Ok IPAD users

[nadinbrzezinski]

I am considering one for my mom... I know it don't have a camera on it, a down side, since we use SKYPE all the time. I'd like to see her. But I still MIGHT consider one, even if all we get is audio...

On the other hand it will not go to places my brother luuves to go to... since it don't play well with flash and they are flash enabled.

So here is my question, how easy it will be for an 81 year old to get the hang of it? My other choice is a mac mini...

[struggle4progress]

1. $500 for a 16gb machine or $800 for a 64gb machine?

You can get a decent laptop in the $500 - $800 range. If you don't like Microsoft, you can get one with Linux (say, Ubuntu); if Ubuntu is too much for the user, you could replace it with Mint. Skype has Linux versions

I have several Mac Minis and I think they're nice little machines, but you need to supply the monitor and keyboard and mouse separately and you may have some of the usual Apple connector irritations

The important issues for an 81 year old may not be latest fastest technology: the real issues may be screen size and keyboard/mouse comfort issues

[nadinbrzezinski]

3. Here is why I am looking at Mac for mom

my brother luuves to use her computer to go to porn sites (see the comment about flash). She is good about security and all that, but that windows machine still crashes like on schedule because of his "gifts."

We already installed a wireless, so he can use HIS OWN DAMN FUCKING MACHINE... and all that. He was also confronted and mom secured her machine better than ft. knoxx, with the help of Norton's. (They did it remotely) And of course when she was not home... well it got sick... dime on the dollar Norton's gone.

And yes I could go Linux, but she's used my macbook at home, so this should be easier. As to the connectivity yes that is an issue. Why I am actually just toying with sending her MY MACBOOK, and putting money away for another one for me. Now the IPAD, she'd be able to use it even after bro manages to crash computer AGAIN. Though he will not touch the Mac, he hates macs. I know, he's told me this.

Also I need something I can teach her long distance... and yes, a new mackbook is not cheap, and an IMAC is not cheap either. This is a gift for her... she has no clue we are looking at it.

Oh and yes I agree the price point is silly... but in her case it does have some good things to it... like it don't play well with flash...

(Why I will not get that toy until it drops in price by quite a bit, if ever)

[Touchdown]

2. Really Nadine? You put me on ignore because you predicted iPad's catastrophic failure,

and I defended the uses it has for what they're worth... I believe your words were "Fanboy". And now a failure of a machine is good enough for you Mother? What changed?

Not that you'd answer this.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

4. we are now a 2 iPad family.

took one to a 50 yr anniversary parteee, and every elder person there totally loved mine. They drove the car race, checked out the medical skeleton database, loved the swift e-mail, and superfast Safari, and when they found out that you can increase the font as a book reader, I had trouble getting it back.

[nadinbrzezinski]

5. Hmm that is the kind of info that I need

did they have problems with the keyboard, and shoudl I get her an external keyboard too? (Putting it up there with the mini actually)

And you can increase the font on Safari? I am not able to do that on my ipod touch same os... but can on my macbook, so I rightly assume on the mac mini (even if the screen will be a vaio screen)

[ChairmanAgnostic]

6. Did not take my keyboard. Actually, with horizontal

they found the keyboard easy to use.

I kinda like the keyboard, find it useful, fast, and a nice base to charge it on.

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. Good to know, I guess I should go over to the store

and play with it... my debate is between a Mac Mini, she can use all the peripherals she already has, or an IPAD... she will have to create a US account on the win machine though they won't have them for a while in Mexico. But at least if the main puter gets sick... she can use this one...

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Oh they are releasing it in July

so that should be a zero problem. BIL and sis will take it in August.

[alfredo]

9. I ordered one today the el cheapo. July 7 is Date of arrival.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. ????????

You found a CHEAP one?

[alfredo]

12. The base model at $499.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. I've said before why htat is not cheap...

Will either wait for a personal one for it to inevitably drop or for the Android slate to come out.

[alfredo]

14. Cheap compared to the other iPad models.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. Yeah and I will repeat this

they got the price point wrong, IMO...

Given all the things IT CANNOT DO, that my netbook does... footnotes come to mind, Skype with video... well... I considered it for my mother... but not for myself, not at that price point.

The rumored vaporware (Android slate, which until it makes it's appearance, just as this until it finally saw release) is rumored to be much cheaper.

I also suspect when that vaporware becomes hardware, we will see this drop in price too. At 200 I'd consider the base model. At 499, I can have a full fledged laptop.

[alfredo]

16. Sales haven't been hurt. They are selling over a million

a month. Yeah, it would have been nice to get one for $299, or $399, but that wasn't to be.

It also appears that they are biting into net book sales. I might have sprung for a net book, but finding a good linux model at the time I was looking was near impossible.

BTW, Windows Phone 7

http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/03/18/ms.denial.of.wp7.copy.paste.just.stalling.tactic/

[nadinbrzezinski]

17. and it still DOES NOT DO what I need it to do

if you do not need to any academic writing it is fine. Academic writing NEEDS, REQUIRES footnotes. I cannot do roughs and then add my references, That's not the way it works.

So if you are a college student and get one of these things for class... once you need to start composing a few papers you will be back at either the computer lab, or the store to get a laptop with either word or open office... that's the truth.

As a secondary machine, it does fine... and they are COOL. But I no longer buy machines for coolness factor. I used to at one point. I buy them to fill a need, and the Netbook does fit the bill that much better.

At 200 bucks... yes I will consider it... at 500, no way. And yes, they will sell a bunch, in fact I admit, I was wrong... they are selling, but they do not do what I NEED IT TO DO... and it is actually that simple.

The 200 rumored slate will NOT do the footnotes either, but as a larger screen book reader... I guess I can do that... and even then I will have to ask myself... DO I REALLY WANT another electronic toy? Or will the Apple Touch continue to serve fine thank you very much.

And truth is, once they get competition economies of scale come to be, we hope... after all the electronics for just about everybody are produced at the same places in China... yes that includes Apple... so perhaps that will force a drop in price... or just the fact that OTHERS will be able to bring to market the same stuff for less money. And if anybody believes that the proprietary chips from apple will not end somewhere else. well I recommend they read Friedman and understand globalization. We buy brands anymore... not products... yes looking under the hood of the economy has made me even more cynical... and realize I didn't think this was possible.

[romana]

18. Not all academic disciplines require footnotes

Some academic disciplines still require footnotes, but not all. Mine, thankfully, does not, so I use mine all the time for my academic work (journal articles, reviews, lectures, etc). I use it more than my laptop for work anymore.

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. Well we historians are MARRIED to our footnotes

so there you have it.

And from what I know, MOST still do...

So what I wrote stands, a kid who gets this as a primary computer will be back to the store in short order. And when you have to write your paper for oh History 302, I hope you got a machine capable of footnotes, Chicago style preferred, or Turabian, depending on the school.

[alfredo]

20. I think the iPod/iPhone/iPad is about changing how we

Interact with our computers. In time needed capabilities will appear.

It isn't for everybody yet, but as it becomes more powerful it will become more capable.


This is for my wife, and she doesn't need footnotes. What writing she does is all analog.

I hope she lets me use it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. Then you are following the PRIMARY rule of buying toys

does it do what it needs to do? Then by all means.

As to changing the way, yes it is... sadly the touch capability, historically, I'd give it to HP... they had the first computers that did that oh back in 2002, as well as capable slates... <------- 2001



Though the Newton gets a hell of an honorable mention and the BEST hand writing recognition I have ever used.



What did I say about getting cool toys at one point to be ahead of the curve? Should I mention one of the EARLY HPCs? Now NOTHING has come quite like that... and even though by today's standards they were purely toys. they were the best handheld devices I've had, and that includes my IPOD. So they were not MP3 players, but they were very capable word processors.





These days I will let the kids do the buying for cool first.

[alfredo]

22. But for my wife it will be a content delivery device and

a way to keep in touch. It will also be the portable wifi device I've been planning on purchasing. I was walking out the door to buy a Kindle, but she stopped me and said she thought I was going to get us an iPad. I stopped, walked down to my computer an ordered an iPad.

I'm still going to get a Kindle some day. Of course if the iPad is good enough for reading, I will stay with it. I'm running out of space, books are taking over.

This computer will be my mail computer for photography.

[nadinbrzezinski]

23. and for that it excels

just remember 16 gigs will run out very fast.

You will find that readying is a pleasurable experience on it, and trust me, I know the running out of space for books dilemma.

You got an IPOD TOUCH? You can try the IBOOK right now if you do the update to the newest OS...

(And now if finally does... underlining and all that)

[alfredo]

24. I will be mindful of the drive capacity. I know her habits

so I'm confident she won't fill the iPad up quickly.

[alfredo]

25. Got mail from Apple, it's coming in one week. GRIN

[ChairmanAgnostic]

10. I took mine to a retirement party,

where the average age was 70. Being the young punk, I brought out the Pad. It was a sensational hit. Between the book reader (with much larger fonts for the elderly and hard of seeing), to the news readers, from the driving/racing game, to sudoku, from . . . . it was a huge hit, and I'd say that Apple made 20 sales because of it.

Put simply, Age is not a problem.