I have been using a PC for the past 7 years and now there is a big change coming - I am purchasing a 1.42ghz, 80 gb, combo drive MAC MINI. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW if I should purchase it online via apple.ca, or at Best Buy. The price is the same $749. (canadian dollars). It comes with a l year warranty and plus, if I pay for it using my credit card I will receive an extra year of extended warranty (via a plan they have with an insurance company)!! That sounds great! AND ANY OTHER SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED, BUT I NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU ASAP PLEASE!! THANKS! (PLEASE: no big words .I DO NOT UNDERSTAND COMPUTER LINGO AS I AM SELF TAUGHT AND BASICALLY KNOW JUST INTERNET SURFING AND EMAIL!)

ScottGem

Hi Violet,

Why are you getting a MAC? If all you are going to use it for is surfing and E-mail, an low end Windows PC for less that $750 will do the job for you. You mentioned Best Buy, check out this:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....prd42900050001 With rebates the final cost could be half the cost of the MAC.

For the $750 you can get much more computing power.

This is not a knock on the MAC, they are nice machines, but they are very specialized. As I said in another post, MACs comprise less than 10% of the PC market. That means getting software and support for it will be more difficult. The reason most people buy a MAC, is a) because they are used to them having used one for a while and b) because they need to do something that the MAc is better at (usually some graphics stuff).

violet0019

usually
FIRST: I HAVE BEEN MEANING TO TELL YOU THAT I DO WISH TO RATE YOU EACH TIME (LIKE AT THE OTHER POINTASK SITE ETC. BUT MOST OFTEN WHEN I CLICK ON THE SPOT IN THE RIGHT HAND CORNER AT THE TOP, THIS IS WHAT I RECEIVE: "You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to ScottGem again.", so, sorry I CANNOT RATE YOU OVER AND OVER!! (Odd system here)

Now, the reason why I am purchasing a Mac Mini......for the past 2 years, I have had difficult times with my 15 yr. old son and porno sites. I do not have the energy to go into all the details and the entire story, but, I am VERY TIRED with many difficulties in my personal life, I am ill, my son has just been diagnosed with Diabetes 1 and is very very ill, and I am SO TIRED of the constant fight about porno on the computer, that now, I am GIVING IN!!!! In all the 15 years of parenting, this has not been what I do, but now, at this point, after using a very old broken computer for over 2 years, that got infected with virus', worms, spyware etc., and promises of him not going on porno again, sticking to it for 3-4 months, going on again, then not being allowed to use the computer, as a consequence to going on porno, etc. etc. over and over........now, at this point, I am so frustrated that this is the deal I made with him. He believes that Mac's do not get virus'es, so I made a deal that at this point fine, he will pay for any repairs due to viruses, due to porno sites etc. that he visits that attack our computer, so he agreed. Scott, I cannot keep on fighting with him about the porno, I have never given in, but now, there is too much going on, I will give him his porno, and although I am ashamed that I am really doing this, and so embaressed to say this out loud so that everyone is reading this and probably thinking that I am terrible - I should not allow him to have his way, well, he has not had his way for the past 2 years,of constant policing, finding porno, policing, finding porno, consequences etc. etc. and not having a computer that works for him to be able to do homework, and it is a very old computer with windows 98, I have it since 1998........ and on and on..... and now being at the hospital everyday with him, I will GIVE IN - otherwise I am going to crack up from everything, and then I will be good to no one......so that is it Scott. I am ridden with guilt, but I give up. THANKS FOR THE SUGGESTION ANYWAY. IF I COULD, IF I HAD MORE STRENGTH I WOULD TAKE YOUR ADVICE BECAUSE IT MAKES 100% BETTER SENSE THAN WHAT I AM DOING. BUT IF THIS IS THE BIG MISTAKE I AM MAKING IN MY PARENTING, AFTER 2 YEARS OF HORROR WITH THE COMPUTER AND HIM AND PORNO AND CONSEQUENCES, AND NOT ONLY THAT - I HAVE BEEN ALSO NOT ENJOYING USING A BROKEN DOWN COMPUTER BECAUSE OF ALL OF THIS......IT WILL BE A SHOCK FOR ME TO HAVE A MAC AS I KNOW NOTHING OF COMPUTERS, SELFTAUGHT TO USE THIS ONE, WINDOWS, SO.....AT THIS POINT IS AM SAYING "WHATEVER"!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND NOW YOU PROBABLY THINK I AM A TERRIBLE PARENT FOR WHAT I AM DOING...........ALL I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW IS...... WHATEVER!!!!!

ScottGem

Hi Violet,
Its not true that Macs don't get viruses. But just like fewer people write software for MACs because there are so few of them, fewer people write viruses for them. Its also somewhat harder to write viruses for them.

But frankly, I wouldn't buy a MAC just for that reason. As I showed you, you can problably get 2 low end PCs for what you will pay for that MAC. Why not do that and give one to your son and tell him he's responsible for it. If anything goes wrong with it, he has to get it fixed. Meanwhile you'll have your machine to continue to use.

I have been using cyberspace for close to 20 years and never been infected by a virus. I practice safe computing so it possible to keep a system safe.

As for his frequenting porn sites. Frankly, I would be worried about a 15 yr old boy who didn't want to get to those sites. Its not abnormal for him to be curious. When I was his age I snuck into my dad's Playboy mags. I think you are making the right move in giving in to him. By removing the forbidden fruit aspect of it, I think he will grow out of it in time.

My best wishes go out to both of you. And good luck.

One more thing. Don't worry about the ratings. I've never been concerned about them. As long as know my advice has helped you, that's all I need.

labman

I think the Mac will be a good choice for you. I used a Mac for years, and if I was going to buy a computer now, it would be a Mac. If you aren't doing specialized work where the software is only available for Windows, or interacting with a work group, the Mac may be a good choice. In general, you can forget all the problems with viruses and other malware. Dump IE and other Microsoft products. I am running Linux, and do not use any Microsoft products, or Norton, McAfee, or other such. I think I am doing more than you, but my needs may be more similar to yours than some others. I would look at Netscape or Firefox as a browser. I am still using Netscape 4.x for email because it has the most powerful and friendly spell check I have found. Likely the Mac will come with software to open Word and other Microsoft files.

Likely the Mac is a better choice for you than Linux. I couldn't manage it without support from my son in law. You do need support, especially at first. As I suggested in my other post, you may need to find Mac enthusiasts to help. I would help if I could, but I am afraid that what I know of Mac OS 7.6.1 would be useless to you. I checked one of my old bookmarks, and help is still available at www.apple.com/appleworks. Where ever you bought it should help too.

You must approve 20 different experts before you can go back and approve the same one again. Unfortunately, it looks like the trolls can go through and disapprove every single post good, bad, or otherwise of anybody that says anything that offends them.

ScottGem

Hi Violet,
I'm curious, did you get your MAC? If so, how do you like it, did you have any problems setting it up?

Scott<>

bausman

Violet,

I have used both Macs and PCs and find Macs the easiest to use and configure, especially for what you are trying to do. They do not get as many viruses but they can get them, especially from pornographic web sites. It would be well worth purchasing Norton Anti-virus to put on the Mac to protect it.

I don't agree with ScottGem on the Mac being a specialized machine. I manage a large network and out of the 5 administrators there, all of us run PowerBook G4s (Mac laptops) to manage the network. With the advent of OS X (the operating system on Macintosh) it has become the most versitile machine i have ever used. Our network has Unix (Solaris), Linux, Windows, and Macintosh machines and we can control them all from a Mac - I can't do that from a Windows machine. For me, it is a great machine.

I hope this helps.

ScottGem

But it seems that you are using it in a specilazed role, that of controlling a diverse network.

Curlyben

Bausman, surprisingly enough the same could be achieved from a linux box and with a massively lower TCO to either a Mac or PC
Ps congrats on reopening a four month old post really helpful.

bausman

To answer Scottgem, controlling a network is a specialized role but it is not all the Mac does nor is it limited to that - poor example on my part. My point was that it is powerful and versitile enough to do that and even more. 5 years ago I wouldn't have made that claim.

As far as opening a 4-month old post, newbie error.