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My dad asks: buy mom Windows 8 laptop or Mac laptop? (1 Viewer)

Is switching to Windows 8 harder than switching to a Mac?

  • Yes

    Votes: 4 44.4%
  • No

    Votes: 5 55.6%

  • Total voters
    9

DaveF

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Having my Sunday evening talk with my parents, my dad asks if he should switch mom to a Mac?

(gulp)

I put this in the PC section because I need the practical perspective of PC users to help me answer that question.

My mom hates technology. She'll tell you. And yet she's been using it, perhaps kicking and screaming, for 40 years. She's been doing word processing since the '80s; emailing (on AOL, natch) since the '90s; had her own laptop since the '00s. And now she shares photos of the grandkids on Facebook with her iPad and iPhone. She hates the stuff, but has had more of it -- I dare say -- than some of us

My dad loves computers and gadgets. He's a Windows / PC user and has been since the DOS days. He was excited to get a new Windows 8 touchscreen laptop last Fall. But he's found that Win8 is a big change and says its unexpectedly frustrating at times.

Mom's laptop is due for replacement. She usually either gets dad's leftovers and/or a $400 Dell budget buy. Win7 is gone; everything is Win8. She's a big iPhone and iPad user. Does it make sense to up the budget to a $1000 and switch her to a Mac?

I don't know. I don't use Windows PCs at home. Work is just now switching to Win7. I know that making a bad recommendation on my mom's next technology can get a person cut from the Will. (I don't want a repeat of the time I advised her to buy a universal remote. *shudder*)

What do you think? Windows or OS X for my mom?
 

schan1269

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The only issue we have with our Mac(PC household with iPad/ iPod) is in documents originally done on PC that don't want to work on Mac.(programs galore for that...finding the one you like is a different story)As for Facebook and "the internet", the Mac is great. It was almost worth it just for the iPad and iPod to get one.What I wish?It had HDMI. (But I have the Apple AV HDMI adapter. So anything I'd want the Mac for, I can use the iPad. Except where the website doesn't work...and you default to an app)Sure Apple has its version of WiDi...but not tried it.
 

FoxyMulder

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DaveF said:
My dad loves computers and gadgets. He's a Windows / PC user and has been since the DOS days. He was excited to get a new Windows 8 touchscreen laptop last Fall. But he's found that Win8 is a big change and says its unexpectedly frustrating at times.
I thought Windows 8 had a feature built in which allowed you to customize it and make it work like Windows 7.
 

DaveF

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I should clarify: I'm a Mac owner at home (switched from WinXP to OS X Tiger). I use WIn7 at work in a locked-down corporate setup. No practical experience with Win 8.

The basics (email, Facebook, web) are fine in either system. As Sam points to: I'm don't know if my mom has an archive of WorrdStar files that she wants access to on the next computer. Or if she has saved notes in an AOL application that will be lost in a transfer to a Mac. That said, I don't know if such things would be lost in moving to a WIn8 computer.
 

DaveF

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FoxyMulder said:
I thought Windows 8 had a feature built in which allowed you to customize it and make it work like Windows 7.
I thought WIn8 was Win8. No going back. Which is why everyone is so disgruntled with it. They removed the Start Button! (Although it's back, a year later). Hopefully someone who knows can comment.
 

FoxyMulder

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DaveF said:
I thought WIn8 was Win8. No going back. Which is why everyone is so disgruntled with it. They removed the Start Button! (Although it's back, a year later). Hopefully someone who knows can comment.
I thought i read reviews saying you can set it up like Windows 7 and don't need to use the touchscreen stuff, i'd like to know too.
 

Sam Posten

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For the tasks your mother does most let me suggest something you might not have considered: Go all in on iPad.Doesnt sound like she is doing heavy text input, spreadsheets or other manipulation intensive work.Email, Web, Photos, Videos, iPad all the way.If you absolutely positively can't do that then 13" Macbook Air, hands down.
 

Dave B Ferris

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Maybe transitioning your mom to a MAC would be easier if you make sure the MAC has "Bootcamp", so she could have the assurance of operating in a familiar environment for any PC aps that may be incompatible with the MAC. Of course, before too long, she'll find herself using the native MAC more and more often!
 

Sam Posten

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Sorry Dave Ferris but I gotta disagree with that suggestion completely, tho I note it's just my nutter opinion =) Adding a layer of complexity like Bootcamp is, to my mind, like double whammying an admitted technophobe. I could -maybe- see using Parallels but Bootcamp and having to shutdown and start up whenever the mood or job required would probably lend her to just leave it in Windows and waste all the Mac goodness.
 

Dave B Ferris

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That's fine. I like Parallels, too. I thought in some cases, though, Bootcamp is "free" with the purchase of the device, while Parallels is always a separate purchase.

Either way, the OP's mom would have some sense of comfort that her PC apps/data could still be useable.
 

Steve Tannehill

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13-inch MacBook Air is what I would get my Dad if I were buying him something new. Check the refurb store for full-warranty computers still AppleCare eligible.
 

Mike Frezon

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I wish I had an answer more in line with your original question, Dave. But here goes, anyway.

My 84 year old mom is a Mac-user. This is because my sister is a Mac-user...and even works in an Apple Store.

She does all the things on her Mac (and iPad) that you describe your mother does: e-mails, photos, texting, etc. My mom does great for an 84-year old with no technical background.

The rub is that whenever I want to share images with her...or copy of some her images onto a flash drive...I am at a complete loss (being a Windows guy) whenever I sit down at her desktop. While this would not be a problem for you (being a Mac guy), I fear the different nature of how PCs & Macs work might drive your mom off the edge. I know my mom would get quite frustrated if I tried to get her to operate a PC.

I have had no personal experience with Windows 8...but have heard from enough people I know/trust that the transition from Windows 7 to 8 is rough...enough that some people have returned recent laptops purchases (with Win8) and purchased laptops off Amazon (with Win7).

I, too, will be curious to hear if Win 8 has a built-in "turn back the clock" function to restore user functionality to an older style. Firefox was kind enough to do just that after some of their latest upgrades. (See "Classic Theme Restorer").
 

KeithAP

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New Windows 7 machines are readily available from Dell's web site. If your Dad/Mom would like to make Windows 8 a little more 7ish, check out Start8 from Stardock (there is a free trial).

That being said, who will be your Mom's "go to" tech support person? It sounds like it will be your Dad. Is he comfortable with OS X to the point that he will be able to help your Mom when she has questions or problems? Has your Mom ever used OS X and does she mind switching?

Based on your original description of the situation I would think a new Windows 7 system from Dell or just doing everything on the iPad, as Sam suggested, are probably the best choices.

-Keith
 

DaveF

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Sam Posten said:
For the tasks your mother does most let me suggest something you might not have considered: Go all in on iPad.Doesnt sound like she is doing heavy text input, spreadsheets or other manipulation intensive work.Email, Web, Photos, Videos, iPad all the way.If you absolutely positively can't do that then 13" Macbook Air, hands down.
She uses her iPad regularly, and has a Logitech Keyboard cover for it (in fact, I demo'd her keyboard before buying one for myself). I can raise this as a possibility. I don't know her uses well enough to know what she uses a laptop for vs an iPad. But she does normal web, email, grandkids photo stuff. She's not running a business or doing CAD design.
Dave B Ferris said:
Maybe transitioning your mom to a MAC would be easier if you make sure the MAC has "Bootcamp", so she could have the assurance of operating in a familiar environment for any PC aps that may be incompatible with the MAC. Of course, before too long, she'll find herself using the native MAC more and more often!
I've used both Bootcamp and Parallels for several years myself. But I think for my mom, that would be too complex. The transition needs to work without such a massive crutch, or remain with Windows.
Steve Tannehill said:
13-inch MacBook Air is what I would get my Dad if I were buying him something new. Check the refurb store for full-warranty computers still AppleCare eligible.
Thanks. I haven't kept up on the tradeoffs between the Airs and Pros.
Mike Frezon said:
I wish I had an answer more in line with your original question, Dave. But here goes, anyway.

My 84 year old mom is a Mac-user. This is because my sister is a Mac-user...and even works in an Apple Store.

She does all the things on her Mac (and iPad) that you describe your mother does: e-mails, photos, texting, etc. My mom does great for an 84-year old with no technical background.

The rub is that whenever I want to share images with her...or copy of some her images onto a flash drive...I am at a complete loss (being a Windows guy) whenever I sit down at her desktop. While this would not be a problem for you (being a Mac guy), I fear the different nature of how PCs & Macs work might drive your mom off the edge. I know my mom would get quite frustrated if I tried to get her to operate a PC.

I have had no personal experience with Windows 8...but have heard from enough people I know/trust that the transition from Windows 7 to 8 is rough...enough that some people have returned recent laptops purchases (with Win8) and purchased laptops off Amazon (with Win7).

I, too, will be curious to hear if Win 8 has a built-in "turn back the clock" function to restore user functionality to an older style. Firefox was kind enough to do just that after some of their latest upgrades. (See "Classic Theme Restorer").
Thanks. I'm the opposite. I don't know what to do with photos on a Windows machine. It would be easier if she had a Mac. Though mostly, we share via Facebook.
Keith Plucker said:
New Windows 7 machines are readily available from Dell's web site. If your Dad/Mom would like to make Windows 8 a little more 7ish, check out Start8 from Stardock (there is a free trial).

That being said, who will be your Mom's "go to" tech support person? It sounds like it will be your Dad. Is he comfortable with OS X to the point that he will be able to help your Mom when she has questions or problems? Has your Mom ever used OS X and does she mind switching?

Based on your original description of the situation I would think a new Windows 7 system from Dell or just doing everything on the iPad, as Sam suggested, are probably the best choices.

-Keith
Dad would be the daily tech person. Which would be interesting, since he's a Windows guy. But she'd also be able to get help from me and my wife.

I don't know where my Dad's looking. It might be from browsing BestBuy stores. Looking at a the Dell website right now: there are Win7 laptops. And my choice to switch to Mac is reinforced. I no longer enjoy stomach shopping a cacophony of indistinguishable computer models. PC shopping was easier in the '90s.
 

Sam Posten

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My experience has been there are no good PCs for the average person UNLESS you very specifically get one that has all the crapware removed. I know the Microsoft stores have several of these models.One other possibility you might not have considered: Chromebook. It's not as crazy as it sounds.http://www.amazon.com/HP-Chromebook-14-Snow-White/dp/B00FGOTC0Y
 

DaveF

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What's the Windows equivalent to a Mac Book Air? A lightweight laptop with 9-12 hours battery life? Screen size can be 13"-15".
 

David Norman

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My opinion is stick as close to what's she's used to as possible assuming she's happy with what she does now.

Win 8.1 can function pretty close to Win 7. I pretty sure you can even have it boot up to a desktop that looks
pretty similar to what she's used to. The worst case scenario if you've got a Win7 license is just to load up Win 7 from
scratch and let it go.

You Dad's a Windows person and is already there.

Unless 90% of the Family is Apple based then all I see is a lot of frustration trying to change to a completely different
thought process than she;s used to. IF she really like what she can do with the IPAD then switching might be a little
smoother.

Upper level, but overall similar price range as a MBA
Toshiba Kirabook
Samsung Ativ

Lenova or Dell still make some very decent machines.

I don't know how old your mom is or her eyesight, but is a 13 inch screen big enough?
 

DaveF

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I think she needs to see a Mac and comment on whether a 9-12 hr battery life is interesting. Otherwise, saving $500 with a budget PC will be the easier and best choice. I'm not hearing that Windows 8 is especially awful or OS X switching is especially easier.
 

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