How do I convince my Grandma to get a Mac Mini?

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Tell her that it's smaller than a Harry Potter book

Tell her that it *never* freezes and no viruses, etc

The switch site was a good idea, too.

Oh, and let us know how it goes!!

 

[Jon'sLightBulbs]

You should probably just help her reformat her hard drive and get her a new cd writer. That'd be the cheapest way to go. And help her with spyware wipers and antiviruses. They do work!

 

[yg17]

While I would agree that OSX is a much better OS than Windows, am I alone in thinking that it wouldn't be a good idea to get your Grandmother to get one. While she is still fairly young, I think she would have a good amount of trouble adjusting to Macs after using that Compaq for the past 7 years. With the combination of the increased price and the trouble it willl cause her to learn a new OS, I would suggest letting her keep with Windows.

Nah, it's real easy to learn.

last weekend, my parents switched to a Mini. I was worried that they would never learn how to use OSX as they have to ask me how to turn the computer on. My mom isn't so bad, but my dad doesn't learn computer things so quickly. Anyways, Saturday night I gave my dad a quick, 15 minute course on the basics of OSX and Safari. I was worried he didn't learn a thing, but I woke up Sunday, and to my surprise, he was surfing the web and checking his e-mail as if he was still using Windows. If he can learn, anyone can.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

You should probably just help her reformat her hard drive and get her a new cd writer. That'd be the cheapest way to go. And help her with spyware wipers and antiviruses. They do work!

She's gotten sick of that $h!t. He doesn't want her to go through it anymore...

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

... If he can learn, anyone can.

oh so true...

 

[dogbone]

Mom my was thinking of having the whole Family go in on a Mac Mini....but everyone hates Macs in my family.

I'd ditch the lot and get a new family.

 

[slooksterPSV]

Mom my was thinking of having the whole Family go in on a Mac Mini....but everyone hates Macs in my family.

I'd ditch the lot and get a new family.

He already has a new family, like everyone else here on this Forums. We're his family now *starts the evil laugh* lol.

 

[AlmightyG5]

Well she came last night and I showed her some stuff...i printed out the 10 reasons to switch and the info about the Mini from the Apple site. She was really interested with iPhoto...i'll see what she thought about over the weekend and i'll get back to you guys...Thanks for the help! I really hope she gets one.

 

[PCMacUser]

Well she came last night and I showed her some stuff...i printed out the 10 reasons to switch and the info about the Mini from the Apple site. She was really interested with iPhoto...i'll see what she thought about over the weekend and i'll get back to you guys...Thanks for the help! I really hope she gets one.

It's nice that you're looking out for your grandma. I hope she goes for the mini too. It sounds like the right platform for her needs.

 

[slooksterPSV]

It's nice that you're looking out for your grandma. I hope she goes for the mini too. It sounds like the right platform for her needs.

I agree 100% with that. As for the others who say, she should just stay with XP, I ask why? You say she knows it and has used it and blah blah blah, but still she doesn't want the viruses, she doesn't want the malware, she doesn't want the spyware, and she doesn't want the problems. Just because she's what 65 it makes it sound like you guys are saying she's too old to learn a new OS. Mac OS X isn't that hard, heck I learned it in an hour of using it - even though I'm just good with any kind of computer - but still. If she's used a computer that long she'll know how to move a mouse and type on a keyboard. Simple as that.

 

[balamw]

I really hope she gets one.

If price is a real issue vs. the $295 Dell, don't forget to check the Apple online store for a refurb. The 1.25GHz combo mini's have been going for $379.

B

 

[Clix Pix]

Hey, 65 isn't THAT old...

LOL! Really, in today's society, women who are 65 are usually not ready for the ole rockin' chair on the front porch yet. Your grandmother's age is not the key in how successfully she'll make the transition to a Mac, it's other elements which come into play. 65 is not too old to learn something new.... heck, my 94-year-old mother got her first (Windows) computer last Christmas and did just great with it! If she were still here now (RIP) I'd be steering her into a Mac so quick her head would spin....

I'm 60 and I just made the big switch to Mac a couple of weeks ago and found it to be an extraordinarily painless and pleasant process. Setting up my new iMac and new PB was nothing like setting up a new Windoze PC or laptop! I am already recommending Macs to everyone I know who is still wrestling with Windoze. True, I'm pretty computer-literate, have been using them at work and at home since the early 1980s so maybe that makes some difference, but nonethless, even if your grandmother has had problems and frustrations with Windows in the past she'll quickly catch on to Tiger OS X and the whole Mac way of doing things. the Mac is so much, much easier and more intuitive than any Windows machine! People have offered great suggestions in this thread to get her excited about a Mac and I hope that one of these days we'll be hearing how much she loves her new Mac!


OTB

 

[Chef Medeski]

Good thread. I have a 70 year old grandmother who hasn't touched a computer previously. My father gave her an old IBM that was laying around. However, we still have to get around to teaching her which isn't easy. I think I might show her my computer first and see what she thinks. I know that she definetly needs simple, and she loves beautiful. She says she wants my PB.

 

[AlmightyG5]

If price is a real issue vs. the $295 Dell, don't forget to check the Apple online store for a refurb. The 1.25GHz combo mini's have been going for $379.

B

Yea price is the thing she worried about....She has 17 grandchildren and it's almost Christmas...so her pockets will probably be empty. Thats why we might just get her one for Christmas. And that 379 model is nice...but I think she would benefit from the 512. We have an iMac G4 on 256 and it can get frustrating working on it. Considering that if we were to replace the 256 chip in that 379 model it would be around the same price has the refurb with 512 mb.

 

[balamw]

Considering that if we were to replace the 256 chip in that 379 model it would be around the same price has the refurb with 512 mb.

True, but don't forget that the chepo Dell's also have 256 MB of RAM, and typically have intergated video that shares the RAM, and consequently they too suck w.r.t. performance in XP, so compare Apples to ... oh well you know the drill.

B