Comments on: Windows Upgrade, Part I http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/ Thoughts and photos from an American living in Spain. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 22:45:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Paul http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1580 Paul Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:08:02 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1580 I see a nice side benefit to having "learned" to use my iMac this morning as I play with the XO computer. Operating systems are like languages - the more you know, the easier it is to learn another. I have to think my learning curve is benefitting from my broader horizon. This XO is very cool, by the way. Thanks for pointing me in this direction Erik! I see a nice side benefit to having “learned” to use my iMac this morning as I play with the XO computer. Operating systems are like languages - the more you know, the easier it is to learn another. I have to think my learning curve is benefitting from my broader horizon.

This XO is very cool, by the way. Thanks for pointing me in this direction Erik!

]]> By: Betsy http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1573 Betsy Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:39:30 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1573 I use the iMac every day at home; however I am easily frustrated when I can't do the stuff I do on my XP machines at work. There probably is a way to right click and rename or delete (forever with shift key option) or copy or drag and drop, but I just don't know what it is. Maybe Erik can teach me some new tricks in Feb. I have continued to sell new computers with XP. The people that go to Best Buy or Dell.com or WalMart are stuck with Vista. I have had little luck downgrading although several desperate people have asked. I hate the way Vista takes control, hiding useful commands, but then pretends that you have choices by asking permission to open things. I also find it amusing that Vista has adopted several Mac OS type features such as the spinning colored contraption when it's thinking and "widgets". How does Gates get away with that? Maybe he figures no one uses both and won't notice. I use the iMac every day at home; however I am easily frustrated when I can’t do the stuff I do on my XP machines at work. There probably is a way to right click and rename or delete (forever with shift key option) or copy or drag and drop, but I just don’t know what it is. Maybe Erik can teach me some new tricks in Feb. I have continued to sell new computers with XP. The people that go to Best Buy or Dell.com or WalMart are stuck with Vista. I have had little luck downgrading although several desperate people have asked. I hate the way Vista takes control, hiding useful commands, but then pretends that you have choices by asking permission to open things. I also find it amusing that Vista has adopted several Mac OS type features such as the spinning colored contraption when it’s thinking and “widgets”. How does Gates get away with that? Maybe he figures no one uses both and won’t notice.

]]> By: Paul http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1572 Paul Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:48:06 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1572 She doesn't mind, but she will if it breaks and she can't fix it. She doesn’t mind, but she will if it breaks and she can’t fix it.

]]> By: Erik R. http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1571 Erik R. Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:04:17 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1571 So how has your 'splainin' gone so far? It's funny that I meant this post to be about the physical windows in our house. Any Windows folks out there care to comment? So how has your ’splainin’ gone so far?

It’s funny that I meant this post to be about the physical windows in our house.

Any Windows folks out there care to comment?

]]> By: Paul http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1570 Paul Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:11:56 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1570 I didn't kick and scream, but I wasn't an easy convert either. I went through the 1978 decision - Apple or TRS-80 - and chose the TRS-80. One thing led to another, and when I opened Morganton's first computer store 25 years ago, it was strictly an IBM PC-compatible shop. I became IT Manager for a state agency, and grew from 3 machines to 400 LAN workstations, all "PC Compatible" of course. I learned Windows, and didn't want to learn anything else unless I had to. I specifically avoided touching a Mac until I spent a week in England using Erik's. The video iChat feature tipped me over the edge, but I had to figure out how to convince my wife, who 20 years ago took over the computer store, continuing to sell and repair nothing but Windows machines. What if her customers found out she had an iMac at home? While ripping a bandaid off one day, I realized the solution was to just go on-line and buy it, and do my 'splainin' later. I didn’t kick and scream, but I wasn’t an easy convert either. I went through the 1978 decision - Apple or TRS-80 - and chose the TRS-80. One thing led to another, and when I opened Morganton’s first computer store 25 years ago, it was strictly an IBM PC-compatible shop. I became IT Manager for a state agency, and grew from 3 machines to 400 LAN workstations, all “PC Compatible” of course. I learned Windows, and didn’t want to learn anything else unless I had to. I specifically avoided touching a Mac until I spent a week in England using Erik’s. The video iChat feature tipped me over the edge, but I had to figure out how to convince my wife, who 20 years ago took over the computer store, continuing to sell and repair nothing but Windows machines. What if her customers found out she had an iMac at home? While ripping a bandaid off one day, I realized the solution was to just go on-line and buy it, and do my ’splainin’ later.

]]> By: Alan G http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1569 Alan G Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:14:55 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1569 The "Mac" scene recently caused a heated (very heated) argument at a family gathering. So much so that my father-in-law called me an hour later (after he cooled down) and apologized. My grandfather-in-law went to visit his son that lives in California. His son has an iMac. For the week that he was visiting he had to use the iMac for mail and surfing. Well, he fell in love. His son's son (his grandson) works at an Apple store and can get him a good deal on one. At the family gathering which was the week after he had returned from Cali he started pounding me with questions about converting; will I be able to transfer this program, file, etc. My father-in-law jumps into the conversation and says, "Why do you need a new computer?!" The grandfather replies, "Because the iMacs are just wonderful and I want to switch." This is where things got heated and I didn't see it coming. My father-in-law looks at me and asks me why I'm trying to convert him. "I'm not. He really liked using one on his visit to California." "YOU KNOW THAT MACs ARE FOR POWER USERS!", he replied and walks away. I was dumbfounded. The conversation resumed on the subject an hour or so later and I'll save you the yelling and irrational arguments that flew around the room. My entire family knows that I'm a Mac Zealot and I felt as if I was defending my cause. What's even funnier is that, and Erik you saw this evolve, I came into the Mac world kicking and screaming. BUT I would never ever ever go back. The “Mac” scene recently caused a heated (very heated) argument at a family gathering. So much so that my father-in-law called me an hour later (after he cooled down) and apologized.

My grandfather-in-law went to visit his son that lives in California. His son has an iMac. For the week that he was visiting he had to use the iMac for mail and surfing. Well, he fell in love. His son’s son (his grandson) works at an Apple store and can get him a good deal on one.

At the family gathering which was the week after he had returned from Cali he started pounding me with questions about converting; will I be able to transfer this program, file, etc.

My father-in-law jumps into the conversation and says, “Why do you need a new computer?!”

The grandfather replies, “Because the iMacs are just wonderful and I want to switch.”

This is where things got heated and I didn’t see it coming. My father-in-law looks at me and asks me why I’m trying to convert him.

“I’m not. He really liked using one on his visit to California.”

“YOU KNOW THAT MACs ARE FOR POWER USERS!”, he replied and walks away.

I was dumbfounded. The conversation resumed on the subject an hour or so later and I’ll save you the yelling and irrational arguments that flew around the room.

My entire family knows that I’m a Mac Zealot and I felt as if I was defending my cause.

What’s even funnier is that, and Erik you saw this evolve, I came into the Mac world kicking and screaming. BUT I would never ever ever go back.

]]> By: Jane http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1568 Jane Fri, 21 Dec 2007 14:27:14 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1568 I, personally, make my strident evangelical computer appeals based on how much pain and suffering I think the recipient is willing to tolerate. I always recommend a Mac, to be sure, but with some people I am much more urgent than with others because the platform may well determine the degree of personal happiness this person experiences. I never, ever promise rapture though. I love the actual upgrade of windows bit. Crazy indeed. I, personally, make my strident evangelical computer appeals based on how much pain and suffering I think the recipient is willing to tolerate. I always recommend a Mac, to be sure, but with some people I am much more urgent than with others because the platform may well determine the degree of personal happiness this person experiences. I never, ever promise rapture though.

I love the actual upgrade of windows bit. Crazy indeed.

]]> By: Erik R. http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1567 Erik R. Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:33:47 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1567 My emulated PC is running Vista, but that's just because it was available at the time and XP wasn't. Whether people like it or not, getting to know Vista is the smart move, because whatever horror is released next is gonna be more like Vista than XP. A mac isn't really right for her. She spent like 400€ on this new computer and needs to exchange MS Word documents with her professors. Although it might be possible with a Mini and Office for mac, it would be <i>me</i>, rather than her IT boyfriend, that would be helping her with each little problem. Lovely religious zealot implication there, by the way. My emulated PC is running Vista, but that’s just because it was available at the time and XP wasn’t. Whether people like it or not, getting to know Vista is the smart move, because whatever horror is released next is gonna be more like Vista than XP.

A mac isn’t really right for her. She spent like 400€ on this new computer and needs to exchange MS Word documents with her professors. Although it might be possible with a Mini and Office for mac, it would be me, rather than her IT boyfriend, that would be helping her with each little problem.

Lovely religious zealot implication there, by the way.

]]> By: sgazzetti http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1566 sgazzetti Fri, 21 Dec 2007 11:01:23 +0000 http://www.erik-rasmussen.com/blog/2007/12/21/windows-upgrade-part-i/#comment-1566 I have heard that plenty of people are 'upgrading' from Vista to XP. XP is what I run in Parallels, and I have no interest in trying Vista there even as a second or third OS. How difficult was it for you to keep from telling your sister-in-law that there are computers in this world which are actively pleasant to use? Or are your Macagnostic family and friends tired of hearing your sales pitch? I have heard that plenty of people are ‘upgrading’ from Vista to XP. XP is what I run in Parallels, and I have no interest in trying Vista there even as a second or third OS.

How difficult was it for you to keep from telling your sister-in-law that there are computers in this world which are actively pleasant to use? Or are your Macagnostic family and friends tired of hearing your sales pitch?

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