Laptop or Tablet?
Lemon Haze
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My folks who are in their 60's have a 10 year old Dell PC that badly needs replacing, so I'm getting them a replacement for Christmas, but can't decide between a laptop or tablet My budget is £400 and it will between http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B009R15O3Q/ref=noref?ie=UTF8&psc=1&s=computers and an iPad or a Samsung Galaxy tablet.
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Do they need to print?
Tablets are great, but you need to think of their limitations.
printing from tablets is feasible if you have a compatible device and applications that support it.
But you won't know unless you give them the opportunity of trying some out in shops or at friends houses etc. Don't forget that eyes deteriorate by the 60s so they aren't going to appreciate *anything* that has small text on screen, make sure it looks at least as big as what they are used to and that they can read it comfortably from a normal viewing distance.
Recently I tried to convert my parents over to a laptop but they found it too inconvenient to use, they absolutly hated the touchpad, the keyboard was small, they moaned about the screen size and not being able to see text properly. I was spending so much time trying to do things for them I just gave up in the end and bought them a new desktop pc with a big screen (tv so they can watch movies on it), honestly I can't get them off the bloody thing now. I did gain a laptop from it so it wasn't all bad
A laptop might well be feasible but you'd need to check the screen and keyboard size, and buy it a mouse. You'd also need to decide between Windows 7 or Windows 8 (see separate threads for that debate).
you can write the odd email, but not much more.
I am completely different i use my ipad for everything
Email, web browsing, small gaming etc.
Can actually go weeks before i might even switch the desktop or laptop on
I know it spoils the surprise.
You took a bit of a chance there unless they've used one before and got on with it! Many older people don't (as already explained in the thread). I hope you have a backup plan but either way, good luck!
Oh, no - I'd hate only a 17" screen for my main PC - I've a 22" monitor and would like a little bigger than that.
Surely only the OP knows what screen size they are used to?
I was not talking to the OP though - was replying to Ivan who said a 17" screen is quite large enough.
I have a 24" and to me that's the perfect size not to big to sit in front of and doesn't take too much space up on the desk
yeah but those are still consumption tasks. persumably if you had to write a letter?
So, I would replace like with like and as others have said £400 will buy a very decent desktop.
Mmmm, ...Using a laptop is no different to using a desktop for the majority of tasks. A bluetooth mouse is all that's required to give them a similar experience.....
Most of the retired people I know have laptops as they fit better into their downsized apartments and they can take it to the holiday home if they have one....
Our local retirement home has a small Office with two laptops for the residents to use and they don't seem to have any problems emailing, skyping and surfing.
Eyesight is no problem as they all have the necessary glasses which seem to do the job for which they were intended....
My mother in law (late 60's) loves her iPad and does everything on that....
so the older members of society are not that easy to pigeon hole as a lot of people think...
Only the OP will know what suits his parents best....
I have 24'' monitor at work and 17'' and 13'' laptops at home. All are great for what I use them for. It's all a matter of preference