danielos is contemplating the cart before the horse. In your initial post you appeared as if you were dead set on a Mac and your main goal was to convince your parents of its value by obtaining factual information supporting your decision to switch. However, it now seems that you haven't truly decided to switch, you're still kicking the idea around. I think you should take some more time to decide WHY you are looking at a Mac in the first place. Yes, it's cool, stable, reliable, and beautiful, no question. However, in order to fight your fight with your parents you must have your own reasons for wanting to switch, not ours.

Good luck!

Very Well Put! msSwitch!!!

I completly agree, except for one thing.....Don't find reasons to convince your parents before you find reasons to convince yourself!