<p>I agree with the others that Yahoo seems to have a simpler and more user friendly interface and my D has her gmail and college account linked to her Yahoo account. </p>
<p>But, Facebook messaging may be the most simple thing to use. That’s why e-mail isn’t used much by kids. It’s much easier to message someone on Facebook.</p>
<p>Another vote for hotmail. I have several accounts on it for craiglists, retailers, etc. Very easy to set up & access. I also find the spam filters are quite good, so the ‘junk’ gets filtered. (sometimes they are too good and appropriate emails get dumped there if someone forgets to put a subject).</p>
<p>D1 set my mom up with hotmail several years ago as part of the GS badge “Exploring the Net”. Teaching her to use a mouse was one of the most hyterical things I’ve ever seen. She keept holding it up in the air. Wish we had video - it would be a viral hit on You Tube.</p>
<p>When my elderly parents were first on AOL my mother thought the voice that said “You’ve Got Mail” was a real person speaking to her!</p>
<p>I might suggest if this doesn’t seem too odd or personal to your dad that whatever account you set up, that you also have his sign-in info to log on - then you could go in once a week and “see” what’s in his inbox and help keep it organized.</p>
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<p>Not quite sure why all the AOL-hate. It got a lot of people, myself included, to set up email accounts. It has basic functionality and that’s plenty fine for most people who aren’t using it for business purposes. I don’t really see much difference / distinction between having an AOL account or a gmail or hotmail account, to be honest, if we’re talking about getting grandma set up.</p>
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<p>I think it’s a mix of AOL’s history of being way overpriced…especially in the '90s, increasing trend of buggy bloated software causing problems on machines, bad/extremely dumb online behavior of many of its users, and wariness among those who are more adept at computer technology as AOL is often seen by many of them as little more than training wheels for those whose inability/lack of willingness to learn even the basics about computer usage means more headaches for relatives, friends, and IT techs who will then need to help bail them out of another trouble that’s usually self-inflicted. </p>
<p>The expense back in the '90s and how many engineering oriented adults I’ve encountered perceived AOL as being so “dumbed down” that it encouraged folks to refuse to learn much more about computer usage basics was one major reason why they refused to get it for their families…or provide technical support for relatives who insisted on using it.</p>
<p>What about getting him an ipad and looking at his email from there. No mouse, just point at stuff.</p>
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In addition to Cobrat’s comments - the ‘failure’ because AOL apparently didn’t adequately see the switch to broadband coming up and figure out a way to transition and I think the state of their business confirms this point, the fact that people continued to pay AOL for services they could easily get free and often were better now that the internet has arrived, and worse, a lot of horror stories around how AOL made it very difficult to cancel the service, which made a lot of headlines and may have involved a few lawsuits.</p>
<p>Given the history I’m not sure it’s the best choice when deciding which email provider to use for a new user but if people like it then more power to them.</p>
<p>^^ The horror stories about AOL were real, but I doubt that they are really true nowadays. </p>
<p>For starters, for people with internet connections, the services are free. No need to cancel. Just as gmail and yahoo. The email might not have all the bells and whistles of gmail, but it is simple and it … works. And, was finding a simple to use email not the objective of the OP? Just the opposite of looking at programs that are more robust but also more complicated. </p>
<p>And, fwiw, it is easy to remember, and does not come with a silly name a la yahoo. Three little letters that almost everyone knows! And it might show that Grandpa had an account going back to the prehistoric days. Chances are that plenty of his buddies are on AOL. ;)</p>
<p>“I might suggest if this doesn’t seem too odd or personal to your dad that whatever account you set up, that you also have his sign-in info to log on” - I have his pw. We need to have that setup so that I can ocassionally help him out (verify gmail is ok, reset pw, explain an email, whatever). I usually don’t read the email unless he asks. That respects his privacy and also keeps “unread” sorted at top. </p>
<p>Hmm… have not looked at Hotmail yet. I will take a look. I’m trying to get dad’s wife to find out which email systems that “friends say are easier than gmail” - then maybe I could perhaps entice her to give it a try and she’d have a local backup coach.</p>
<p>"What about getting him an ipad and looking at his email from there. No mouse, just point at stuff. " - That was part of our original shopping with him, before we selected a laptop. Oh my, the touchscreen did not go well for him. At least with the laptop he had some comfort with keyboard navigation due to prior experience. And larger screen was good too. Alas, the mouse is more of a challenge…especially if he has been away from it. I love his positive spirit though whenever getting back into the groove.</p>
<p>You can also consider using some remote control app so you can control his PC from yours and see exactly what he’s doing on it so when you say “just click that button right there on the left” and he says “there is no button there” you can see exactly what he sees.</p>
<p>I like the idea of a remote control app, GladGradDad! Can you suggest one that has easy interface on Dad’s end? We could install and test drive it when I visit him.</p>
<p>The touchscreens on iPad and iPhone seem to be a problem for many elderly folks. i would not have expected that, but it sure has been the case in my family. My father did pretty well with a keyboard Blackberry for years, and we recently moved him to iPhone. It has not gone well, and he is pretty good with electronics, usually. There is just something he can’t “get” about it. He’s not really good with his Kindle, either. </p>
<p>My half-brother does have full remote control of my father’s computer and controls everything, which is a huge help.</p>
<p>Timbuktu is one remote control option, but I’m sure there are others.</p>
<p>There are computers specifically designed for senior citizens that come with lots of support help bundled into the (monthly) cost. Not the cheapest option, but there is lots of handholding. One used to advertise heavily in Smithsonian magazine, saying how the screen just showed you a big “Go” button as the only thing to press. </p>
<p>My parents (well, my mom) are very computer savvy for people their age. My in laws are a different story. My FIL bought an iPad but can’t get comfortable with it. I spent a few sessions with him showing him how to use email, to no avail. Even with the carrot of being able to read email from his college-aged granddaughter, and seeing pictures of his younger granddaughter on an overseas trip, he’s just not going to make the leap. He started taking a weekly class for senior citizens who are just learning to use a computer, but stopped going after the first two meetings. Too many factors (never learned to type, not a reader, not someone who’s enjoyed picking up new skills, very reluctant to ask for help) are conspiring against him becoming even minimally computer literate. :(</p>
<p>As someone mentioned previously, Presto (presto.com) is fantastic if your dad doesn’t need to reply to the e-mails. He literally doesn’t need to do a thing. He doesn’t even need to use a computer - it’s a printer that periodically dials up, collects the mail, prints it out, and it can all be controlled remotely by a “manager” other than himself. It’s intended specifically for the grandpa (and grandma) set. My befuddled 92 year old mother has it and it’s a godsend because her hearing is terrible. Your father sounds in much better shape, but you might want to check it out.</p>
<p>“There are computers specifically designed for senior citizens that come with lots of support help bundled into the (monthly) cost.” - I saw some ads when researching last year. It looked interesting and could be a good solution for many grandparents. In our case we wanted the portability of laptop so he can use it around the house (and possibly out). We also wanted the opportunity for it to be useful to grandchildren if he decided not his cup of tea. </p>
<p>Thanks - I will look into Timbuktu. Presto might interest his wife, to get church committee emails. Hmmm… is there an app that would “read” email to voicemail?</p>
<p>Having just skimmed the replies so far, I would just like to suggest that there are a lot of customizations that can be done in the Gmail settings that make it easier. If you change the display density to “comfortable”, messages are further apart (and thus easier to click on); you can display fewer messages per page; you can have an automatic signature for less typing. If “Grandpa” is willing to let you login and change his settings, that might be enough.</p>
<p>^^</p>
<p>That might be true, but it is not feasible to have a complelely streamlined screen on a PC. The ads will still show up, regardless of your opt in or out policies. Many buttons and functions are confusing. And there is garbage galore. After a while, you notice it less and less, but for the beginner … it is hardly a simple program.</p>
<p>Thanks. I can tinker with his gmail settings remotely. But since I’m visiting soon I’ll do it then when we can experiment together. Other gmail settings hints much appreciated - I only use it now and then (our family has been using comcast id for years).</p>
<p>Working with my dad, and I can tell that some issues of Gmail confusion relates to screen size (ctrl+ zooms). Will try to optimize things. Also encouraging mouse for navigation since scroll wheel easier than scroll bars.</p>