Mac Support for Seniors

Why Should You Be Using a Mac?

Are you tired of struggling with your PC? Perhaps you’ve heard about the Macintosh computers from Apple. The Mac has been described as “the computer for the rest of us.” With good reason…when you do your computing on a Mac “things just work.”
For starters, Mac hardware is better. Some PC’s seem to be made with components that are swept up off the floor. As someone who has been “under the hood” of many computers, I can honestly say that the build quality of Macs is superior to the PC offerings that are on the market.

Yet as nice as Apple’s hardware is, it’s the software that really shines. The foundation of all Macs is the operating system. It’s called OS X (pronounced oh-ess-ten; not oh-ess-ex, by the way). The latest version is OS 10.6, which is also known as Snow Leopard.
OS X has a beautiful graphical user interface, but it’s not just eye-candy. It’s a better interface between man and machine. That’s why Microsoft has attempted to copy its look and feel with Windows (and more recently Vista).
The computer is a useful tool for seniors, but conventional (Windows-based) PC’s are complicated, fussy, and get gunked up with viruses, malware, and other forms of “cruft.” Conversely, I’ve been using Macs since the first one was rolled out in 1984, and I’ve spent exactly zero time dealing with these type of issues.

Goal-Oriented Computing

Lots of computer users get snarled up with the details of accomplishing their computing goals. Their machines don’t allow them to “see the forest for the trees.” From my perspective a good computer with good software can be “a thing of beauty.” But, at the end of the day, it’s still just a tool.
If it’s a good tool, it becomes “transparent.” It’s just a means to the end. When you buy a screwdriver or a hammer, it doesn’t come with a twenty page operator’s manual. That’s because these tools are perfectly suited to the tasks they were built to accomplish.
That’s really what it’s all about. The computer shouldn’t get between its user and her goals. Based on my experience helping other seniors use computers, most of them want to use their computer for five types of tasks. To wit:

• email and its siblings: video chatting (with kids and grandkids, other family members, and friends); and sending and receiving photos from family members and friends.
• Digital photography. Organizing photos, editing them, ordering hardbound albums online, etc.
• Surfing the web: for hobbies with networks of like-minded people in listserv-based groups; online shopping with its attendant convenience and economy, and the ability to find virtually anything you might want to purchase; and of course good old learning by exploring using today’s powerful search engines, such as Google.
• Enjoying music. You can organize a collection of CDs with iTunes and use your computer as a “digital jukebox” skipping from album to album without ever having to handle the physical CDs anymore. With one of Apple’s inexpensive AirPort Extreme wireless base stations, you can even wirelessly “stream” your music to a stereo or set of speakers in another room. As a bonus, your Mac will wirelessly print if you have one of these installed. (Oh and of course, it makes your home a Wi-Fi “hotspot”, so guests can go online if they bring their laptops (or iPhones.))
• Writing. Each of us is a product of his or her experiences. We are all repositories of unique experiences and information that we might want to share for posterity. A computer is a modern day scribe. With today’s word processing software, getting it down “on paper” is simplicity itself. Speaking for myself, I never learned how to touch-type before I started using computers. When I used a typewriter there was too much riding on it to chance typing without looking at the keys. When you keyboard on a computer, nothing is committed to paper until you tell it to “print.”

White Glove Install

We can perform a “white-glove installation": unboxing your new machine, getting it working with any existing hardware you own…your digital camera, printer, internet setup,etc. Finally giving you a tour of the new machine and teach you the applications (programs) and workflows you will use to accomplish your computing goals.
Throughout the process I will be able and willing to answer any questions you have about your new investment and allay any fears or trepidation you have about it. My main goal is to let you know that your new Mac is a friendly helper; not something to fear. You are the boss.
I want to teach you how to allow your computer to work with you, not in spite of you. The computer is an intellectual amplifier; a tool…a means to an end.
I offer my expertise and patient coaching. I have helped many seniors get started using Macs. Some have asked me back into their homes for ongoing instruction and support as they decide to tackle new things.
Others enjoy the initial orientation then just wade in and try it, usually with good results. If and when they get things squirreled up, they can call for further support.
I also recommend other resources: useful books that clearly give them the information they need, as well as other kinds of help; most of it free. This takes the form of the help pages built into their computers. (Many Mac users don’t realize that their new Mac has thousands of pages of clearly-written help built into it.)
I also guide them to many useful online web resources, much of which is hosted by Apple and easily accessed by a computer user with an Internet connection. Together we can link these to buttons in Safari (your computer’s web browser) so they’re instantly available to you without memorizing arcane URL’s. These include video tutorials that clearly explain the Mac way of accomplishing things with a computer.

Dealing With Difficulties

I will show you how to care for your computer and how to protect your investment. I will let you know about AppleCare (the only extended warranty I ever buy for anything) and what it can do for you.
It’s important to have a suitable backup plan in place to safeguard your data. After all, your collections of data—especially albums of photos—really amount to your digital life. I’ve seen too many people experience irretrievable losses in this department.
If something goes wrong, I will be there to help you too. I am an Apple-Certified Macintosh technician with extensive experience repairing all models of Macintosh computers. I have an extensive collection of tools and software that I use to provide support and keep your Mac humming along happily.
In addition to the hand tools and skills needed to take these machines apart and replace defective modules, I also have in my shop specialized tools, such as a drive sled for data recovery and migration. Chances are you will never need me to use any of this, but it may put your mind at ease to know that I own it and know how to use it when necessary.