[clue-tech] The cult of Mac

[Nate Duehr]

David L. Willson wrote:
> On Sun, 29 Jun 2008 09:35:56 -0600, Michael Fierro wrote
>>>      But, all of that expense must no longer be necessary with Hardy Heron.
>>> There is so much hand-holding in it, and it runs smoothly on 512MB of RAM.
>>> They just need to be shown how to use the menus and google for help, and
>>> how to use synaptic and they are off and running.
>> I think there's still a big usability difference between OS X and Gnome or 
>> KDE. I would still recommend a Mac over a machine running linux for most 
>> newbs.
> 
> Bah!  Why not Windows, then?

Lack of clue on updates and virus scanners, and people not keeping good 
backups, mostly.   Show 'em those things, and XP is fine.  I won't 
support Vista.

(Speaking of backups, Time Machine on the Mac takes care of *finally* a 
consumer OS having a built in, easy-to-use backup system that works. 
They plug an external drive in and point Time Machine at it, and the 
user interface is simple enough for end-users to recover from their own 
screwups, but the underlying tech is powerful enough a pro might stand a 
chance in Hades of helping them recover if they REALLY screw something up.)

If they've specifically mentioned some piece of Windows-only software 
they're already running that they need... sure, let 'em run Windows.  My 
dad, for example -- worked in Sales for a couple of decades, and lives 
in "Act!"... he'll never leave Windows.  Running it in a VM isn't gonna 
happen, either.

But mostly -- my answer to family is:  I don't work on Windows machines.

Reality sometimes kicks in, though: Once in a while a non-extended 
family member still gets me to look at something.

Those family members running XP don't really call much anymore, either. 
   Whether this is because they've found another "techie", or they've 
gotten better about handling their own "PERSONAL" computers, I don't 
know.

I figure it's no worse than half the family asking my wife (who's a 
nurse), really stupid medical questions they're not willing to ask their 
Doctor.  She doesn't get paid for those "sessions", any more than I get 
paid to look at family PC's.  She gets calls from REAL patients who 
can't figure out where to draw the line between waiting until the next 
nurse's visit, and dialing 911... people can be really stupid, sometimes.

"I am having severe chest pains, should I wait until my appointment with 
the Doctor on Wednesday, or call 911?"  Yes... I have HEARD this phone 
call MORE THAN ONCE.  (And then I think to myself that our industry 
thinks these people should have, and can properly operate, personal 
computers?)

The most "support" I've had to do in the last few years is straightening 
out odd-ball things family members have done to their home networking 
gear.  Usually while "multitasking" and trying to eat Thanksgiving 
dinner.  That sucks, but they don't get it.  And I wouldn't expect them 
to.  They don't ask the construction worker cousin to do his job during 
dinner though... I've noticed over the years.

I'd hand out GeekSquad gift certificates at Christmas if I thought a) 
GeekSquad could fix anything, or b) that they weren't out to rip off 
most people, selling them things they don't need.

Nate WY0X