In her article, “How to fix Mom’s computer,” Gina Trapani writes a cautionary tale about how to spend the holidays with your family for Scribbling.net. “It took me 3 days to get all this done, off and on, including research and discussions, and often leaving the computer to download or scan for long periods.”
[I] went home for the holidays this week, and of course, the annual fix-Mom’s-computer event. This year things on my mother-in-law’s Windows 98 PC were especially bad; it could’ve been used as a software showcase of the latest and greatest in malware.
For future reference, here’s a laundry list of steps I took to get Mom’s computer working and secured from evil software.
– Deleted spyware with Ad-Aware
– Updated Windows
– Secured Internet Explorer
– Switched default web browser to Firefox
– Trimmed down startup programs
– Removed Personal Web Server
– Installed ZoneAlarm firewall
– Uninstalled unneeded applications
– Installed spyware protection with Spybot Search & Destroy
– Installed virus protection with AntiVir
– Scanned and defragmented the hard drive
Trapani dives the details here.
MacDailyNews Take: In response to “andy” who wrote in the “comments” section below Trapani’s article, “Next year you may want to consider an alternate approach: http://www.apple.com/switch/ ,” Trapani replied, “I laughed out loud and showed my mother-in-law your comment. My Powerbook has been sitting quietly next to me during this whole process. Believe me, if buying an Apple were an option… There have been many discussions about how the Mac is a better-suited home computer. Yes, there have been.”
Now, our purpose for highlighting and linking to this story isn’t to make fun of Windows users. The reason for this article is to explore the serious option of switching “average” people from Windows to the Mac to improve the quality of their computing lives. Most people don’t like change. But, when pushed far enough, they are willing to consider it.
Trapani’s experience echoes SteveJack’s, who just recently wrote the following in his article, “Headless iMac for $499? Please, Apple, let it be true!” – December 29, 2004:
Yesterday, a family friend asked me to help her 14-year-old daughter with her iPod mini. They had installed iTunes and had a gift card for $15 that they wanted to use. Unfortunately, they also had a POS Gateway running Windows XP. When I got to their house, I launched iTunes and the thing crawled – it was virtually unusable. A quick CTRL-ALT-DELETE and a look at the processes running confirmed my suspensions: the machine was infested with adware and spyware. I asked them what browser they used. They asked what did I mean? I asked them what they clicked to get to the Internet and they said, “the blue ‘e’ on the desktop.” I asked them if they had heard about Firefox. No, they hadn’t. I told them they had to stop using Internet Explorer and as I killed off running spyware and adware .exe’s, I asked them if the computer had ever been “cleaned out.” To my surprise, they said, yes it had. It had gotten so clogged it wouldn’t do anything and they had taken it to Best Buy three weeks ago and had it cleaned up. I told them that by using Windows XP with Internet Explorer, it would keep happening again and again. I showed them how to update Windows and downloaded Firefox for them. I finally got enough rogue programs stopped that I could get iTunes to respond and they bought their first song with their gift certificate. An unacceptable experience is what I told them this machine was giving them and they agreed. But, they had no idea what to do except take it back to Best Buy for “cleaning.”
You may think I’m exaggerating. But, I am not. It really is this bad. That’s just one example above – I’ve run into this many, many times and it’s increasing in frequency with each passing day. People are literally not using their computers because the machines won’t run their programs because they’re too busy running adware and spyware apps in the background! And these poor people have no idea what to do except to take it back to Best Buy for another “cleaning.” It really is terrible and it’s getting worse.
A bare bones 1.25GHz G4 Mac OS X box with 256MB of RAM connected to their current Gateway monitor would mean a world of difference to them. A universe of difference. Yesterday, the best I could offer them was $800 for a 50 pound eMac or $1299 for an iMac G5. If these reports of a $499 “Headless iMac” are true, they would buy it immediately, if I showed them where to buy it.
Have you experienced a “clogged” Windows machine and attempted to “clean” it out? Do you think a $500-ish “Headless Mac” would make a difference? For “average” people who just want to be able to surf the ‘Net, send and receive email, do some word processing, maybe organize their digital photos, order prints, organize their music, buy music online, and transfer it to their iPod, etc. wouldn’t a Mac taking the place of their Windows machine greatly change their computing lives for the better? Have you “switched” anyone to a Mac from a Windows PC? If so, what happened?
In our opinion, people shouldn’t be subjected to a computing experience that quickly erodes over time and results in a sluggish or even unusable personal computer that needs to be “cleaned” repeatedly in order to restore it to working order.
Have you identified any potential stumbling blocks in switching the “average” user from Windows to Mac? If so, how did you overcome those issues? Let us know below.
Yes it certainly is. Those virus and trojans just reappear all the time. With Mac no problems.
To be honest, when I switched to an Apple Powerbook about 2 years ago, my life got so much simpler. I actually spend less time fidgeting with my computer that it gives me more time to do other things. Now if only I could stop watching Tivo and get on the exercise bike.
This is Exactly what I had posted on the last thread. I did exactly those steps for a friend of the family who’s daugher just got an Ipod for chirstmas. (also installed RealPlayer *ack* since Itunes doesn’t work on win98) It took me close to 8 hours in two days. This is why I think the $500 imac is a possibility, targeted at exactly this kind of user.
I’ve done the switch to Mac thing for three former Windows users: my father, brother, and a family friend.
All three just wanted to be able to surf the Internet, email, word process (resume, letters, etc.), – the usual stuff.
There was an initial investment to buy the Mac, of course. Following a couple of hours with each person using the new Macs, there was a period of about two weeks where I answered questions about Mac OS X’s way of doing things vs. Windows.
After that, they didn’t need me anymore. No more problems. No more adware, spyware, virus threats. Their Macs just worked. They still thank me every time they see me.
We’ve been running Macs since March of 2001 – and we’ve just put our last Windows machine on the shelf.
Since March 2001, our Macs have been up 100% of the time – no viruses, no trojans, no blue screens of death – not one reboot in almost 4 years.
No data loss, no downtime, no cleaning – and other than normal AUTOMATIC downloads every few weeks for updated Apple software – zero maintenance.
The Mac: Stable, secure, intuitive. It just works.
Thank you Apple.
3 days? Gina is a klutz.
C�mon a couple hours at the most.
I own Apple and PeeCees.
Glick 7 what software programs are you running on your Apple computers?
it is hard to tell someone to trash their whole system(Harddrive, monitor et al) to be replaced by an all encompassing eMac or iMac. Yes they all want to get rid of their PCs, but they look at the price and balk.
I for one have made a commitment to stop fixing their computers. I just keep telling them: “I told you so” just because fixing their computers is a monthly chore for which i don’t have time for. So they stopped calling me for help.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
You Mac Fag-types are in love with Man Pudding and you are all liars. I have no problem with my superior Windows XP system and I can find all the software I could ever want in Best Buy. There’s no Mac software there, Mac Commies! STOP lying about Windows and making up “problems” to try to get people to use your overpriced toy Macs. If you know what you are doing, a Windows PC is good enough for anyone and it costs way less!!! Lay off the Man Goo, tree-hugging Mac Fags and switch to Windows to see what real computing really is, you queers.
It is not my responsibility to enlighten people. I use a Mac because I took the time to educate myself. It is Apple’s responsibility to explain to people why the Mac is better, not mine. I don’t get a percentage. My windows-using friends know better than to ask me questions, but they don’t seem to know why they should be using Macs instead of Windows PCs/
not going to bother with that last post…
i just had the “fix the grandma’s computer” weekend last week. it was a nightmare and when i suggested a mac, price wasn’t the issue, but she was determined that relearning a new system would discourage my grandfather. my mother (a mac user) strangely backed her and i lost the fight. i know that the mac would be a great thing for my grandparents but maybe next time.
Look who’s back….Ronny’s back.
Hey ass!!!!!
hahahahahah
Looooooseeer
btw…my Magic Word was DICK.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”smile” style=”border:0;” />
And she says her mother is using a Windows 98 PC…good grief! Why not compare it to Mac OS 7? (Trying running OS 7 on the internet…)
The computer is at least 7 years old!
According to everyone here PC people bought a new computer every 2 years. Hmmmmmmm……
Here’s a clue: Windows PC is good enough
That means you really want a Mac, Ron. You just cannot afford one…
As to the hour issue. I’ve done that for several PC’s lately. It takes about 4-5 hours to clean them out. Do it in two, no way!
MacFinn – she said it took 3 DAYS!!! Not realistic.
And it is Windows 98 – she says she “Updated Windows”
How do update a 7 year old OS? I don�t think Microsoft even supports it anymore.
Try getting an update to a 7 year Mac OS.
I have switched a few people. Most recently I got my technophobic little sister to finally get an iBook. I think the final selling point for her was Mom doing so many cool things on her eMac and vid chatting with me all the time.
Anyway, it took some doing for her to finally take the plunge but now that she has got started you can’t slow her down even. She took some pictures with the digital camera that she had gotten for Christmas two years ago and had never used and downloaded them within the first 30 minutes of starting up the computer. Then she made a slide show and took it to her parents in laws house and just floored them with it and all the other things she was already able to do right out of the box. I coached her a little at first and got her using the help menus and now she is just keeps figuring out new things on her own all the time. Her goal is to learn how to do one new thing every day.
I got her signed up for .mac two days ago and she is just starting to explore that. She has also figured out iCal and scheduled everybody in her family into it (color coded of course) and then spent about 4-5 hours putting ALL the address information that she had in a dozen different places into her address book. She says she is going to figure out how to sync it to her husbands Palm PDA so he will always have the information wherever he goes (she put in personal notes too like wife and kids names etc for him) He is absolutely amazed at the change in his “technophobe” wife and keeps saying that they should have gotten a Mac years ago. It is really really fun to experience vicariously her journey of fun and adventure into the Mac experience. She is really really excited about it.
It is experiences like this that really motivate me to try and help people “drink the kool aid” and find out how fun computing can be.
Almost everyone I know had a computer “clogged” with this crap. Most are not very computer aware and have little clue to what is going wrong or what to do about it. They want to keep it working well, they simply don’t understand it all (and they should not have to!).
I’ve known people who buy new computers because of the “clogged” effect. One friend last year wsa one step from buying a new computer. He came over to use my mac to order a dell. I convinced him that the computer was not broken. Turned out to be 50+ spyware/adware/garbage programs on his computer. Nothing really wrong with it except Windows.
So Ron thinks (and I’m using the term in the loosest way possible) that all Mac fans are “fags” and in love with some dessert called “Man Pudding” (I’m English, I have no idea about cuisine so that’s a new one on me).
And yet, he keeps coming over here “cruising” for some action. Now, I’m no psychiatrist, but I think Ron may have some latent issues on what I’ll call his “mind” until botanical science comes up with a better word.
I personally can’t see an xMac coming, probably a lower-cost eMac. But, either way, I don’t see it making much difference. I’ve converted four people since summer and they all ended up buying PowerBooks. I took them to an Apple store and let them see everything, the full price range. And these people aren’t wealthy. After seeing all the apps and tech, they went for it.
The extremely low-cost, entry-level Mac for those not willing to spend a few bucks is called “USED”.
Win 98 is not necessarily 7 years old. It might only be about 3 years old.
With a person new to computing, I first established what they wanted to use it for. It was absolutely not for games as the kids laready had consoles. It was for kids homeowrk, the odd letter, surfing, photos etc. He asked about viruses before I’d mentioned them, but that pretty much clinched the deal.
A new eMac was outside the budget, so I got a used one from eBay for the same price as a Dell entry level system. He’d manages to screw it up buy dragging lots of stuff he shouldn’t have been meddling with to the trash, but other than that clumsiness, he’s simply not needed any help. A couple of calls in the first few weeks and that was it.
The second one, I always used to mention a mac to him, but there were always reasons for him not to switch. Eventually he got fed up of fixing his PC and other people’s PCs and just wanted to use the damn thing. So I told him he could borrow my G4 for evaluation. And if he didn’t like it, or he thought it was too expensive without adding value over a PC, them at least he’d have tried it.
He just bought a 20″ G5 iMac.
The third one I failed with. He had endless trouble with his work laptop and sometimes came over to use my mac. He said, “I’ll get a mac when I buy a mahcine of my own”. Saw him a couple of days ago. He bought a cheap PC from the supermarket with a bundled crap printer.
I’m almost certain that he doesn’t have anti-virus or a firewall, so it’s all going to go horribly wrong soon.
For most people who just want a computer to work and want nothing more to do with it, it is going to take much longer than two hours for them to do the repairs and could take easily up to 3 days of calling tech support people, reading online tips, calling friends for advice, etc.
But, three days, two hours, a lifetime of pain and headache, it just doesn’t matter. The point is, with a Mac she wouldn’t have all the problems she had to fix to begin with.
one of the things this author had to do was …
“…….Secured Internet Explorer…..”
someone please tell me… how the heck does one go about doing that ??
If you cannot secure WinDoze …. how can you secure their piece of crap browser ?
I switched : Mom & dad, mother in law, wife, her grandparents and sister in law.
Soon to help a friend get an iBook, she was expecting to pay over $2,000 for something “Just like you have”. She’s going to be real happy soon.
As for switching tips. They all use Virtual PC for a specific program they all use that is PC only. I set it up with that program running maximized and leave Virtual PC in the dock. To them it’s simply running their program for them, not really complicated. Also my mother in law uses a few real estate programs in VPC, hates it… but not as much as her old PC. They’re all happy now.
Seriously, mother-in-law’s airport station has been up over 6 months, no probs with her iBook. The gramps had never used email before this, but now they are scanning in family photos and making a family tree. My mom used to HATE computers but now when her friends stop by she makes them watch slideshows in iPhoto. Poor them.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
Contrast this with a friend of mine who will soon get a Powerbook. Netgear wireless router randomly disconnecting on him, multiple HD’s with mixed up drive letters and no C: which means he can’t find anything when he downloads or saves it since they all end up under different “Documents and Settings” folders.
Switching family is easy. Find out all the tasks they want to do, figure it out for them and type up a step-by-step manual for them. IE : Turn on scanner, insert photo, click HP Director, etc… Soon they’ll be able to do it with their eyes closed and feel amazed they are actually accomplishing things with a computer for once instead of fighting with it.
This post brought to you by the magic word, change.
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />
Ron,
Would it be too personal if I were to inquire about your educational background and professional experiences? I’m hoping the information will assist me in determining if you truly are an enlightened expert on the subject. I’m more than willing to keep an open mind and entertain your viewpoint, if I’m confident in your expertise.
I have a computer engineering degree and I’ve been designing and implementing control and protection systems for the military, nuclear energy and public transportation sectors for the last 23 years. I mention this, so that you understand that I’m not asking for any information that I’m unwilling to share about myself. I also have extensive experience with the Windows platform. I use it everyday at work.
Just so everyone else can sleep easier at night… Windows has NEVER been the platform of choice for any of the protection systems (especially nuclear energy related) that I have been associated. Microsoft has explicitly exempted themselves from any liability by their license agreement if there product is used in such a manner. I can’t add any comfort to anyone when you visit your local ATM machine though… sorry, I wish I could.
One more thing Ron… after consulting with my girlfriend….. she has assured me that she wouldn’t consider me a fan of “Man Pudding” or “Man Goo”…. as you so eloquently put it. She was also happy that I’m man enough to accept and respect the fact that some people may enjoy vanilla ice cream, while others favor chocalate… and occasionally there are those that are “closet” rocky road fans.
One additional question Ron, which is your true choice of ice cream?
Looking forward to your response.
(Magic word.. truth. How ironic!)
There are several things in the above assumptions and in the “headless Mac” arguments that are misleading. First, the availability of a headless mac will only make a difference if the buying public recognizes it as better. Most people aren’t reading the pundits columns to make a computer choice any more than most car buyers read Car and Driver to make a choice. Since everyone knows someone who knows someone who uses PC’s, the fact that Mac’s are better (more appropriate for a home environment) is lost. The people who are convincing people to buy a PC from Best Buy aren’t telling those people that the Mac is a better alternative. The second point, is that to make people switch to the mac, the cost of the hardware is rarely the problem. Even with a $1200 expenditure to make, people are unwilling to give up all their software. Because of the perception that their software isn’t available on the Mac people are scared off of switching. I know there is a great product (iLife) out there to do many of the things people want to do, but what about everything else ? Take a casual computer user. He probably has Microsoft Office, Adobe Photoshop Elements and Album (that may have come with his camera), Quicken, maybe a trick cheap movie editor or something for his digital camcorder, maybe a burner program if he has a CD burner, several games, maybe a dozen, and that is about it. Still, before you can convince him to switch, he needs to purchase Office for Mac, Elements, Quicken, burner software, a couple of games, …. Since there is no trade-in program for competing products or switcher products, this is a significant outlay. Most often more than the computer cost. Saving a couple of hundred dollars on the hardware doesn’t ease the software pain. Sure, many of the programs can be replaced by iLife, but not all. If Apple really wants people to switch, they would have Microsoft and Adobe and the major software developers get in bed and give trade-in upgrades to switchers. I know this isn’t likely to happen without Apple footing the bill, but it would convince many more people to consider switching. Until then, it is only lip service. (Look at how much it costs to buy Office for Mac if you aren’t upgrading. To my knowledge, there is no switcher discount.) They could even make the switcher discount in both directions so there is little risk to those who want to try the Mac. I don’t think you would see many people switching in the other direction.
Eric