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making your parents see the light (this is a rant...)


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making your parents see the light (this is a rant...)
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.Hack
Valiant Vicks Vizier
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2005-06-20, 22:49

Nevermind, sorry mods... Please lock!

Last edited by .Hack : 2005-06-20 at 22:50. Reason: it was a useless rant...
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Windswept
On Pacific time
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Moderator's Pub
 
2005-06-20, 22:55

Quote:
Originally Posted by .Hack
Nevermind, sorry mods... Please lock!
I didn't see your rant, .Hack. Why not put it back? It couldn't have been *that* bad. We are a pretty tolerant group around here, generally. Especially in Apple Outsider.
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Quagmire
meh
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-06-20, 23:00

Ranting about Windows is getting useless here since most of us know Windows suck. Why keep on ranting about it if we all know it sucks. I am sure your rant had more of a purpose then a rant about windows. My I UAW rant was pretty useless as well.

PS: If you can't tell this was a scheme to have you put your rant back.

giggity
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.Hack
Valiant Vicks Vizier
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2005-06-20, 23:30

Ok, ok . Well I want to buy an iBook. So I'm working at my dad's office to make money to I can buy this sucker on my own. Basically, My parents use FUD and the crap Bill Gates says to justify Windows being the better product. I say, that I'm fed up with the money involved in this 2 year old computer, all of which has to do with some virus protection, or some huge security update, spyware, etc... I want stability, and useability. My parents say that just because my laptop of choice is more expensive, doesn't make it better. But neither does hidden rebates that come with your dell... I dunno, my parents make it seem like I just woke up one morning wanting an apple, when in reality I did A LOT of research before making a decision on what laptop to buy. I know the first thing that comes to mind is "Why do your parents care, you're the one making the money and paying for it, not them," when it's mostly their wanting me to buy something that isn't going to go up in smoke. So how can I assure my parents that my decision to buy an iBook is a great move?
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Quagmire
meh
 
Join Date: May 2004
 
2005-06-20, 23:37

Easy go through the screaming and taunting. Buy the ibook. Show off the ibook to parents. When their PC brakes, tell them to look somewhere else since they criticized you for buying a Mac and see how reliable the ibook is, why should you continue to maintain their PC. Even though that is sort of evil.

giggity
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BarracksSi
BANNED
I am worthless beyond hope.
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Washington, DC
 
2005-06-20, 23:56

Quote:
Originally Posted by .Hack
"Why do your parents care, you're the one making the money and paying for it, not them,"
There ya go.

Buy it, use it, and watch them become amazed by how little trouble it gives you over the following months.
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Franz Josef
Passing by
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: London, Europe
 
2005-06-20, 23:59

Just buy it and show it to the folks. Mac Strength No. 3174 is the ability to woo parents after the fact. I showed my mother my PB the other day (I was showing her an iPhoto slideshow) - my mother is the least technological person on the planet. She loved it (I knew, she asked me how much it cost in a should she buy one way).
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2005-06-21, 08:32

They simply don't know what they're talking about. And everyone - even parents - are guilty of that at various times in life.



Sounds like no amount of evidence and persuasion is going to work (which is probably why none of us seem eager to provide you with "myth-busting" links...seems like a waste).

Do what the previous posters say: don't worry about them, buy the damn thing and be happy. Eventually, their curiosity (and frustration with their way of doing things) might get the best of them, giving you an opportunity to show off your iBook some, in a tangible, real-world way that no amount of stats, articles or "PC vs. Mac" websites could ever do.

If YOU'RE buying it and you've done your research and you're getting what you feel is the right product for you, then do it.

They can't disown you, and it's not like you're buying smuggled weapons or drugs for crying out loud. It's a computer. And probably better one than they're using, I'd wager...



In time, they may come to understand. They're only parents, you know...cut them some slack. They mean well, but what are you gonna do with 'em?


Last edited by psmith2.0 : 2005-06-21 at 08:34.
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staph
Microbial member
 
Join Date: May 2004
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2005-06-21, 08:45

Yes well, I suppose the big question is — why do you care? It's not like you're likely to agree with your parents on a whole variety of questions (like music, fashion, the propriety of underage drinking, illicit drug-taking, sex, etc)… hell, choice of computer platforms is likely to be the least of your problems.

It's certainly true that there's a reasonable chance that if you can demonstrate that you can use the computer without major hassles, they might change their tune. At any event, it's their loss. And perversely, many people do find Windows easier to use, God only knows why.

You might want to think over the fairly basic proposition that parents like being told that their long held and dearly loved preconceptions are wrong about as much as the average teenager likes being told that they're too immature to make basic life decisions. It's just one of those things.

Last edited by staph : 2005-06-21 at 08:48.
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johnd
Member
 
Join Date: Sep 2004
 
2005-06-21, 09:07

I'm known as the Mac guy at work. IT sends all questions my way.

One day a lady shows up and tells me her son wants an iBook, but she is a bit afraid. Why do you use Macs John? Don't they cost more? I just tell her that to me they are worth the extra cost, I just like them and yes I can do everything on a Mac that I can on a PC. Also, there are fewer games available for the Mac which keeps my kids from spending money on them. I proceed to guide her through Apple's store and spec out a machine for her son and print it out.

Two months later she drops by to thank me for the help. Her sons loves his new machine and she says it's so nice to see him really enjoying it. She is very glad she got the iBook for him.

- Remember that parents do like to see their children happy.

Don't give in. Get what you want.

/John
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psmith2.0
Mr. Vieira
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee
 
2005-06-21, 09:12

Good post.
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.Hack
Valiant Vicks Vizier
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
 
2005-06-21, 14:04

Thanks ya'll, pscates post really summed everything up perfect, awesome post. I'm just one of those people who likes not having confrontation, and I guess I just wanted my parents to be looking on the positive side of things. But like pscates said, they are parents and they've got my best intrest at heart. Thank you all for listening to this... I know it was kind of a childish post, but ya'll really helped meh out. Thanks , hopefully I'll have a new iBook at my front door in a few weeks!
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AWR
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: State of Flux
 
2005-06-22, 02:16

I recently had a similar if more balanced situation with my wife. To make a long story short, we needed a new computer to deal with iLife-type tasks (of which I do 100% of the screen-front time). Both of us have always used PCs at work and home. Started researching what we might need and over time realized that a Mac might be the best choice - OS, stable, secure, quality of iLife applications...

I have compiled about a foot of documents during this search; printed and reasonably indexed. Reviews of Macs and Tiger, utility of iLife, Word processing compatibility...

So I raised the prospect of buying a Mac with wife. She was quite interested in hearing some of the details (although I can also relay that she's quite bored with my daily sermon on Mac features (especially as the damn machine hasn't even been delivered yet )). We both have engaged in major bitching about our work PCs/Windows etc... in the past. But she had a bunch of questions/concerns: and extra USD 1,000 for a machine that LOOKS the same, unsupportability of translation software that she uses at work (and the prospect that in the next couple of years it is likely that she will work from home a couple of days a weeks), MS Word cross-platform compatibility...

Anyway, here's the suggestion (finally): it might help if you show your parents some of the stuff you've been reading that has led you to deciding on a Mac/iBook. Regarding stability, security, compatibility, utility.... My wife looked through some of the stuff that I have and she realized that it wasn't some lark or something that I didn't really understand the consequences of. There was no answer for her translation programs issue (rather, I said in a couple of years a decent new laptop to run those on will cost USD 1,000 and we'll get one then if we need it).

Sold.

Last edited by AWR : 2005-06-22 at 02:19.
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DMBand0026
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chicago
 
2005-06-22, 11:50

Quote:
Originally Posted by AWR
But she had a bunch of questions/concerns: and extra USD 1,000 for a machine that LOOKS the same, unsupportability of translation software that she uses at work (and the prospect that in the next couple of years it is likely that she will work from home a couple of days a weeks), MS Word cross-platform compatibility...
Haha, they don't look the same!

Which would you rather have?



or



That's what I thought. The iBook is a better choice based purely on ascetics, and you know as Mac users, we're all obsessed with that.

And on a completely unrelated note...does anyone else find www.dell.com completely unusable?

Edit: Yes, I know that he's talking about the iBook and those are PowerBooks pictured above. The iBook looks just as sweet as the PowerBook.

Come waste your time with me

Last edited by DMBand0026 : 2005-06-22 at 11:51.
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Luca
ಠ_ರೃ
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Minnesota
 
2005-06-22, 12:16

Quote:
Originally Posted by DMBand0026
That's what I thought. The iBook is a better choice based purely on ascetics, and you know as Mac users, we're all obsessed with that.
I guess that's true. We're also obsessed with aesthetics!

(ascetic is a word that describes a life of strict devotion and self-discipline, usually associated with religion... but I guess you could use it for Mac users too )
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DMBand0026
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Chicago
 
2005-06-22, 12:59



Whoops, I typed the wrong word. At least I know what I meant...I think.

You know what I meant, right?

Crap I suck.
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AWR
Veteran Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: State of Flux
 
2005-06-23, 02:51

Of course they don't look the same in the strict sense of the word; Macs are beau-tiful. Aesthetically modest and sumptuous at the same time. By "look" I meant hardware specs to the unknowing...

Form + function + spirit = Nirvana
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