<p>My 80 year old mom wants to enter the web age. Her interests are surfing the internet for research purposes. Maybe watching Netflix. That simple. So, she doesn’t need anything fancy. Whose got advice? She thought about a tablet, but I’m concerned it won’t be easy for her to type into and the screen size would be smaller than for a laptop. Just increasing font size wouldn’t do it for her, because she’s a fast scanner/reader and wouldn’t tolerate the lesser words per page. </p>
<p>Could she surf and watch movies on a notebook? Any thoughts? Thx.</p>
<p>I adore my Toshiba Satellite for just those things (web surfing, e-mail & Netflix). I do need to use headphones when listening though, as the speakers are terrible. Mine is a 12", which makes it large enough to see well, but small and light enough to maneuver around when I want. Full size keyboard which was something I had to have. There’s a built in webcam, but I have yet to use it, although I’d love to. No built in CD/DVD drive, but for $35 I bought an external. Never use it. Ever. Ok, twice in the last 2 years. With a Square Trade Warranty (3 yr) I paid under $450 for the computer. I really love it.</p>
<p>Does she need the portability of a notebook or will she be computing from one fixed location?</p>
<p>If the latter, get her a large screen (Minimum 17"…preferably bigger) and set the resolution low enough so the icon lettering is clear (1024x768 on a 17"). </p>
<p>If a notebook, a 12.1 inch screen is the absolute minimum. My mother has a 15.1" screen on her Macbook Pro that I got for her some years back. </p>
<p>In your mother’s case, I’d strongly recommend a desktop for maximum screen space…especially if she’s a fast reader. </p>
<p>If she plans to stream netflix…make sure the hardware in the machine can support that.</p>
<p>If she has no previous computer experience, I’d recommend an IPAD, but set it up for her with all the apps that she might want loaded on first. The benefit is that it is simple. The downside is that the keyboard is small and you can’t really type on it. Another benefit is that you can sit in an easy chair to read or watch movies on Netflix rather than be sitting at a desk. And it is portable if she travels. </p>
<p>My dad, who had no familiarity with computers at all, went into Best Buy and some salesman, who saw him coming, sold him the top of the line Apple. Now he is tearing his hair out and is having so much trouble using it. The font is too small for his eyes. It is too complex. He has taken computer classes with it and even they cannot help him. We tried to help. He still has trouble with simple email or getting on Facebook. </p>
<p>If he’d asked me first, I would have bought him an IPAD and set up the apps and he would have loved it.</p>
<p>Thanks. She doesn’t really have a space she wants to set aside for a desktop and would probably want to be sitting in an easy chair or bed. I was thinking a laptop could literally sit on her lap or on a computer pad. I think one of my girls has a T Satellite- and loves it. I’m thinking cheaper. Unlike most of us or our kids, I’m guessing she’ll just use it a few hours/week. </p>
<p>Since she’s older, I worry a touch screen for typing would be a major reeducation, whereas a keyboard will take her back to her typewriter skills. Anyone have an opinion? Do you think it’s just as easy to use the tablet touch screen? Could we really get away with, say, a Nook Color? </p>
<p>I’m torn because she’s into Netflix and has Verizon FIOS set for install- which will cover her viewing needs. I don’t think she “needs” the ultimate composite power of a tablet. Or, do you think I’m wrong and that the leap in technology will be worth the initial confusion as she learns its ropes?</p>
<p>I am 58 ,a mom of 4 , and my kids chipped in and bought an iPad for me ,with all the applications I might like ,plus Netflix . I really love it !</p>
<p>We introduced my now 88 year old MIL to her own computer about 8 years ago. It was a little pricey, but we bought her the identical laptop that my DH owned at the time. It was the smartest thing we could have done in so many ways. My MIL is one smart cookie, but you just don’t realize how much “computer” language you use until you start to explain things to someone who has never learned that language. </p>
<p>In the first months, we had a lot of phone calls from her ("I don’t know, I didn’t touch anything, but my mail disappeared). DH could sit at home and recreate what she was seeing on the screen and USUALLY figure it out. Otherwise she would have had to wait until we visited. </p>
<p>It took awhile, but she is so skilled now. She does all sorts of research, sends links to others, orders things online, uses netflix, etc., etc. It has really kept her young. </p>
<p>One funny story. When she first got the computer there were a lot of phone calls. One night, my very patient husband was little weary of the seemingly endless questions. He gave her step by step instructions, and was very nice to her, but when he hung up (OR THOUGHT HE HAD HUNG UP), he said wearily, “Oh, brother!”</p>
<p>He realized he might not have completely disconnected and sure enough, the phone rang almost immediately. </p>
<p>“I heard that,” she said. And hung up. </p>
<p>She was a good sport about it and we still tease my DH about it."</p>
<ol>
<li><p>After your mom gets adept at the computer, you might be surprised how her interests might expand. For example, my elderly aunt came to computing late in life (of course) but took to it like a duck to water. She started finding distant relatives online and began a whole new social life emailing lost cousins, sending photos, etc. She loved to videochat with friends and family.</p></li>
<li><p>My aunt liked to print stuff, like photos or cartoons. So you might eventually get your mom a printer that does photo quality. They aren’t that expensive, but of course the ink gets tediously expensive.</p></li>
<li><p>Especially if your mom’s vision is not great, you may need to have someone on standby who can come by her house occasionally if she gets the settings messed up. Do you live nearby? We paid a young man to be on-call if Auntie needed someone to come reboot or do minor troubleshooting.</p></li>
<li><p>A desktop computer worked best for my Aunt. She needed the larger screen. It had a built-in camera for her videochats, and she could adjust the font sizes when she needed to. She didn’t need to move it, and she kept it hooked to the printer.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Unless she’s planning to run a low-end netbook with a cool-running processor…I would NOT recommend resting any modern laptop(2001 and later) on one’s lap to prevent burn injuries or any soft surface which could block the fans/vents needed to keep the machine’s CPU from overheating. </p>
<p>If you’re going to get a computing pad…make sure it is not something made of soft insulating materials like the Belkin cushtop.* </p>
<p>Knew a few people who ended up having their notebooks overheat from using such things…some to the point of having to get warranty service to replace burnt out video/CPU chips.</p>
<ul>
<li>What in the world were they thinking?!!</li>
</ul>
<p>I just had a long talk with her about the tablet vs laptop issue. Agree she’ll find broader interests. My concern is whether she can get the hang of a qwerty on a touch screen (you don’t have the same tactile sense as on a keyboard, plus it takes up some of the screen space) and the fact that the pages are smaller. Buying her an add-on keyboard would just complicate where she could use it. She and DH are going out to look on Monday- the blind leading the blind. She doesn’t feel she needs the app graphics of a tablet, but she likes the fact that some are cheaper than a laptop. I do think the graphics would make things easier. We’ll see. </p>
<p>You’re right about laptops overheating. In fact, D2 had this issue when she’d set hers on the bed- til I clued her in. No issues since. </p>
<p>You don’t even want to know what she thinks she’ll research- she’s set on writing a murder/espionage book. Thanks, all.</p>
<p>Our library and the local senior center both have classes and one-on-one help for new computer users. Email, sharing photos, Skype, iPod downloads for audio books, are all areas they help with along with some basic keyboard/control/mouse skills.</p>
<p>I would suggest if you go with the tablet or IPad getting an auxillary keyboard and a holder for the tablet so it can sit book like on a table. Even my 12yo D likes having an auxillary keyboard. </p>
<p>Funny story about my 82yo Father. He has a computer/laptop for one thing: to play solitaire. So one day my brother stopped by and fixed something on Gramp’s laptop. Next time I came in my Father asked me to fix my brother’s “screw up.” So I powered up the laptop (it absolutely drives me crazy that my Dad shuts it completely down after each game) and looked on the desktop and there are 3 shortcuts showing for solitaire. I asked Dad what the problem is and he said they are all gone. “What do you mean, I see see a shortcut here.” " No I used to have lots of them?" " You mean he deleted games you were in the middle of?" “NO! I used to have more of those!” pointing to the shortcuts. “But, you only need one.” “I want it back the way it as.” So I proceded to make about 30 shortcuts on his desktop for solitaire, til it was full. ??? Lord only knows why he thinks he needs all those shortcuts, but it was important to him. LOL</p>
<p>We got my mom and IPad AND the keyboard where the Ipad sits up and out of it (sort of like a laptop). We started with just a stylus, but for surfing the physical keyboard seems to be more useful.</p>
<p>I met my mom at a restaurant (1/2 way between our towns). Explaining to her how the Ipad worked was the longest 3 hours of my life. When I got home, I sent her the Ipad for Dummies book (already highlighted) and then found a community ed class for her on the subject. Whew…</p>
<p>If you are doing an email account, might I suggest having that all set up before you see her.</p>
<p>For someone that age, if they don’t need it to be portable, and many don’t, I’d recommend getting a desktop with a good sized monitor and a real keyboard and mouse. It should be less expensive than a laptop for a similar performance system as well.</p>
<p>With the larger monitor it’s simply easier to see things and if she has any trouble with her eyes the font size can be increased without using up all the screen real estate. </p>
<p>Another issue some older people have is arthritic hands and less coordination than they used to have which makes a normal keyboard and regular mouse (as opposed to a laptop mousepad or small portable mouse) better for them. </p>
<p>If you’re familiar with PCs you can set it up with remote desktop or some other similar software to allow you to access it remotely to configure it and ‘fix’ it if there’s some issue with her using it. This can really be helpful.</p>
<p>You should pay attention to the warranty for the PC and if possible get ‘in home’ service for it to make it more convenient for her in the event anything goes wrong.</p>
<p>When you set it up for her (or whoever sets it up), configure the browser to easily go into her email and make sure she has easy to find shortcuts to her favorite things - usually the browser, Word, and some games. Make sure you show her how to do Solitaire and Spider and maybe a couple of other games - it’s surprising how much Grandmas like to play Solitaire on the computer.</p>
<p>Don’t forget that the computer won’t be much use without a broadband internet connection so she’ll need that as well and it’s an ongoing cost.</p>
<p>We just had to run an errand and I stopped in to see Ipads and other tablets at Verizon and am amazed. The tablet typing area is large enough. I want one. </p>
<p>DH was with me, which means he can guide her a bit on this decision, when he takes her looking. I loved the set up where the tablet docks over a little keyboard, loved movie quality on the Ipad. </p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the ideas and advice. Yes, she’ll have Verizon FIOS installed next week, including wi-fi. Just a matter of seeing what device she picks.</p>
<p>My mom INSISTED she didn’t want anything to do with computers. My dad has an internet business in comparison. He has spent countless hours trying to get her on even a portable laptop (which was very easy).
She has LOVED the iPAD! Easy to use, easy set up, surf internet, e-mail, read, play games, facetime with kids, photos (camera and sharing). Sit’s in her lap.
Watch movies, you tube. No muss, no fuss. Very little learning curve.
Not much to not like.
If you need a larger keyboard, it’s very easy to add.</p>
<p>My mom lives 2000 miles away and I just could not see how she could work a desktop with wirelss system etc. Could just hear the ‘my computer is not working’ calls in my head.</p>
<p>Bought her an iPad with 3G. She surfs the internet using the verizon system and I never have to hear about wireless system problems or computer problems. She loves whipping it out on the airplane and playing Angry Birds when she comes to visit.</p>
<p>Like others here we bought my MIL an IPAD last Christmas. We bought her the 3G version so she didn’t have to get a wireless set up. If she decides that later that makes more sense then she can do that. She loves emailing us and checking out all the grand kids on facebook.</p>