Xmas gift recommendation

[Orrex]

My mother-in-law is in her early 80s and has done pretty well with a laptop for the past five years or so, but it's getting hard for her to use to to font size, complicated interface, and probably a zillion viruses.

We're thinking of upgrading her to a tablet, but it needs to be super user-friendly. She is strongly tech-averse, with the VCR clock still blinking a steady 12:00 all these years on.

Because of covid & travel issues we see her very seldom, so we won't be on hand to train her in its use. My sister-in-law lives nearby, but we also don't want to give her the task of running over to plug the thing in every time it needs to charge.

All she really needs it to do is check email, maybe YouTube, and a few basic games.

One other requirement: not an Apple product.


Any suggestions?

[SheltieLover]

1. Galaxy Tab A

Picked one up a few mos ago at Best Buy, with protection plan for $300.

[Orrex]

8. I'll look into that. Thanks!

[blm]

2. Was ready to recommend iPad

till your last requirement.

Can only say it’s worked great for me as I have aged.

[a kennedy]

3. May I ask why not an Apple product??

[piddyprints]

4. Why not Apple?

They are very user-friendly and uncomplicated to get used to.

[Orrex]

6. Price is one factor

Also, my S-I-L doesn't know Apple, and I don't know it very well (not well enough to troubleshoot by phone with an octogenarian who won't call the actual company's tech support), so if it does something unpredictable it will become a placemat and a source of annoyance for years to come.

[piddyprints]

9. That makes sense.

It’s too bad, though. Their tech support is excellent. I got my first Apple in 2006 and was shocked by how easy it was to set up. Just follow the bouncing ball. But they are expensive and you need something your S-I-L can help with.

My husband recently got a Samsung Galaxy Tab A Lite and he loves it. Costs about $150.

[Orrex]

10. I have an iPad for work and honestly I kind of hate it...

but knowledgeable people whose opinion I trust have reported that while it's ill-suited for professional work in the field, it's great for personal use.

Thanks for the Galaxy suggestion. I'll look into that!

[Scrivener7]

5. I have a lenovo laptop that can be used as a tablet. I love it. The model is "yoga"

[Orrex]

7. I'll look into that

I've had good luck with Lenovo. Before my company forcibly switched its techs to iPads, my Lenovo served me very well.

[Skittles]

11. I have a Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite

it's simple enough

I even have a small keyboard I connect to it, via bluetooth.

[eppur_se_muova]

12. Why does it have to be a laptop or tablet ? Get a desktop with a big screen ...

... to overcome any problems with font size, etc. -- and you can easily upgrade or replace the monitor if you need to. I haven't paid more than $20 for a monitor in years.

Usually you get more bang for the buck with desktops, and they're a lot easier to repair and upgrade. Plus, you don't have to worry about charging it.

On the downside, it's no good in a power outage, but that seems minor, especially if your modem or router is AC powered anyway. The most common cause of problem, in my experience, is the monitor cable coming loose, and that can be prevented.

Despite your aversion to Macs, you might try sitting in front of an all-in-one iMac* or Mac Mini and see if it's all that hard to learn to use. It doesn't have to be the latest model -- I haven't bought a new Mac in over 20 years, and have gotten by just fine with models two releases (or more) past the cutting edge.





*(caveat: the bang-for-the-buck, ease of repair, etc. is not much better than laptops, though)

[Orrex]

14. If I get her a desktop with or without a big screen, she'll absolutely never use it

Space is a consideration, but she wants to be able to take it with her around the house.

Also, she is resistant to the "complex" interface of a laptop, so a desktop won't be much of an improvement.

As for the Mac issue, it doesn't matter how easy to learn I find it. I use one for work, and although it's poorly suited to that role, I recognize that it does just fine for personal use. But as I mentioned upthread, my sister-in-law doesn't know Apple, and I don't know it well enough to troubleshoot future issues with a frustrated 80-year-old who won't call the company's tech support.

[sl8]

13. Grandpad?

I don't have any personal experience with them.

https://www.grandpad.net/