[kmfrk]

I stalled the laptop purchasing decision for my mom and grandmother and ended up letting other family members get my grandmother a laptop (Windows), and I let my mom get talked into buying a Mac by some friends and family members and abdicated all tech support responsibility by arguing that I only knew how to use Windows.

It worked; all blame is shifted away from me (as it should be) to the electric contraptions and other people who talked them into getting the laptops in question.

I think I increased my life span by twelve years and freed up a couple of hundred hours a month by that.

I am basically the Machiavelli of tech support.

[lparry]

I went the opposite way and dumped windows and started telling people I had no idea how it worked anymore (Vista was a blessing, moving everything around into new places :P) which reduced my tech support to pretty much nothing.

Now whenever a novice asks for advice on what computer they should buy, I point them towards a Mac. For the most part, people just dont have problems; but when they do I tell them to go in to the genius bar so I _still_ dont have to do tech support. I offer advice, Apple handles support. Wins all round from my perspective!

[ben1040]

Likewise for me - after dealing with my in-laws and their insufferable Windows machine, I bought them a Mac mini last year. To justify putting them through that change I told them it would be easier for me to fix it for them since I could more easily remote in from my Mac at home.

In reality I never set up remote access because I haven't needed to. They love the thing and have never had trouble with it now.

[kmfrk]

Outside of major countries, you will not, for the time being, find any Apple stores (Stores?), unfortunately.

Instead, you get certified premium sellers or something nebulous to that extent whose only relation to Apple is that they sell Apple products; they are basically normal retail stores with some kind of accreditation from Apple, whatever that entails.

I assume Apple will expand globally eventually, but the niceties of the Apple store are a privilege, not a guarantee. :)