>I've bought a Compaq notebook running XP. And "you know what?" (Apple ad >quote) Everything those earnest-looking people standing in front of a white >background say in the Apple TV spots about their Macs also applies to my >notebook. "It works like a dream."
Hi Eleanor, Yeah, I think lots of computers work like a dream, PCs and Macs included. And when the dream turns into a nightmare, they can both be as bad to fix or replace. The only thing I would say in the Mac's defence (well I would have to say *something*, wouldn't I :-) is that when the software goes wrong, a lot of things can be done by the user that doesn't mean a complete disk-wipe and system reinstall. I've learned that there's a lot that can be done before the drastic action needs to be taken. OTOH, once it gets serious, levels of knowledge are required that make brand loyalty academic in nature. If it's that bad, it's very bad. The Mac OS hides a lot of the gobbledygook that the user doesn't need to see or know about. The benefit is that it simplifies operation and troubleshooting. The down-side is that it can be too simple for serious infiltration by good-natured help, short of professional aid. It's a reasonable balance though and it has worked well for me. Computers by their nature are so very complicated things, and expecting the user to service and repair them is obviously not on. Like a car: there are those that willingly learn to fix them when they go wrong, and it can pay dividends. The trouble is that they keep moving the goal posts by manufacturing more and more complicated machines that are less and less user-accessible. One if the reasons I am staying put with my 1999 and 2000 computers and OS. I can still make it work, and work well enough for me. Your mom sounds like quite a gal ;-) Best, Cotty ____________________________________ Oh, swipe me! He paints with light! http://www.macads.co.uk/snaps/ ____________________________________ Free UK Macintosh Classified Ads at http://www.macads.co.uk/ ____________________________________
