Moving to Mac for a Windows user advisable?

[MrCrispy]

Is it easy for a Windows user to adjust to OSX?

This will be for my dad. He is obviously not as tech-savvy as most people here. He uses his computer a lot, mostly Office. I bought him a Dell laptop about 3-4 years back, it still works fine, but I had to buy a new battery after 2 years, and the screen is a TN panel.

I've been saving and was thinking for a Christmas gift to buy him a new laptop. I've never really considered the Mac before, he's been using Windows forever, high cost etc. But maybe it will be a good choice if its easier to use and more resistant to malware?

Thoughts? I'm concerned it will mean relearning a lot of basics (like Finder vs Explorer, how to switch windows etc) and is not worth it?

 

[Volume]

Get him a Mac and see how he likes it. They have a great return policy from what I understand, I believe it's something like: bring it back to the store within (14?) days if you don't like it for any reason, for a full refund.

 

[wonderfield]

Are you yourself familiar with OS X? If so, you're probably in a much better position to answer this than anyone else, as you know better how proficient your dad is. "Not as tech-savvy as most" could encompass a fairly wide range of proficiency, and in some respects OS X is wildly different to Windows.

Is his system compromised by malware often?

 

[cwaffles]

As a mainly Windows user, the hardest concept to grasp is the right click system (command click), and the universal menu bar at the top of the screen. The rest is fairly easy to grasp.

I bit of nitpicking, I never found a rename button on the context menu when right clicking on files, and mouse acceleration in OSX is horrible.

 

[Spazturtle]

You can enable right click on OS X easily in options. I have the bottom right corner of my track pad act as a right click.

 

[drowsyhaze]

Small FYI, you change file names by pushing "return" on your keyboard while highlighting a file or clicking "info" in the context menu.

I find with older people who are habituated in more complex tasks in Windows that they don't like the transition as they have to relearn. Otherwise folks I've helped transition have enjoyed it. Ditto on right-clicks and the universal menu bar.

Finder and Explorer are pretty different, but unless he's doing complex tasks he'll probably enjoy Finder. Window switching with alt-tab is replaced by apple-tab application switching, which is annoying IMO, but Mission Control (three finger swipe upwards on trackpad or the designated keyboard button) makes switching between individual application windows pretty easy, although you still have to use the trackpad to choose an individual application. Alternatively you can install Witch which replaces application switching with window switching.

 

[MrCrispy]

I've used Macs before, but prefer Windows. So I'm not very familiar.

He lives far away from me, doesn't have access to a Apple store near him. So the return thing won't really work, but we'll see.

About his proficiency level - he knows how to navigate in Explorer and the task bar. Certain things he is set in ways. e.g. he knows to get to his documents he opens Start menu->Documents, I've tried to explain that opening any Explorer window has the same shortcut in the left pane, but he knows one way to get to things so I left it alone.

This is also the reason I won't be upgrading his pc to 8.1, too much difference for now.

 

[gabhpr]

As a mainly Windows user, the hardest concept to grasp is the right click system (command click), and the universal menu bar at the top of the screen. The rest is fairly easy to grasp.

I bit of nitpicking, I never found a rename button on the context menu when right clicking on files, and mouse acceleration in OSX is horrible.

On macbooks the right click system can be set up to work just lik windows ( Bottom right portion of the trackpad. Gestures might be hard for someone old to grasp

 

[gabhpr]

I reccomond buying a refurbished machine from Apple themselves
http://lifehacker.com/5880966/why-you-should-choose-refurbished-if-youre-buying-apple-products Explains why it is a good idea. You get the same warranty and can buy AppleCare to extend it
Applecare will also give them access to instore help or telephone support. Apple's customer service ranks at the top or near the top every year.
They also have videos
http://support.apple.com/kb/VI207?viewlocale=en_US
That will show how to use any of their programs, products, OSes
They also offer individual training and group workshops at their retail locations
http://www.apple.com/retail/learn/one-to-one/

 

[MrCrispy]

Thx for the tip on refurb Mac's. Probably will do that.

 

[jimh425]

MACs aren't easy for experienced Windows users. If he likes tech he might like it or might hate it. If you want to give money to Apple, consider a IPad Air or new mini.

 

[mope54]

if you're going to get a laptop then there are no downsides to getting him a macbook.
you can dual boot windows on it and if he doesn't feel comfortable with OS X he can just boot into Windows.

you can get a refurbished model or a used one from craigslist. if you get an 2012 MBP from craigslist you can get one for under $700 and if it still has some applecare on it you can extend it for another two years. or you can get him a retina.

the trackpad and gestures are reason enough to buy a macbook, in my opinion.

 

[Skripka]

Finder and Explorer are pretty different, but unless he's doing complex tasks he'll probably enjoy Finder.

To be fair and honest though...both Windows Explorer and OSX's Finder are pretty damned primitive as file managers go.

 

[Nicterys]

I've been saving and was thinking for a Christmas gift to buy him a new laptop. I've never really considered the Mac before, he's been using Windows forever, high cost etc. But maybe it will be a good choice if its easier to use and more resistant to malware?

If there's an Apple store nearby, you could take him there and see how he'd like them without implying it as a Christmas present.

On macbooks the right click system can be set up to work just lik windows ( Bottom right portion of the trackpad. Gestures might be hard for someone old to grasp

Personally I've found one finger left-click and two-finger right click is the most efficient way, but I use tap to click. The MBP trackpad is so responsive to the difference that I don't even remember the last time it's accidentally mistaken a two-finger tap as a left click. Also, multitouch gestures might actually be easier for an older person to grasp in my opinion as it's more intuitive and easier than using the keyboard or holding a modifier key.

 

[Jerome36]

The one thing I've personally noticed, with some people I know, is they click the red X, expecting it to close the program.

 

[shade91]

Is it easy for a Windows user to adjust to OSX?

I'm still adjusting. I've been using Windows since the 3.11 days and I'm still figuring some new things out on OSX. I've been a Mac user for around 2 months now.

This will be for my dad. He is obviously not as tech-savvy as most people here. He uses his computer a lot, mostly Office. I bought him a Dell laptop about 3-4 years back, it still works fine, but I had to buy a new battery after 2 years, and the screen is a TN panel.

It depends what he does. What exactly does he use the PC for?

I've been saving and was thinking for a Christmas gift to buy him a new laptop. I've never really considered the Mac before, he's been using Windows forever, high cost etc. But maybe it will be a good choice if its easier to use and more resistant to malware?

Thoughts? I'm concerned it will mean relearning a lot of basics (like Finder vs Explorer, how to switch windows etc) and is not worth it?

Finder vs. Explorer is only really a question if you use Network shares. I found Explorer a ton easier to use when it came to connecting and navigating folders. What I've really enjoyed about Mac is the stability and lack of need to worry about malware.

 

[ashman]

I switched to OSX from Windows almost a year ago and I am so happy I did. I was worried at first, that I was going to have problems finding programs to do all the things I did outside the normal office stuff. It did take some time, but not much and its great to come into my office (home) every day and find my computer waiting and ready for me to use, long gone are the annoyances I had with Windows, not to say OSX doesn't have its annoyances too, they are just far and few in between. I don't think your dad will have too much trouble adjusting, things are different from Windows, but not so different that he will get frustrated or lost. To me, things make more sense on a Mac then a PC in terms of the OS and where things are located and the way it works, I know that sounds simplistic, its just my observation.

 

[gabhpr]

I've used Macs before, but prefer Windows. So I'm not very familiar.

He lives far away from me, doesn't have access to a Apple store near him. So the return thing won't really work, but we'll see.

About his proficiency level - he knows how to navigate in Explorer and the task bar. Certain things he is set in ways. e.g. he knows to get to his documents he opens Start menu->Documents, I've tried to explain that opening any Explorer window has the same shortcut in the left pane, but he knows one way to get to things so I left it alone.

This is also the reason I won't be upgrading his pc to 8.1, too much difference for now.

You can also do the return thing via mail.

 

[mope54]

there's also something to be said for the quality of life Apple devices and their software brings.
I find using my devices a total joy and enjoy feeling them and looking at them. I find them aesthetically pleasing in ways that are difficult to quantify. It makes the times that learning has to be accomplished much less work feeling and more fun feeling.

I am pretty much on my macbook all the time mainly *because* it's a joy to use and when I use my iPhone I enjoy the feel of it in my hand. Apple devices seem to have honed in on melding the things that tickle the left and right sides of one's brain simultaneously. If you're someone who likes that then you will probably find Macs gratifying.

 

[westrock2000]

As a mainly Windows user, the hardest concept to grasp is the right click system (command click)

For me it was no Cut/Paste

You can enable right click on OS X easily in options. I have the bottom right corner of my track pad act as a right click.

If you use a "Windows" mouse, it's already enabled. I've never used an official Apple mouse before and right click has always been available to me (10.4-10.7).

 

[drowsyhaze]

Cut and paste still exist via keyboard shortcuts - finder was designed less for contextual menus and more for shortcuts. This is actually one of my favorite things about Macs - between all of the keyboard shortcuts and apps like Quicksilver my hands never leave the keyboard.

cut - apple + x
copy - apple + c
paste - apple + v

 

[MrCrispy]

Been looking at the refurb section on Apple's site. Apple has some nice tutorials about using OSX, I'll see how my dad likes it.

My main goal is to get him a more stable laptop. I will also set him up with Time Machine so he doesn't lose data.

 

[harsaphes]

My parents who are 80 and use to be Windows users switched over to an iMac after we bought them one for Christmas. They love it and have found it so much easier for them to use. Of course having a father who used to be a Nuclear Engineer, I would hope he would figure it out. Mom uses it for her Facebook page...lol..and for emailing and using "The Google". I would say your father would LOVE having it. Just get it.

 

[eumyang]

if you're going to get a laptop then there are no downsides to getting him a macbook.
you can dual boot windows on it and if he doesn't feel comfortable with OS X he can just boot into Windows.

+1
Where I work, all of the Macs there have a Windows 7/OSX dual-boot set up, defaulting to Windows 7.