Yes, I know. I don’t let people on my computer either, if I can help it. Interestingly, the daughter who first petitioned
for a PC when she was in high school (which is why we have one at all,) is now in The Gambia with her MacBook.
Which is what daughter #3, the college freshman has as well. The oldest chose a Gateway desktop when she first went
off to school, but later, to do treetop research in Panama, needed a notebook, so I got her the cheapest thing I could
find which turned out to be a refurbed Dell. She’s the only Vista user in the family, as such. The kid is the default inheritor
of the PC desktop left behind which has been the cause of all this rigmarole. I don’t know what he’ll need/want for college but,
whatever happens, he’s going to have to fix it himself or use campus computer labs.
Why put the youngest behind such a potential roadblock? After all, unless a Microsoft PC has been scrupulously kept up to date, the odds are that within just a few years it could gain “junk” status, as hopelessly compromised. That said, and now that the newer Apple/Mac computers have Intel processors, meaning that they can be booted on a number of different operating systems, I’d suggest ditching that “old” PC, and setting the youngest up with a new Mac, although even there I’d suggest holding off for at least another few months or so, until Apple releases their much anticipated, OSX “Snow Leopard”.
That’s what I’m doing. Currently I’m on a two year old Mac OSX “Tiger”, which may not be perfect but somehow remains as reliable today as it was when it was new, yet I’m also looking forward to the “Snow Leopard” OS, if only to see how much better good can get.
Honestly, saying goodbye to Microsoft was the best computing/online act I’ve ever done!
He doesn’t need one yet. His primary activities are, as mentioned, animes and fan fic, plus a bit of written homework. When he goes to college–Fall '10–and has more use and interest in connectivity, college-network storage drives, etc, then he’ll need a laptop.
I’d rather save the $ until then and get the latest OS.
When I hear of a “young” person as having an interest in any kind of computing, it’s something of a knee-jerk reaction for me to see them get a ready-to-go computer to play with, with an emphasis more on play than any actual work, if only to help peak their interest in such a thing as computers.
Please forgive me if I’ve been somewhat overbearing, in that regard.
