Computer ideas for the elderly?

[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!

[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. 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/Produc...82E16883103362

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/Produc...82E16883103362

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/Produc...82E16883103297

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 *. 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.