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Laptop or tablet for old Aunt?

watdahel

watdahel

Golden Member
My 63 year old aunt is coming to visit this Christmas. She's not technically savvy. We want to give her a present for Christmas but can't decide wether to give her a laptop or a tablet or which Operating System. What do you think is the best option for a person like her? I can show her how to use the gadget when she's here but when she goes back home she's pretty much on her own. I'd hate for her to hit a roadblock with the gadget and then stop using it out of frustration.
 
What would she use it for? Email, web browsing?

If she just uses Gmail then a Chromebook might be perfect. It can't run Windows apps though if she needs them.
 
A nice touchscreen (11.6) windows 8 laptop would be the combo. Yes its not too fast, but at least your aunt can fall back on the keyboard and mouse when she needs to or rely on the touchscreen.
 
Does she have any computer experience at all? When you say "not tech saavy" do you mean she is not informed about hardware or that she doesn't even know how to use a computer?

If she is not experienced at all with a computer, I think she will be frustrated with either win 8 or an android tablet. That target laptop linked above is a very good price, but for an older person, I think I would get something larger, like a 15 inch pentium or i3 non-ulv laptop and a mouse of course. I got an i3 laptop on sale at best buy for about 350.00. And install classic shell for her before she leaves!!!

If the budget permits, and she doesn't want to run windows programs, maybe an i-pad?? I think they are much more user friendly than android. My own bias I suppose, but I have had an android tablet almost 2 years and the os still frustrates me at times.

It would also help to know how she will use it, especially whether she will use it mostly plugged in at home or if mobility and battery life are critical.
 
iPad -- preferably an iPad Air (the bigger screen is easier on the eyes), but an iPad mini will certainly do in a pinch. It's easy to use, there's plenty of apps, and it'll probably do everything your aunt needs. Do get a case; The Snugg (www.thesnugg.com) is what I'd pick, but keep options open.
 
I'd go with a tablet, unless she's likely to write long emails on it, in which case I might consider a chromebook. Anything more complicated will just add more stress to her life than it removes.
 
She doesn't use computers at all. She doesn't even have internet or email. I want to change all of that and get her connected. Being a novice she probably will be mostly emailing and web surfing like how we all started.
 
erwin1978 said:
She doesn't use computers at all. She doesn't even have internet or email. I want to change all of that and get her connected. Being a novice she probably will be mostly emailing and web surfing like how we all started.
Click to expand...

I would go with a Chromebook. It's a very lightweight investment, and it won't overwhelm her. If she wants to do more, she can always move upwards.
 
Tablet, tablet tablet.
Find one that has a camera front and back and decent case availability.
Toss in a printer that can handle printing from a mobile device and call it a day.

Age + inexperience+PC = You constantly over there cleaning up viruses, spyware, fielding repeated "How do I?" questions. Repeated as in "The same question once a month"


A chromebook is an ok option if they do a lot of typing (doubt it unless they are rocking an old typewriter) and you see them doing a lot of correspondence.
 
Does your aunt have wireless at her house? if so, cheap Chromebook is fine for her. If she love to read book then I think Nook HD+ 7inches is a good choice.

Good luck.
 
well, if she's made it to 63 without using a PC, why force her to learn now? Let her finish out her life in PC-free bliss. Just make sure she keeps paying the bill on her landline phone, so you can continue to communicate with her.
 
some old people are like kids others are like tortoise, it depends on the person. I'll let the OP deside on its relavance.. even if so nothing wrong with sharing what you like, just don't take it personal if it gets refunded for lack of use.

without knowing if you think shes the type that would actually get internet service for her home... just a thought - if she likes books, perhaps get her a tablet that can be used like a kindle... sorry i don't use tablets so dunno if there all the same for extended reading ease such as the kindle... and if so perhaps something with the basic ease of use polished out, so when she tries to navigate or type on the touch screen no frustration... and easy hot spot connectivity, this all assuming she may not get an ISP for home. ...Not being familiar with tablets my first assumption for ease of use would be an apple ipad, but that may have changed these days IDK someone else should recomend depending which route you choose
 
jolancer said:
some old people are like kids others are like tortoise, it depends on the person. I'll let the OP deside on its relavance.. even if so nothing wrong with sharing what you like, just don't take it personal if it gets refunded for lack of use.

without knowing if you think shes the type that would actually get internet service for her home... just a thought - if she likes books, perhaps get her a tablet that can be used like a kindle... sorry i don't use tablets so dunno if there all the same for extended reading ease such as the kindle... and if so perhaps something with the basic ease of use polished out, so when she tries to navigate or type on the touch screen no frustration... and easy hot spot connectivity, this all assuming she may not get an ISP for home. ...Not being familiar with tablets my first assumption for ease of use would be an apple ipad, but that may have changed these days IDK someone else should recomend depending which route you choose
Click to expand...

I haven't used an i-pad, but from testing them in stores, they seem much more intuitive than android. I have an android tablet, and while I like the size and convenience, after almost 2 years of use, I still hate android. In my post above I recommended an i-pad or windows laptop. For someone unfamiliar with computers, I am not sure how easy it will be to learn a touch interface though. I would have simply recommended a laptop except for the unintuitive interface for win 8.
 
erwin1978 said:
My 63 year old aunt is coming to visit this Christmas. She's not technically savvy. We want to give her a present for Christmas but can't decide wether to give her a laptop or a tablet or which Operating System. What do you think is the best option for a person like her? I can show her how to use the gadget when she's here but when she goes back home she's pretty much on her own. I'd hate for her to hit a roadblock with the gadget and then stop using it out of frustration.
Click to expand...


For someone that doesn't need a general purpose computer, an iPad would be my first choice.

Best of luck,
Uno
 
Android systems can be soft-bricked, making them unacceptable for those who are not technically inclined. Minutes into using my now-repaired Nexus 7 2012, the update to 4.3 soft-bricked it, forcing me to spend an afternoon figuring out what to do. In the end, busting the the command line and using fastboot did the trick.

Android is not for the faint of heart!
 
OK. After showing her a desktop, laptop, Ipad and a Smartphone, she seems to lean towards a Smartphone. She did not like the idea of sitting in front of the computer for long periods of time but she liked the idea of a portable phone. I showed her the Samsung Note 3. Now, I just need to find out which cellphone providers are available in London. Do they have Verizon over there?
 
I think iPads are great for older people, my 87 year old nan who had never touched a computer before got an iPad and she took to it very quickly and likes it a lot, doing E-Mail, Skype, even buying things online, and BBC iPlayer.

The touch interface and the fact that she can press the home button and it always goes to a screen she knows no matter what she's on are major factors in my opinion.
 
If she doesn't use computers at all I'd suggest the iPad. The chrome book could work too but you want to start super simple. I mean what does a 5 year old kid figure out more easily. A chrome book or an iPad. Pretty obvious what the answer is
 
Agreed My mom is a wiZZ on her iphone for instance but put her in front a pc and im lucky if she can find a web browser.

Id say start her off on a nice smart phone perhaps a Iphone I hate to recommend apple but it seems people just understand them easier looking at all the different apps for my android I'm not sure id start any elderly on such a device its just not that intuitive.
 
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