[clue-tech] The cult of Mac

[John]

Hey after you're done with that turkey leg, you mind throwin' up a wall in
the basement for me?

(sorry, couldn't resist)

John

On Tue, Jul 1, 2008 at 1:42 PM, Nate Duehr <nate at natetech.com> wrote:

> 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
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