[Lateralus]

My 54 year old mother has decided that the time has come for her to get her first computer. She has managed to get this far in life without so much as having used a mouse for more than a minute or two. She quite literally knows nothing. She is getting older and I think feels like if she doesn't hop onboard the computer wagon now that she will be too far behind in another few years. She has been wanting a computer for a while now but has been too afriad of them to admit to wanting one or to seriously consider getting one. But that changed yesterday morning when I walked in the room and she said 'I want a computer'.

I was more than a bit shocked by the words, not so much because I never would expect her to say that, like I said, I knew she has been considering one for a while, a son is supposed to know that kind of thing. What shocked me was the workload that was ahead of me. I am the only other person in the house, which means every bit of the responsibility of teaching my mother every single step of computer using has become mine. Everything from how to use the mouse, what to click, what clicking certain things does, what an internet browser is and how to use one, how to e-mail, etc etc... But I was always ready for it.

Her budget was limited, very limited... very. But because of the amount of teaching that will be involved as stated above, I had already limited her to an Apple on the first thought. I was not about to teach my mother how to use Windows and how to deal with it's quirkes. Too much of a task. I may be more than fluent with Windows and Linux, but teaching and explaining either to any person is quite a task. So, everything about Apple appealed to me instantly. Everything from the stability of OS X, the relative simplicity of the Finder (Even though I would argue that Apple has taken a step backward in simplicity with OS X from OS 9) to the one button mouse. The one button mouse in particular stuck out for me. We all like to rag on it as being inadequate and simple and oftens times nothing more than an annoyance, myself included. But the sheer thought of teaching somebody how to use a computer increased my appreciation of the Steve's one button mouse philosophy exponentially. I can already see how much time the mouse will save me down the road by avoiding questions such as 'Which button do I click?' to 'Why does the menu that appears when I click this thing with that button look different than the menu that appears when I click that other thing with the same button?'. Ah, one button mouse... how I am already coming to love you.

The next question of course was which Mac is 'for mommy'. Like I said, limited budget. And traditionally the words 'limited budget' and 'Apple' don't mix. That was until the age of the iMac, and now the eMac. The iMac was well out of the price range of mom, and frankly... an eMac was pushing it. So I sat for hours wondering if getting an Apple for mom was the right thing. I think I knew all along that it was, but the price demon was haunting me. I was kicking around Dell's website out of desperation to see exactly what was there and for how much. I was a little depressed by what I saw. For $499 and an additional $100 Mail In Rebate bring the total to $399, Dell was offering a 2.4GHz Celeron, 256MBs of RAM, a CD Burner... etc and a 17" monitor.

Now, the only reason I was looking at Dell was because this computer is going to have to last, I seriously doubt that she will be willing to buy another one for at least 5 years at the minimum, if not more. And I was worried that an eMac would not be up to the task in another two years or so. But then it finally dawned on me that I was shopping for my mother while trying to anticipate the demand on the machine that I myself would put on it. Mom would be using iChat, Safari and Mail, that would be about it. And for those tasks, I think a 1GHz G4 would be far more than up to the task in the present and still be up to the task in the future. So, I cast the thought of the Dell aside realizing what I had already known about the problems what Windows would cause and turned back to the eMac yet again. This time, I had a slightly different outlook.

I had managed to sell mom on the idea of a refurbished unit to save money. I have bought refurbished machines myself and have found them to be practically brand new, and have never felt that I was missing out on anything over a brand new unit. So, the order was placed with Apple for a 1GHz/128MB/40GB/Combo eMac for a total of a little over $750 after tax and free shipping. I felt good with the choice, not just because I was getting her a machine that I knew was of a far higher quality than the Dell, but a machine that would be far less intimidating than the Dell.

I swear... My mother should be the spokes person for the AIO computer design, putting to rest all ideas that the AIO design does not sell and does not appeal to anyone anymore. She is frankly afraid of the tower-speakers-monitor-keyboard-mouse-assload-of-cables computer setup, and had made it clear that she wanted something simple, something like an AIO. If it were not for the AIO design of the eMac, I strongly doubt that she would have wanted a computer enough to get one. She was sold when I showed her a picture of the eMac, and explained that inside that one piece was the computer, speakers and monitor. And that the only cable dangling on the floor would be the power cord.

So, with the machine ordered, I placed another order at OfficeDepot for a 6 foot table to use as a basic computer table, a nice purple mouse pad (her favorite color) and a surge protector, bringing the total for mom's adventure to about $825, and I'm giving her the 256MB stick from my Power Mac to help zip things up in OS X. I'm thinking it will be a fun experience. I have seen my mom feel left out while the rest of the world moved on to the internet for information and entertainment, while she confined herself to trips to the library to check out books. Now, she catches up with the rest of us, and I'm proud that she'll be doing it on an eMac.

Let the adventure begin.

[Ambassadeur]

Good luck to you and your mommy for this adventure!
I just equipped my parents with an eMac as well and feel sort of the same, helping them embark into uncharted internet territories...

[Jens Peter]

My aunt just got her first computer too - but a windows machine. She have one program she must be able to run, a small program she uses in her shop too, and ofcourse it's windows only.
Explaning her how her new 3-button mouse works, and what button to press to do one thing, and a nother to do something else was/is very confusing... She tries a lot before calling me, but as she put is: "This thing isen't easy to use!" "Why must it do that? That's just stupid!". I can only agree, telling her that on my machine, I don't have to worry about all that. It's just that more easy.

I just wish she could have a mac. No virus to worry about, only one mousebutton etc...

Anyway, hope your mom will enjoy her new computer, and not be afraid of using it.

[neilw]

Good luck with your teaching! I found it to be, at times, a rather exasperating process with my parents, but these days they're doing pretty darned well, and it's nice to see how far they've come. They're on Windows, unfortunately. Why? They didn't want an AIO, and I couldn't in good conscience advise them to buy a PowerMac for their use.

While they're not for everybody, I do believe that for some people, a well-designed AIO is an absolute godsend, and Apple should continue to make them for sure.

[discotronic]

My mother, who is 50, just started using a computer also. I got a great deal a Windows laptop but she couldn't get the 2 buttons thing down and she had a hard time with the whole Windows interface. It just sat in the case for almost a year. At that point I knew it was time for a Mac. At first I had her using a PowerBook 3400c running OS 8.6. She was hooked almost instantly. She picked up on it so quickly I was kinda shocked.

She loves doing research on antique furniture. Sometimes she would go to the library and get 5-10 books at a time. She had a hard time getting the information that she was looking for. The internet has proven a great resource for her.

The PB died and she wanted another one. I was telling her about the eMac but she wanted a laptop because of the whole portability things. I kept looking around for a nice used one but even older Wall Streets are up there in price. Goes to show how well Macs hold their price. So I saw an opportunity for myself to ungrade. I gave her my old iBook (which was only a year old) and bought a new one for myself. She went from OS 8.6 to Panther without a hitch. She says that the new OS is sooo much easier to use and looks perfect. 8.6 froze up on her a few times. Imagine me trying to explain to her why that happens OSX just keeps chugging along.

I think its great to see anyone take an interest in computers for whatever reason. I love them and teaching my mother how to use one is great. Even though the amount I have spent on laptops in the last year is going to break me. Good luck everyone

[webcookie]

I recently got my dad to buy his first Mac; we have matching iBook G4's. This is not his first computer, however (our first computer was back in 1992 and it ran DOS and shortly after that it ran Windows 3.1). He loves having a laptop and AirPort so that he can surf online from his chair in the living room, while at the same time I'm online from my room. Now we're just trying to convince my mom, who never uses computers, to start using his iBook.

Your mom is gonna love her new eMac!

[Thorts]

My folks have been on Windows boxes since their first PC in 1996. But I got them a new 700 G3 iBook a few months ago, and built them a wireless network. At first, my Dad was sort of leary, after I had bashed their Windows machines for years. But, he keeps telling me now, "I love my iBook!". He takes it to his lunch bunch (he's retired) frequently, hooks up iChat with his iSight, and is getting along wonderfully with it. I am amazed at how well my computer illiterate father has done. My mother, on the other had, who took to Windows without much pain, is afraid of the iBook. So, I 've got someone who is a born again Apple evangelist, and a non-believer.

It is impossible to predict who will be a happy convert. But the passion we share should help those we bring into the fold. Good luck with future converts!

BTW, after years of trying, my entire family is now on Macs! OK, I had to buy computers for them, but everyone is glad they are on Macs now.....

Thorts

[discotronic]

Originally posted by Thorts:


BTW, after years of trying, my entire family is now on Macs! OK, I had to buy computers for them, but everyone is glad they are on Macs now.....

Thorts

It seems I am having the same problem. I would rather see them on a Mac so I basically break down and buy one for them. I just hope that one day they will all pitch in and buy me a a nice PowerMac. Wishful thinking.