Convince A Windows User

[ChrisA]

Hey All
I have been a Windows user for most of my life, except for a short stint on Macs when I was very little. Now that I'm about to start my TEE(Tertiary Entrance Examination) my parents have agreed to put a bit of money towards buying a laptop, and I have my heart set on the Macbook Pro, but my parents, being Windows users, arn't so keen for me to get "this weird" thing (their words, not mine). I need your guys help to convince them (and me to some extent) that buying a Mac will be a good thing. Anything will do, from personal switching experiences, to why they are better. Anything that will convince them. Anything will be a great help.
Thanks,
Luke

P.S They are also worried about compatability with my school network, networking in general and compatability with Office so some stuff on that would be helpful.

Tell them the mac is "weird" thing" only in the same way that a BMW would appear weird if parked next to 400 Ford Escorts. Dells are more popular then Apples macs ONLY for the same reson Escorts or more popular than BMWs (price)

But now with Apple's switch to Intel the BMW is price is lower then the Escort price. Yes. I was in Best Buy and found a Sony notebook spec'd out like a Macbok with Intel Core Dual and all and the price was about $400 higher.

 

[MacBoobsPro]

Going with the 'It just works' side of the argument. I have a Sony DVCAM, a Canon Scanner, an Epson Printer, an Iomega external HD, 2 iPods, an iBook and a MacBook as well as a Motorola and a Sony Ericsson phone. All I had to do to get them ALL to work flawlessly was plug them in.

No drivers, no CDs to install crappy programs that you dont need but have to install anyway to use the hardware.

Just plug em in!

My MacBook is being delivered soon and I have no worries about it connectivity wise. All i have to do is turn it on and the network (airport) will ask if i want to join it. I click yes and then im on the internet and connected to all my other macs and all the other stuff i mentioned above. When I take my iBook to work to use on the PC network all i do is plug in the Ethernet cable and I am on the network without having to tell it that it has changed from an airport connection to an ethernet connection or that it is now talking to PCs. Its 'strange' though that the PCs have trouble seeing my mac. They know its there, they just cant do shitall about it!

Macs they just work!

 

[designed]

Tell them the mac is "weird" thing" only in the same way that a BMW would appear weird if parked next to 400 Ford Escorts. Dells are more popular then Apples macs ONLY for the same reson Escorts or more popular than BMWs (price)

But now with Apple's switch to Intel the BMW is price is lower then the Escort price. Yes. I was in Best Buy and found a Sony notebook spec'd out like a Macbok with Intel Core Dual and all and the price was about $400 higher.

Besides, at least I would go for the BMW even if it cost more than the Ford. It's the attention to detail and the feel of the thing which justifies the greater price. This was also true for Apple when I switched a few months ago.

 

[iMetroid]

Explain to them that physically, the hardware is very similar to what other companies offer. Why do they even need to know about the operating system? Just tell them it runs Windows too.

On a side note, these "HELP ME CONVINCE!" topics are starting to get old. I mean, I understand how you feel. I had parent issues when I tried to buy a Mac last summer (ended up not being allowed to buy it with MY money from MY full-time job). But really, we're in even more remote positions then you are. We can't do a damn thing.

 

[Chundles]

Does that include university computer store mac suppliers?

Macs at a Uni book store? In Australia? Not. Bloody. Likely.

The most technological bit of kit my Uni book store sells is a flash drive.

I think the one at Sydney Uni might sell them, maybe the one in a few of the inner city Melbourne campuses but I think for poor ol' luke his closest AppleCentre is Joondalup.

Distance from luke to closest AppleCentres:

Albany, WA: 1650km (1000 miles)
Nedlands, WA: 1270km (790 miles)
Joondalup, WA: 1240km (770 miles)
Mount Hawthorn, WA: 1260km (785 miles)
Perth, WA: 1250km (775 miles)

Notice that they're all still within the same state as Luke, just a long, long way away.
That's a long way to go just to convince his folks.