computer for older folks

[VeeDubb]

My mother in-law is in need of a new computer. She currently has an old pos running Vista. She is very non-tech saavy and has not even upgraded to a smart phone yet.

However, she does do basic things on her computer like email, logging into a couple of work sites (she still dabbles in real estate on occasion).

She is also highly susceptible to malware and viruses since she is pretty non-discriminating about the types of emails she opens despite repeated warnings from me. She also doesn't update her Windows or software programs regularly.

I am thinking Chromebook. It's simple. It let's her email, web browse and it's virus free. It's also cheap and let's her use Google Drive to type an occasional document.

What do you guys think? Any alternative devices?

 

[RN89]

What about an iPad (or mini)? You could set it up for her and after that, they are pretty user friendly and don't require much maintenance. Also, Apple products are usually pretty sturdy when it comes to malware and viruses. We have had great luck with ALL of our apple products.

My recommendation based on if she can get used to not actually having a keyboard in front of her (additional cost item if needed).

 

[simple_gifts]

I would wipe out Vista an put Linux Mint on it. Many times old doze machine run slowly because the registry is all garbaged up, not because the machine is not up to the task.

Best advice for someone like that is to avoid Windows unless you like doing house calls.

Linux Mint and Ubuntu have live CD versions, you can preview before installing.

 

[rationull]

IIRC there is no Java runtime for ChromeOS. Many would consider this a good thing but yout might want to verify that none of the real estate sites she uses (or anything else she might deem important) uses Java.

Linux Mint would be my next best choice too, FWIW. I have this set up on an old Macbook my wife uses and have gotten no real complaints. Linux, however, practically sacrifices Netflix AFAIK. Not sure if that's a problem.

Hard to go wrong with a Chromebook if the limitations aren't a problem, considering the price and simplicity.

 

[racer12306]

I was going to suggest a ChromeBook within the first couple sentences, but the lack of Java will probably be an issue.

 

[dparm]

Windows 7 is surprisingly responsive even on older hardware (moreso than Vista). I wouldn't rule it out.

 

[VeeDubb]

Thanks all. Excellent comments. The Java issue on Chrome is a problem.

Now we are looking into an iPad Air. Couple questions about this:

1. Will it have a Java issue?

2. Does everything still have to run through iTunes (sync, etc)? Or can it be automated on iCloud wirelessly? It would be ideal if she doesn't have to lift a finger and I can just login and update stuff for her remotely.

With Android, you can push apps onto a tablet remotely and everything is wireless. But Android also can attract malware if you don't follow certain precautions. If iOS7 allows for complete wireless now, that would be ideal.

 

[crw]

I have an iPad, and have never had any issue with anything Java. The interface is so easy, a two-year-old can operate it.

It's all wireless, even iOS updates. There is no need to ever connect it to a computer. Some people complain that it's a "closed system", but I just had a friend whose Android tablet went down with a virus! I'd rather keep clean software on it via the App Store and not worry about it.

Get any cheap bluetooth keyboard for it if you type a lot. Use either Apple office apps, or Google Drive, if you need to edit real documents.

 

[Kruse]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
I would wipe out Vista an put Linux Mint on it. Many times old doze machine run slowly because the registry is all garbaged up, not because the machine is not up to the task.



I'd second this. I'm posting from an old Compaq computer that was a WalMart $298 special from about 8-9 years ago. I dumped the Windows OS and put Ubuntu on it and maxed out the memory. It boots much faster than another Windows 7 machine that I have and I feel it is much more secure. The older folks will also enjoy the automatic security updates and especially the "free" cost of the operating system.

 

[itguy08]

Originally Posted By: VeeDubb

1. Will it have a Java issue?


Most likely not. What I would do is head over to an Apple Store and have her try her websites. Or a Best Buy if they have the WiFi turned on.

Quote:
2. Does everything still have to run through iTunes (sync, etc)? Or can it be automated on iCloud wirelessly? It would be ideal if she doesn't have to lift a finger and I can just login and update stuff for her remotely.


Nope. When I got my iPhone (switched from a Droid X), I had all my stuff in iCloud which was synced from my Mac. As I was walking out of the store, things started populating. It's all synced through iCloud if you want it too. You do have to use iTunes to load music but apps and such all come OTA. When I got my iPad I was home (WiFi only) I popped in my Apple ID and things started popping up.

For an Office-type suite, I've been digging the new iWork apps. Seamless sync with my iPhone, iPad, and Mac. And near perfect MS Office Import/Export.

 

[VeeDubb]

Awesome thanks.

Great info here. I think we will get the Air and then I'll also try to install Ubuntu on her old machine. Hopefully, that we keep her going for a while with minimum hassle.

 

[Hokiefyd]

In my experience, the best MS Office analog is Microsoft's SkyDrive. You're actually USING MS Office on the web. Stuff saves natively in Office formats. For a non-tech user, this is the best thing going. It's 100% free, and if your family uses one SkyDrive account, you all can collaborate on documents/photos/etc.

I'm as much of an Apple fan as anyone else, but their implementation of iCloud is silly. You have to use iCloud-enabled apps, and it's not intended to be a drag-and-drop type server (like SkyDrive or Google Drive) so it's very limiting in that respect. It works well for data backup, but not for collaboration or file sharing. In fact, I've been so impressed with Microsoft's SkyDrive, I have quit using Gmail and Google Drive and have moved my stuff to Outlook.com/SkyDrive. If you haven't tried it, you're missing out; it's REALLY slick, and absolutely platform independent (unlike iCloud).

The iPad will probably be a good platform for her given the Java issue. My wife has an iPhone 5s, I have an iPhone 4s, and we have an iPad 4 at home. We're invested into the iOS devices and prefer them over other market choices. So don't take my "anti-iCloud" as a strike against Apple; we use their products a lot. Just be aware of the limitations, and where other cloud-based services can fill in gaps.

 

[uc50ic4more]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
In my experience, the best MS Office analog is Microsoft's SkyDrive. You're actually USING MS Office on the web. Stuff saves natively in Office formats. For a non-tech user, this is the best thing going. It's 100% free, and if your family uses one SkyDrive account, you all can collaborate on documents/photos/etc.


For a non-tech user, being stuck using one proprietary format that demands the use of one proprietary piece of software is about the worst thing going.

Open formats and open software allow for choice and interoperatbility. My wife goes through a lot of unnecessary work at school when some of her staff try to use M$ Office to create documents that not *everyone* can use. Some people have Mac's and others use Linux. It's bad enough the school board itself has been irrevocably sucked into the quicksand of proprietary formats and software - they see the error of their ways but cannot afford to transition and re-train IT and non-tech staff to use free ("free" as in "no cost" AND "free" as in "freedom") solutions.

Google Drive, at least, can export documents into all major formats, by the way. I have persuaded at least my wife's department at school to use that. That way, everyone has a native solution installed locally (LibreOffice, Abiword, et al.) that can interoperate with the files stored on Google.

 

[Hokiefyd]

uc50, I have found that the usability of open software is hit-and-miss depending on which one you try, potentially making it harder for a new user to learn. Additionally, I'm not sure that most of these open sourced office suites are available for the iPad.

My mentioning SkyDrive wasn't necessarily a recommendation of a productivity suite, though I think it works well for that. My mentioning SkyDrive was pointing out where, if the OP does buy an iPad for his mother-in-law, I think iCloud is surpassed by a third party service. And in the case of an iPad (or any mobile-based device or Chromebook), I think this mother-in-law may be interested in using a cloud-based service for her documents.

As I mentioned, and it sounds like you agree, Google Drive is a good service. I did find that its online editing was rather limited compared with SkyDrive's Office Web Apps. I imagine that the inability to save a file in SkyDrive to an OpenDocument format is of little consequence to most people, though in a shared platform environment like your wife's school system, I can certainly see where it might be an issue. That may not be the case with a mother-in-law wanting to surf the web, however.

 

[uc50ic4more]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
I did find that its online editing was rather limited compared with SkyDrive's Office Web Apps.


That was a most diplomatic characterization of Google Drive's editing capabilities!

 

[Hokiefyd]

This discussion aside, I do join your desire for a truly open and universal standard for office-type documents. For the past decade or two now, the document/spreadsheet/presentation file types have become commonplace enough such that we should be able to realize more open file types. And Microsoft Office does support saving as and opening OpenDocument file types (.odt, .ods, .odp).

However, some features of the files are sometimes disabled when saving to non-Office file types. And I guess that invites the flip side of the coin: I see the proprietary nature of file types as almost inevitable. It seems that the profit-driven nature of retail software corporations means that their battle rhythm is generally at a faster pace than a consortium of volunteers and open source programmers. In other words, a company like Microsoft is likely going to be introducing new features to its Office products at a high rate, a rate higher, perhaps, than an OpenDocument consortium can keep up with, and these new features may require specific tags/codes in the file types that an open standard may not (yet) support.

I suppose it'd be noble of Microsoft to participate in this consortium, but then again, they're a profit-driven corporation whose mission is to deliver what they believe to be a superior product than others can deliver. Helping others keep up with the rate of their innovation is kind of counter to their mission, so I'm not sure how a profit-driven organization fits into an open document model. I don't say this argumentatively, but out of ignorance I guess.

I am interested in your thoughts (or anyone else's thoughts!) on that.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: VeeDubb
Great info here. I think we will get the Air and then I'll also try to install Ubuntu on her old machine. Hopefully, that we keep her going for a while with minimum hassle.

You can accomplish a lot on an older machine with an appropriate Linux distro (and version). I have an old P4 I run just fine on occasion using a version of Ubuntu of about 6.06. As I type, I'm using a Pentium D with the last long term Ubuntu version, and it does all I need and then some, and faster than a much newer Windows system at the office.

 

[Hokiefyd]

By the way, I was missing around on SkyDrive's interface this evening, and you can actually set it to save files in the OpenDocument format using the Office Web Apps features. So you can use the full functionality of the Word Web App and still save to the .odt file format. Pretty interesting...

 

[VeeDubb]

Update: installed Ubuntu on the computer which was really struggling to propel windows. Now it absolutely humms. Internet speed is good and LibreOffice is more than adequate for the mother in law. Plus its very user friendly. I love it.

 

[Garak]

I spoke too soon a few posts above. Something quit on the old Pentium D, likely the motherboard by the symptoms. Heck, if it was even a power supply, the repair would be worth more than the system. Oh well, I went and got a core i5 thingy and put the latest Ubuntu on it. At least I can transfer my data over rather easily; that's one nice thing about Linux.