Computer ideas for the elderly?

[Skiz]

I'm looking for PC ideas for an elderly man (89 yrs old) who keeps fucking up his current computer. My parents are tired of having to pay to get his computer cleaned up and/or reformatted every few months because he can't stop getting viruses and generally bogging the thing down with everything you can think of. I spoke to my Dad this afternoon; he said when he went over there yesterday the computer had, wait for it...... six different anti-virus programs installed on it as well as the 'As Seen On TV' software from 'speedupmypc.com'.

I was thinking maybe an iPad might be just the thing for him since all he needs is the internet, but he has a condition where one of his hands shakes a lot and the touch screen just wouldn't work.

What about one of those Samsung Chromebooks (http://www.samsung.com/us/computer/chromebook)? I figure that would probably be just the thing.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

PS - It doesn't have to be a laptop, a desktop is just as fine.

[Artemis]

The Chrome OS is relatively new and still has only a small software support base, so this probably won't be a good option. For a couple of reasons have you considered a Mac. The first reason is there are virtually no virus or malware programs that affect MacOS, but also the OS is far more locked down that Windows and therefore harder to break since it is fairly difficult to get under the hood and tinker.
Another reason is that OSX is relatively easy to learn and is intuitive, new users by and large find it easy to adapt to. There is of course also the wide range of software available and with Parallels the ability to run Windows based applications in a virtualbox within OSX without having to reboot the computer.
If you purchased a Mac Mini, then you could use the existing keyboard/mouse (if they are USB) and screen and probably the other peripherals as well.

[mjmacky]

I'm looking for PC ideas for an elderly man (89 yrs old) who keeps fucking ... his current computer. My parents are tired of having to pay to get his computer cleaned up ... because he can't stop ... bogging the thing

That's pretty gross

On another note, I'm guessing he just needs a browser, right? What about an Ubuntu Live setup. You can't mess up the installation, literally. I mean they're all the same when you just open up a browser window, and you don't have to waste all that money on overpriced hardware. He's old, and by the time he kicks there will be newer better tech so you won't want his, not to mention his electrosexual habits.

[clocker]

Our shop has several customers who are very similar to yours, repeatedly screwing up their PCs.

The only successful "fix" we've found (and it's only been implemented in one case) involved installing two identical drives in the machine, one a clone of the other.
The cloned drive is disconnected after the Ghosting, but left in place.
We store an image of the clone at the shop.

When the machine becomes unusable (anywhere from two weeks to a few months), the caregiver (his mother) simply opens the PC and reconnects the imaged drive and brings the original in to us, where we wipe it and reinstall the original image. The drive then goes back in as the backup drive and the whole process begins anew.

It's not a perfect solution but works for them (and us).

The hard truth is that some folks are just never going to be capable computer users...they are destined to always be confused and have crap running machines.

[CQ1ST]

That chromebook looks seriously cool! (love the boot time)

personally, I'd install linux and tell him nothing about how it works other than "this is the web-browser and video-player" (firefox+various adblock subscriptions+flashblock,VLC), or a remastered puppy-linux cd a little like mjmacky suggested

> what kind of computer+os does he have right now?

(+LOL@ he has a hella-shaky right hand and kills windows every few months with browser-transmitted-diseases)

[Artemis]

I also agree with Linux being a cheap option and relatively easy to configure/quite hard to kill. It just depends whether the person making the decision wants to buy a box that will replace/solve the problem or configure a Linux distro to do the job.

[zot]

it might not hurt to investigate some of those spill-proof keyboards.

[ItsFixed]

Sometimes the performance of system becomes slower due to the infection of virus in the computer system. To over come this problem computer system requires a repair so that it can function normally as it was performing earlier.Better format PC and install new software and anti virus in it to safeguard it.

[tesco]

Our shop has several customers who are very similar to yours, repeatedly screwing up their PCs.

The only successful "fix" we've found (and it's only been implemented in one case) involved installing two identical drives in the machine, one a clone of the other.
The cloned drive is disconnected after the Ghosting, but left in place.
We store an image of the clone at the shop.

When the machine becomes unusable (anywhere from two weeks to a few months), the caregiver (his mother) simply opens the PC and reconnects the imaged drive and brings the original in to us, where we wipe it and reinstall the original image. The drive then goes back in as the backup drive and the whole process begins anew.

It's not a perfect solution but works for them (and us).

The hard truth is that some folks are just never going to be capable computer users...they are destined to always be confused and have crap running machines.Have you ever tried one of those "deep freeze" installations of windows? Not sure if that's the corerct name or just the name used by a specific brand, but we used to have that on the computers in high school. Basically it restores the computer to a certain state each time it is restarted. I could install/uninstall all I wanted on the thing and when I restart it would all be back to how it started.

edit: http://www.faronics.com/enterprise/deep-freeze/

[Artemis]

Have you ever tried one of those "deep freeze" installations of windows? Not sure if that's the corerct name or just the name used by a specific brand, but we used to have that on the computers in high school. Basically it restores the computer to a certain state each time it is restarted. I could install/uninstall all I wanted on the thing and when I restart it would all be back to how it started.

edit: http://www.faronics.com/enterprise/deep-freeze/

That is an interesting solution tesco, I have used streamlined OS installs to configure specific machines/types of machine so that a PC can be taken back to a known good install stage but of course this means a reinstallation process. Deep freeze seems an elegant solution for computer vandals, and would be similar in effect to using a live linux distro but user data would be kept.

[clocker]

Hi...
I am new out here...
I want to know that what is this forum all about? and how much can we know about computers?
HardwareWorld began as a repository of info to help us as we struggled with early computer problems.
You know, "overclocking the BIOS", the "hows and whys of RAID 6"...that sort of thing.

As we evolved, the hardware aspect was subsumed by interest in the more Zen-like facets of computing, to the point where it's considered somewhat declasse to refer to actual physical
pieces of computers.
Then, Somebody/Everybody/Nobody 1234 created Skynet and things really changed.

[Virtualbody1234]

... Then, Somebody/Everybody/Nobody 1234 created Skynet and things really changed.
I just heard an echo deep in the bowels of that Skynet of mine and the reverberations brought me to this post! :O

[clocker]

OK, that's just weird.
I did not know you could be summoned like a genie.

[megabyteme]

First off, very nice thing you are trying to do, skiz. :)

Personally, I like the idea of a live distro (just make sure it has drivers for all of the hardware on the PC). Cost: $0.

The "Deep Freeze" option sounds like it would be a good option too, but it would require someone to maintain it once in a while.

If he truly only needs internet, I would be tempted to direct him towards an iPad with a wireless keyboard (http://store.apple.com/us/product/MC184). Cost: ~$600

An even cheaper option that may satisfy would be a Kindly Fire. I am assuming there will be an add-on keyboard for it fairly soon. Cost ~$250


How is his eyesight, BTW? Does screen size play a factor? If so, make sure the option has some way to connect to a larger screen.

[Skiz]

None of the tablet type things would work as his hands shake quite a bit and it's something he can't control. I think we decided to just buy him the cheapest option we could find, which appears to be this - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103362

Gonna buy a copy of Windows 7 Home so we can just reinstall the OS over and over again. The deep freeze is something to consider but I really don't want to rob him of things like bookmarks and such.

[Artemis]

None of the tablet type things would work as his hands shake quite a bit and it's something he can't control. I think we decided to just buy him the cheapest option we could find, which appears to be this - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103362

Gonna buy a copy of Windows 7 Home so we can just reinstall the OS over and over again. The deep freeze is something to consider but I really don't want to rob him of things like bookmarks and such.

That link on newegg was to a single core Atom based PC Skiz (as in painfully slow) you are far better to look for one of the dual core Atom's (Atom 510 @1.6Ghz or 525 @1.8Ghz ) or a fusion based mini pc. Fusion is AMD's new reply to the Atom based Mini-itx based PC's but the cpu (E350 -dual core ) is quicker while it also supports USB 3 & SATA 3 plus has a decent DirectX 11 graphics card ( ATi 6310 ).

*Edit found this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883103297

bang for your buck a much better unit (includes NVidia ION graphics chipset - a 210M IGP ) dual core processor & Windows 7 is included.

[Skiz]

May be a valid point. My grandfather only needs an internet browser and solitaire so I'm just trying to keep the cost down. He's coming back from a trip this weekend so I'll look at finally doing something pretty quick here.

[megabyteme]

Here is an Amazon page for a seller of low-vision/large-key keyboards (http://www.amazon.com/gp/aag/main?ie=UTF8&sshmPath=at-a-glance&isAmazonFulfilled=&marketplaceID=ATVPDKIKX0DER&isCBA=&orderID=&asin=&seller=A1YG1VZVF48PM9&isPopup=) *. They vary in price, and technique for helping the individual. If noting else, it is an idea to consider (look at what they have to offer, and then make other searches to see what competitors have). It will add anywhere from $25-$70 to the cost of the project, but may make it easier for him to navigate the Web.

I've got severe numbness in my hands due to pinched nerves in my back. I get a bit shaky, and fumble items sometimes. I empathize fully with his shaky hands. Diminished (or lost) sense of touch is often overlooked in comparison to other disabilities like blindness/deafness, but can really make life difficult and frustrating. I'm sorry to hear he has trouble with this.


*Type "keyboards" in the search box on the page. I tested my link, and it gives the merchant's entire catalog. For whatever reason, the URL does not contain the sorting word.

[mjmacky]

My father-in-law has infected his computer yet again. This time, I found out it was because he kept following links advertising a new sex video for a famous Serbian music icon (not the other one for Severina, the Hrvatica Croat). It comes down to porn regardless of age it seems. So, having had to clean the system for the last time (this is about the 4th time I wiped a virus from his laptop, a couple of the other ones caused by Severina), I'm formatting and sticking him with kubuntu. It's Ubuntu with the KDE desktop, similar in layout to Windows. Problem solved.

[toXik.]

Do they really need to use the computer? Make them go to the library. Headaches solved.

[temisturk]

Deep Freeze is the first thing that sprang to mind when I read the OP. The trouble with things like Macs or Chromebooks or Ubuntu for an elderly user is the simple 'change' factor. If they get themselves into trouble with a system they're familiar with, a different system will almost certainly be too confusing for them.