<p>My mother (now 91) had no problem using desktops and laptops in the past, although she is rather a technophobe–she used to day trade!–but unfortunately, when her old and very inadequate laptop really needed to be replaced, she was influenced to get an iPad by my niece. She had difficulty with the touchscreen, and with apps vs websites accessed using a browser (familiar to her, don’t work well on the iPad), and so forth. She was accustomed to the Windows environment, not Mac.</p>
<p>Personally, I would have gotten her an inexpensive laptop for about the same amount of money. If your house has wifi, your mother would be just as portable with a laptop, and it might be much easier for her to use.</p>