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>> When I switch someone over to Mac I take the opportunity Why only after switching? Is it not simpler to teach them these before switching? Wonder how much e

by barista 14y ago

>> When I switch someone over to Mac I take the opportunity Why only after switching? Is it not simpler to teach them these before switching? Wonder how much effect it will have if they did all those things regarding being careful clicking buttons and protecting personal information without switching.

reidmain 14y ago
The problem was that they were so ingrained with the Windows experience that they were resistant to change. They had their way of doing things and whenever I presented them with alternatives they would refuse to change, no matter how I presented it. Textbook examples were things like switching from Internet Explorer 6 to Firefox. They just would refuse to adapt. When I switched them over to Mac they treated it like a newborn baby. They wanted my input on everything. They were so much more receptive to change because they had never used a Mac before. Human beings are just so resistant to change and when they were learning how to use a computer in the 90s the user experience could be really grating. It seems like they just latched onto what worked and refused to let go.
- Mythbusters 14y ago
  Whoever introduced computers to these folks probably wasn't careful to tell them what to be careful about. As long as people mess with the local computer, it's possible to recover (in most cases) But being on the internet is whole other thing. I wouldn't necessarily blame Microsoft here. If anything, I feel much more comfortable letting my dad use windows 7. Microsoft massively improved their Security record after a few embarrassing incidents with Windows XP. My only message to my dad was: as long as you don't download anything, it's relatively easy to stay away from viruses.
neohaven 14y ago
Because then the user is ready to accept a change in workflow. They're getting an OS they don't understand anyway. They're "starting from 0", in a way. It also helps that OS X doesn't bother you all that much with it unless it's actually important.
- reidmain 14y ago
  I was trying to not make the post have a "Mac is better" tone but it was difficult. Most of the people I've advised learned on Windows 95 or 98. Those were horrible UX days and helped formed a lot of bad habits. I've never had to switch someone to Windows and I've always wondered what sort of experience it would be. Coming from OS X I think they would have a better understanding of "the basics" but I wonder how this teaching style would apply to someone using Windows for the very first time.

by barista 14y ago

reidmain 14y ago

The problem was that they were so ingrained with the Windows experience that they were resistant to change. They had their way of doing things and whenever I presented them with alternatives they would refuse to change, no matter how I presented it. Textbook examples were things like switching from Internet Explorer 6 to Firefox. They just would refuse to adapt. When I switched them over to Mac they treated it like a newborn baby. They wanted my input on everything. They were so much more receptive to change because they had never used a Mac before. Human beings are just so resistant to change and when they were learning how to use a computer in the 90s the user experience could be really grating. It seems like they just latched onto what worked and refused to let go.

Mythbusters 14y ago
Whoever introduced computers to these folks probably wasn't careful to tell them what to be careful about. As long as people mess with the local computer, it's possible to recover (in most cases) But being on the internet is whole other thing. I wouldn't necessarily blame Microsoft here. If anything, I feel much more comfortable letting my dad use windows 7. Microsoft massively improved their Security record after a few embarrassing incidents with Windows XP. My only message to my dad was: as long as you don't download anything, it's relatively easy to stay away from viruses.

neohaven 14y ago

Because then the user is ready to accept a change in workflow. They're getting an OS they don't understand anyway. They're "starting from 0", in a way. It also helps that OS X doesn't bother you all that much with it unless it's actually important.

reidmain 14y ago
I was trying to not make the post have a "Mac is better" tone but it was difficult. Most of the people I've advised learned on Windows 95 or 98. Those were horrible UX days and helped formed a lot of bad habits. I've never had to switch someone to Windows and I've always wondered what sort of experience it would be. Coming from OS X I think they would have a better understanding of "the basics" but I wonder how this teaching style would apply to someone using Windows for the very first time.