Dumb-down and lock-down Windows for grandparents?

[SoftwareEng]

Hey everyone,

I personally love all those windows, icons, buttons, and error messages, but my grandparents will go "WTF?!" if I give them a laptop with regular Windows on it. Is there an app or a method to completely dumb-down and oversimplify Windows, almost like for children?

All I need is Skype, Windows Media Player, and a web browser.

Everything has to be very basic - no Right-clicking on the desktop and F'ing up the settings, no Device Manager, no locking the computer (Windows key + L). I need the most rudimentary, simple look and feel for Windows. Maybe a KIOSK version, similar to what BestBuy and many exhibits/expos have?

How the hell can I do that??

Thanks indeed.

 

[jpiniero]

ipad

 

[SoftwareEng]

ipad

Give me a 17.3" iPad and we got a deal.

Any serious suggestions? Thanks

 

[lxskllr]

Just pin the apps you want them to access to the taskbar, and tell them not to touch anything else.

 

[SoftwareEng]

Just pin the apps you want them to access to the taskbar, and tell them not to touch anything else.

unfortunately, telling users "not to touch anything else" never works. Just like telling them TO DO something never works. This has to be a pro-active lockdown with everything DISABLED, UNCLICKABLE, UNMOVABLE, and UN-POP-UPPABLE.

 

[gmaster456]

Install deepfreeze. Any changes not made by you will be removed on the next boot.
http://www.faronics.com/standard/deep-freeze-2/

 

[jpiniero]

Give me a 17.3" iPad and we got a deal.

Any serious suggestions? Thanks

I am being serious. You pretty much described the ideal use case for the iPad.

 

[Jodell88]

Does it have to be windows? Are you interested in using Linux?

 

[SoftwareEng]

It has to be Windows for many many reasons, but thank for you the Linux and Ipad suggestions.

So, any good Kiosk-type apps? Anyone here ever set up expo/presentation boxes with Windows?

 

[Jodell88]

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=24373

That may be of help to you.

 

[KirklandBrand]

Hey everyone,

I personally love all those windows, icons, buttons, and error messages, but my grandparents will go "WTF?!" if I give them a laptop with regular Windows on it. Is there an app or a method to completely dumb-down and oversimplify Windows, almost like for children?

All I need is Skype, Windows Media Player, and a web browser.

Everything has to be very basic - no Right-clicking on the desktop and F'ing up the settings, no Device Manager, no locking the computer (Windows key + L). I need the most rudimentary, simple look and feel for Windows. Maybe a KIOSK version, similar to what BestBuy and many exhibits/expos have?

How the hell can I do that??

Thanks indeed.

I hope this helps.

 

[gmaster456]

I hope this helps.

Hope they have pro or higher.

 

[KeithP]

Maybe you could use Windows 7 Parental Controls to limit access. That and you probably should get remote access configured so if they need something explained you can connect to their system and show it to them.

-KeithP

 

[KirklandBrand]

Hope they have pro or higher.

Agreed.

 

[qft]

You could set up everything the "right" way and use Deep Freeze. That way everything resets to how it was when they reboot. That does NOT allow them to save any changes to anything on the hard drive, though.

 

[sm625]

Is this computer windows xp?

 

[Leros]

You could set up everything the "right" way and use Deep Freeze. That way everything resets to how it was when they reboot. That does NOT allow them to save any changes to anything on the hard drive, though.

Or do things like save bookmarks or have browser history.

 

[corkyg]

Are you sure there is no senior learning center in the Boston area? I have been teaching seniors basic computing for over 15 years. Our current Windows 7 intro course is 5 days over 5 weeks, 3 hours per day. It is all hands on and sticks to basics. Our classroom has 9 student workstations, and we use "Deep Freeze" to keep them intact.

I guess my approach is, instead of trying to assume they are incapable, why not expose them to training?