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Ask Slashdot: Using a Tablet As a Sole Computing Device?
cashman73 writes "My mother's six year old desktop computer finally bit the dust due to an electrical surge. It's out-of-warranty, and not really worth fixing. Plus, I'm 2,500 miles and two time zones away, so I can't exactly troubleshoot things from here. I recently got a new tablet, and even 80% of the things I do are done easier with it. Plus, she really likes the size, convenience, portability, and the screen. Virtually everything she does is simple web browsing, email, light photo sharing but no heavy editing, and other simple tasks. We're thinking that using a tablet as her sole 'computer' might be the best solution here. What are other Slashdotter's experiences using tablets without a separate desktop computer?"
Buy her a Chromebook. You won't be sorry.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
I'm sure she would like a Tablet. But you can't do everything on a tablet, why not get her a nice inexpensive laptop as well?
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.
It already sounds like you made your choice, so why are you posting a question that is trying to convince us to agree with you?
For the cheaper price and the desktop functionality, if all you need it for is web browsing and email, I'd go with a Chromebook. If you want to go 100% tablet, you are almost certainly going to have to buy a keyboard, so it would be very hard to get a decent combo for less than the $249 Samsung or the $199 Acer Chromebooks.
Older people have worse eyesight and often require the tactile feedback of a keyboard.
I think typing is a big issue when you consider a tablet as your primary "computer". If your mother just browses the web, a tablet is fine, but if she types a lot (writing comments, writing notes, texts, long emails, long messages), then the tablet typing experience is sub-optimal, she will get tired of poking the screen.
Why not just buy a laptop?
Why do you suppose the manufacturers' requirements include a separate PC w/ specs that support an appropriate connection to the tablet. You don't really believe it's just to sell more hardware, do you?
You said it yourself. iPad, possibly a keyboard for her and you are done. Every person I've met that didn't have an iPad has said, I don't know what I'd use it for. Every person who has an iPad has said, how did I live without it? I've seen a lot of conversions, so I just bought iPads for my family and now I don't do tech support.
While it is a nifty idea your going to run into lots of problems. Be it due to the lack of support from your bank, an inability to print, or some fallback mode that your email provider forces on you all of the sudden.
When I initially did it everything seemed to work perfectly. Then disaster struct. I actually started using it in place of my computer when I went on the road. There are so many problems with tablets it isn't funny. Even for just consuming content.
Get her two tablets, gift-wrapped.
First, present her with one of those small personal-sized chalkboard tablets 1st graders use (with a piece of chalk for a stylus). Demonstrate how to use it as a word-processor, reader, and calculator. This shouldn't cost you more than $10, assuming you don't get the "Monster Cable" brand piece of chalk.
Once the laughs are over, present her with a real tablet.
Post the video of her using the "old school" tablet to YouTube.
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
For the past year, my iPad has been entirely untethered from my Mac - it can self-update and self-backup to iCloud. Can't speak for other tablets, but historically you had to have a Mac or PC to tether your iPad to.
After all, we are all older mothers, so our experience counts a lot.
My older brother had a very tough time with the dexterity needed to operate a tablet. Web browsing with tablet is challenging for a person who has no possible hand shake and failing eye site. Not sure it these apply, but something to keep in mind.
...Can really strain the hands... and the neck. And the eyes.
In fact, tablet use in general goes against 30 odd years of human interface ergonomics. I wouldn't wish it upon myself for extended periods of time, let alone an elderly loved one.
Buy her a sensible chair, 24 inch monitor at the correct height and a correctly fitting keyboard and mouse in a neutrally lit space. I don't care what you connect to those peripherals.
My mom is the very definition of computer illiterate -- my sister and I have been trying to teach her to use a computer (first a PC, later a Mac) since the mid '90s, and she simply cannot grasp the basic concepts. She can sort of work a keyboard (it looks like a typewriter), but mice constantly thwart her. Add to that the fact that she has trouble discerning "windows" on a desktop as being discrete items, and you can see why we finally gave up trying to teach her once we had both gone away to college.
About a year ago I managed to acquire an unneeded iPad, and made the decision to gift it to my mother. For a woman who has literally never used a computer without assistance, never mind owned one, she took to it immediately. She's now able to browse the internet, send and receive emails, and even navigate the app store when she wants additional functionality. And after a full year, I haven't received a single "oh no, I think I broke it" call.
That being said, my mother is not your mother (AFAIK), so your mileage may vary. If you think her needs can be satisfied by an iPad (web browsing, shopping, email, media consumption, and no more than light content editing), I highly recommend it. There's just no beating its ease of use. An external bluetooth keyboard would be nice for longer writing sessions, however.
Warning: Contents May Be Flammable. Keep Out Of Reach Of Children.
I use a tablet quite a bit and for most things they are great. But I find it annoying to type long missives. On the plus side my reply emails from the tablet are short and to the point.
I don't know I don't have a tablet but I would want to do a systems analysis which is basically having a long conversation to find out exactly what are the things she uses the computer for. Not just what she can remember but everything. Then you study up on the tablets functionalities. Probably easier to do it in reverse, find out what the tablet can't do and start from there and see if her tasks and her needs include doing things that the tablet doesn't do. And the best part is your interface with your mom and finding out her life and how she is conducting it in detail, what do you do with your computer ad infinitum. Good to find those things out and it shows you care it shows you made the time to find out and thereby expresses your love so then it's going back the other way which is always how it's suppose to work. That's fair, that's the whole person being who they are meant to be. She already did her part giving you life and caring for the life millions of times, never a small feat. Now it's your turn. Enjoy!
Why wife's computer died around the time I got her an iPad and she tried going with just it, but after about a month she was frustrated enough to ask me to buy her new computer as well. And that was with using it primarily for Facebook, email, and browsing. She still uses the iPad a lot (when the kids don't steal it), but she uses the PC daily too.
My Mom, she is 68 this year, has just switched from a 15" MacBook Pro as her only computer to an iPad 4 as her only computing device. She really only does e-mail, browsing, some e-banking and the odd video/movie every now and then. The MBP was clearly overkill for her in the first place, but the iPad does pretty much everything she ever needed with much less bulk, weight and cost. She certainly uses the iPad more than she used the MBP before that, so she must be satisfied with it.
I've got a laptop, tablet, and a desktop computer. I've been going back and forth for a couple of years now and I've discovered what matters to me and how I use them
I use the tablet a lot - and the desktop gets used a lot, too. The laptop just sits around collecting dust; it's been powered up once in the last three months - and only because I needed a file from it.
Those who recommend a Chromebook - they don't consider that there will be times when you have no internet connectivity and want to use your tablet. This, and the availability of tablet apps that meet your needs will point your way to the correct tablet device for you.
Please replace ipad with tablet. It's all the same really.
I replaced my mother inlaw's e-machine running Linux Mint 10 with an Acer Iconia Tab last year. She loves checking email from the living room chair.
The government which is strong enough to protect you from everything is strong enough to take everything from you.
The Microsoft Surface would seem to be a perfect choice in this scenario. It acts like a laptop when you need a laptop, a tablet when you need a tablet, doesn't require any other computer for setup/maintenance, and can actually hook up to most usb devices like printers and hard drives so that if you mom takes pictures and wants to store them somewhere she wont be stuck. $.02
My girlfriend was in roughly the same boat a month ago. Her 8+ year old P4 desktop hasn't been turned on in many months. She planned to replace it soon.
I bought myself a Nexus 7 to take with me for my computing needs (video games, video watching, IRC, eBook reading, remote access to my home network, etc.) while at her place. She saw how much I could get done with it and quickly changed her mind about buying a new desktop/laptop.
She picked up an ASUS Transformer TF300T at a recent sale from Best Buy and has since used it more than she ever would have used a full blown PC. She previously used her iPhone to get her basic tasks done (tons of email, casual games, web surfing, YouTube, Pandora) but since having the tablet she only uses her iPhone as a phone (and no longer suffers with that tiny screen).
Posted laying in bed from my Nexus 7 with her playing Zen Pinball on her Transformer. :)
Just because you diffused the bomb doesn't mean you're not holding a half pound of C4.
The thing about Windows that is most annoying for users at all levels is the malware threat. Some threats can be easily identified and avoided (depending on the user) and others remain unpatched by Microsoft such as the more recent absent fix in the last patch Tuesday. This is not a problem EXCLUSIVE to Windows. But it is the one which has tarnished Microsoft's reputation and prevents it from being taken seriously in new markets.
The words "Malware" and "Android" have found themselves together in many headlines and stories in the recent past and it's no accident. Presently, most malware on android has been "self-inflicted." A few things have slipped through the Google Market (now Play Store) in the past, but Google is careful to work against the freedom of developers so as not to make their platform unattractive, but this means the threat is still present. But that doesn't prevent future threats from being discovered or developing in new updates.
And so I say, even though things are presently "better" than using a WinTel desktop or laptop, no one should depend on this always being the case and so when they move into new platforms, they should take the experiences of the past with them as lessons for the future.
Tablets can be reset to their factory condition pretty easily in most cases, but data is lost and without a way to back it all up... the cloud is an option I suppose though I don't generally approve of the idea. I'm old school though. Others are seemingly more comfortable with the idea. So contingencies seem pretty obvious for now... until malware installs itself within protected areas used for restoration.
What I am driving at is the question of whether or not a PC is needed in order to use a tablet. To me, it's not quite possible but for others, it's 'ready' as the main device so long as data backup and storage isn't really an issue.
These are all just thoughts to consider. I'm not really making a recommendation for anyone's particular case though I do say it wouldn't work for me for reasons indicated above.
Finally, someone commenting above mentions one thing that is a pretty sticky issue for some users -- keyboard input. There are devices out there. Be sure any tablet has bluetooth support AND the tablet will allow it to be used. I know it can be done with iPad and with many Android tablets but not ALL of them... read the label and ask quesitons. Cheap android tablets which do not have bluetooth are litering the shelves in discount stores everywhere.
But since we're talking about a device for an older person...? Is screen size an issue or consideration?
we realize you've never taken a time out of your trickery, debauchary and entertainment time to learn electronics. Let me put your mind at ease. I've got a friend who didn't, until very recently, get a smartphone let alone know how to use a computer. He has no idea how to create a directory (folder) by simply right clicking. The first time he saw a window being drug across two monitors was like seeing a bootiful woman for the first time. I'm serious - he had half a pack of rolaids in his pants.
You should be able to do all your business with just a tablet. If you need to do something complex, you're at the mercy of finding someone else who knows the device really well, or using that brand new youtube thing to get a tutorial. Be careful using that though, because if you find the dark side of the internet, you won't be able to leave, and you'll lose your 6 million dollar account that hangs on you jumping through a hulu hoop immediately after beer-bonging a six pack.
Best of lucky, and always come back to get unbaised, unsarcastic, and completely true advise
Automatic backup. Lots of people of her own age group with reasonable experience if she needs help. If you're lucky a store nearby with employees who will actually help her when she needs it.
This is a frequent discussion among people in tech situations. My only question is when you can easily find a used laptop for 100 bucks or less, why bother?? A 100 dollar laptop will handle the occasional tasks needed by 90% of users. A decent tablet will run at least 300 bucks, plus a nice case, plus paying for needed apps(many of which have quality free alternatives on a desktop) and so forth. In the end going tablet only is both more expensive and less convenient. Why bother?
.. on what you want to compute.
To the OP : did you post your slashdot question using a tablet?
Or serious processing.
But if the stuff you do at home consists of watching youtube or playing games - I couldn't for the life of me imagine an existance so boring - go for it!
Religion is what happens when nature strikes and groupthink goes wrong.
Seriously...another post PC debate to advertise the iPad, my favourite part is the fact that its out of warranty!? If that sort of thing is a major issue. Do not go near an Apple product. The have got in trouble in both Europe (http://apple.slashdot.org/story/12/04/02/123207/apple-is-forced-by-eu-to-give-2-years-warranty-on-all-its-products) for breaking the law by offering year instead of the statutory two years for returns, and in China(http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/xinhua/2012-07-26/content_6549444.html) for putting used parts in new products that fair under warranty.
While we are talking advertisements...and while I'm with Linus wanting higher pixel density on all his (and mine) electronics devices...lets not push another shitty marketing term from Apple, who ironically have lower pixel densities than the opposition offered at half the price (and as for the mini *rolls eyes*) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_displays_by_pixel_density
The reality is having another article where iPad users, dutch rudder each other, everyone else I went out and bought a tablet (A Nexus 7)...and know exactly where the smaller more portable (capacitive) screen fits into my life, rather than the larger screen with the keyboard & mouse. Are we really meant to believe the author of this too lazy to search for "another post pc flamefest". Thank god Apples market share (down to 50%) in tablets is dropping like a stone, so we are not constantly bombarded with this nonsense.
Seriously while the incompetent mother in the suspiciously convenient scenario , who if she can't afford a new computer more than every couple of years...an Apple product is not happening...give her a good value Chromebook...and a $2 surge protector....and visit more.
More and more I am encountering people who only use an iPad. For instance, they use the spreadsheet iSpread for their business.
Same here. My mom ordered one and had it in a few days. Migrated all her old email over to Gmail and it works flawlessly.
Only the State obtains its revenue by coercion. - Murray Rothbard
Seriously let me break that long post down for you Android is "prone to Malware" and "Nobody wants it.". Wow Android has several layers of protection, cloud storage and is set to replace Apple so if it hasn't already. Advantages over Apple are not only price; better hardware/software, but also options with a real keyboard.
At the end of the day the only similarity between Android and Windows is market share. The fact that you use the boogeyman of malware to try and scare users *here* where the vast majority here have a great deal of familiarity with malware is just a nonsense..I don't think it works with the less technical either...who probably own an Android phone.
Those who recommend a Chromebook - they don't consider that there will be times when you have no internet connectivity.
You should read the reviews on Amazon where the Chromebook is the best selling computer. In short it does not require a permanent internet connection :).
I have a desktop, laptop, and iPad, and would consider myself a power user. In an effort to travel lighter I've tried taking the iPad only on some trips to see if it can fit the bill. The answer to me is a resounding maybe, and depends entirely on what you want to do.
Tablets are terrible content creation devices. Writing an e-mail, editing a picture, cutting a movie, or even filling in a web form to buy something are all much more difficult. The lack of a keyboard is a big part of it, and can be mitigated with a keyboard for the tablet, but that's not the whole story. The lack of screen space, and the touch interfaces also make things less efficient.
However, they are excellent content consumption devices. I prefer reading e-mail and browsing the web casually on my iPad. I grab it for simple apps like checking the weather, or my portfolio. On trips it offers a vastly better interface for things like Yelp or UrbanSpoon. For older relatives, things like PhotoStream can be huge if you have other family members with the small children willing to use it.
As a geek, if I'm going away for a day or two and just want to casually stay in touch it's a winner. Smaller, lighter, better battery life. However if I need to do any work, it's right out as an option, more of a nuisance than a help.
So at the end of the day, it really depends on what your mother does online. Does she just want to read some e-mail and get pictures of the grandkids? A tablet may be an excellent choice. Does she make her own electronic scrapbooks? A tablet would probably be a horrible choice.
About a year ago I managed to acquire an unneeded iPad
If I had a sandwich everytime that happened..
I would bet that it's just a power supply that died. It's a great excuse to buy a new computer, but all in all, I'd give it a 90% chance it's the power supply that died.
Be seeing you...
All the different public clouds have Chrome web apps. Use DropBox or Skydrive or whatever you like.
A while ago, I had bought an Acer W500 as I was developing a specialized touch screen type of app for Windows 7. That project kind of died, so I ended up with a useless piece of hardware for almost a year. After Windows 8 was released, I upgraded for $40 and put that on there.
Recently, my MBP and Acer netbook both died, leaving me with nothing but this W500. My first reaction was to whip out the CC and go to apple.com. However, I gave the W500 a chance. Here's what I found:
- It works quite well as a desktop. I plug in my USB kb/mouse and 24" 1080p monitor. The traditional Windows desktop is perfectly responsive
- As a Putty client, it's great. I can easily have 4 big terminals open on the 24", and a browser open on the tablet.
- Demanding desktop apps can run a bit slow (it's only an AMD C-50), but it depends on what you're doing.
- With only 32GB, it's pretty space limited. Fortunately, I have a 64GB SD card which mitigates it a bit. Also, I can plug in my external 500GB.
- I'm also able to plug in my printer, scanner, camera, and external DVD, and they work for the most part.
- As a tablet, it's OK. It's no iPad, but there's already been endless discussion on that.
Overall, it's actually impressed me in that there's no way I could do this efficiently with an iPad. I give it a B for desktop productivity, and a B- for tablet functions. For reference, I'd give an iPad an A+ for tablet functions, and an F for desktop productivity (not intended as a knock). My guess is that an Acer W700 (core i5) would be an A for desktop tasks (since it's way faster and more capacious) and a solid B for tablet (since it's faster and has higher resolution).
In short, at the risk of getting attacked as an MS shill, I'd actually recommend one of the newer hybrid tablet-top Windows 8 thingies if you're looking for a single device. If you can, I'd wait until after CES and the market to settle down a bit before buying anything.
My bf's laptop broke and he was given an ipad from his school. This was several months ago, and there is very little he cannot do on the iPad. I say go for it. He hasn't even thought of replacing his laptop since he got the iPad.
We got my 89 yr old mother an iPad a few years ago and it was a huge success. I believe she used it for 80% of her computing. Quicken was the big lacking functionality. What she really liked was not having to sit at the desk to play Scrabble with my brothers in California.
In order to use a laptop, you need to open it up and set it on a flat surface somewhere. Not to mention those pesky keys on the keyboard that stop working especially on an older laptop, and the fact that you have to use the touchpad or an external mouse. A tablet can be used just as easily while holding it in one hand, and it has no moving parts to break. Do you seriously not see the difference??
Your mother doesn't need anything too complicated. I would suggest you go for at least a 6-core Core i7 3.5GHz Extreme CPU, overclocked dual GTU 690 512-bit HDCP-ready GPU, hi-fi 24-bit sound card with DTS, 32GB DDR3 RAM, 80plus 1500W modular power supply, 140mm copper quiet bearing CPU cooler, twin-turbine blue LED case fans, 500GB SATA III 120,000 IOPS SSD drive, 16x BDXL Blu-ray burner, dual 2560 x 1600 350 cd/m2 1000:1 30" display, USB macro-programmable gaming keyboard, Razer 17-button wireless mouse, and a classy mid-tower computer case. Don't forget COD Black Ops and Assassin's Creed to help her pass the time.
I don't think a simple tablet will do.
I was in the same situation, and the iPad has worked out great. My mother switched off her ancient dial-up modem to broadband at the same time, and is having a great time sending text messages, video chatting with the grandkids, watching instructional crocheting videos, playing logic puzzle games, chiming in on Facebook conversations when they're only minutes old instead of weeks old, etc. She feels far more independent with the iPad than she did on the PC because she's more willing to try something for herself (search for and download a game, for example) that she would have been afraid could screw up the PC before.
The only thing we've found that she can't do on the iPad so far is downloading maps to her new automotive GPS. She has fairly convenient access to desktop computers at the local library and doesn't mind stopping by there occasionally if there happens to be one purchase or video or website or whatever that she can't make work on the iPad.
Expensive but the very best
Broadly speaking, the same is true of ordinary desktops, except that (A) we're much more used to those tradeoffs, and (B) we've come up with monitor stands and keyboard trays and adjustable chairs and other such accommodations to work around them. Laptops are worse, since the keyboard and display are fused together, but again, we're used to that and people make accommodations like external monitors and keyboards.
You can adapt a tablet with stands, separate keyboards, and such if you care to; it's about as easy and much more affordable than setting up a proper ergonomic workstation.
I've derided tablets as being restrictive and generally poor imitations of actual computing devices and bemoaned their lack of input options. However, this previous Christmas season, I think I've come around on the process. My aging grandparents, now in their 80s, struggle regularly with a laptop or desktop computer but immediately figured out how to use Skype, e-mail, web browsing and a handful of other day-to-day activities far easier than they were ever able to on a full computer.
A friend's mother reports a similar experience: from being unable to manipulate a computer into doing pretty much anything other than going to Google, she set up and checked her own e-mail account she hadn't accessed in years, made Skype calls to other relatives, downloaded and then effectively used several Bible-related applications, and watched a movie.
Tablets are a great choice for someone who only wants to consume content, with little interaction with it. While I don't understand how these otherwise very intelligent, although non-technical people can have so much trouble in the first place clearly there's an unmet need for consumer-functional computing out there.
I no longer use my laptop, except when I'm programming or writing reports. It's as simple as that...
Everything else I do, including replying to you in Slashdot, is done from an iPad. There's some sort of learning curve initially, but it's fairly quick to get over with, and it really only applies to JS-happy sites such as this one. There's also the Flash problem, but I honestly don't miss the ads, and my own usage was such that I didn't mind losing embedded news channel videos that much. For everything else, it just works.
Methinks you should have your mom try an iPad for a few weeks or months, and advise if she feels something is missing. I, for one, am pretty certain I wouldn't miss my own laptop if it weren't for my needing it to get any work done...
"Can a tablet print to a network printer?", you asked. For my HP printer, the Windows, Linux and OSX machines all need a 50MB driver package set up, so I was happily suprised that the Android device needed only a xxKB apk with zero setup. It automatically detected the printer.
Every post I read from you makes you more of a fucking asshole than the last, busy attacking people over what works for them. Get the broom handle out of your ass.
It always depends on the person. If they consume ie read email, web etc... tablets are not bad. But they are limited. I like the chrome book idea. But what about the cheap Chrome PC keep the monitor keyboard and mouse. When my Grandma needed a new computer, technically and iPad would do everything she needed, but she got a bottom of the line dell desktop win7 machine because She writes a lot, and the 24" monitor beats the crap out of every laptop and pad on the market. Sometimes eyesight trumps all the other needs or lack of needs.
I'm glad I don't have YOU as a friend.
Gee! Thanks for buying me this device that invades my privacy and steals all of my information!
What has the world come to when people like you keep recommending the one and only browser that was created solely for the purpose of stealing your privacy?
It doesn't work yet on the cheaper Samsung Chromebook, but that is supposed to be fixed soon. It does work on Linux as well - but it's not "on demand" like with Windows and Mac versions, the Linux version requires an "invitation" be sent out to the other remote computer. However, as the previous poster noted, there isn't really anything on the Chromebook that can go wrong or to "fix". Another way you could do it is to sign in to Chrome using her login on your desktop, and use Google Sync to make your version of Chrome work the same as hers. Then you can add or change any of the Apps from your Chrome browser, and hers will be synced automatically.
Tablets are ergonomic nightmares; they are worse in fact than notebook computers. In particular, they can stress the neck, shoulders, arms, and eyes because of the awkward position that they force on the users. If you put your hands in a natural position, i.e. in your lap, then your neck will fatigue; if you put the tablet up to your face, your arms and shoulders will fatigue. In any case, your eyes will fatigue from focusing on such a small screen with such fine lines.
If none of these things is a problem, then it may be a good solution.
Android!? Better hardware than Apple?! LoL
Absolutely They rebadge cheap hardware, massive mark-up with a logo on the back, cashing in on their perceived first mover advantage. A business model that is only a success in two places US/UK and nowhere else..due to its hardware being leased on a subsidised model...although Apple has made it clear you only license it. If you want the highest PPI; Screen Size; Fastest Processor; Most Cores; Best camera; including such diverse hardware choices as projector; keyboard; joypad, electronic paper not crippled by proprietary Standards for hardware software, or plagued by dropped calls; Lens flare; Antenna problems. (however Minor) at a better value 3-6 months before Apple announce it and a further year till they refresh it ..you go Android. Seriously put say a Galaxy III vs iPhone and start with price, and when it was launched :)
P.S writing LOL on the end of a sentence is not a compelling argument.
Betteridge's law of headlines says no.
I concur.
If he explores all forms and substances Straight homeward to their symbol-essences; He shall not die.
The phone rings. MONEY is on the other end. And you with your one broken / virus infected / blue screened, bricked computer.
Me, I am going to go to one of my other computers.
You?
You lose.
One computer is like one car, or one rifle, or one guitar, or one motorbike or one girlfriend or one beer or one fork.
There are two types of people. Those have real computers with keyboards, mice, multiple monitors, a dozen cores, and petabytes of storage.
And then there are 'other kind'.
I'm not warning anyone against Android.
Here it is, stop repeating propaganda paid for by Apple, and Micro$oft in the media, that is designed to justify the "you only license my device, so I will lock you out of it", its not a walled garden..its a police state desined to lock you into their platform..while extracting as much money from its cattle. Malware as you describe it on the whole is rare...claims otherwise are vastly overrated. Android is secure...saying otherwise is a lie.
As for Malware...the sick thing is, regardless of platform, every damn program...sorry app is a piece of malware by my definition of the word, and its not relabled Angry Birds/Play Stores its your top ten Apps spying on every part of your life. Passing information about user's age, gender, and location, as well as unique identifiers for the phone.
They have a Windows desktop, but they don't use it anymore.
The iPad works great for them. I couldn't survive without a keyboard, but I live inside a vim terminal, pulling out to execute my code. My parents ... they don't code. Without that, there's literally nothing they do that can't be done on an iPad. Even things that seem more convenient (long emails) are tedious for them ("I have to go all the way _upstairs_ to do that? I'd rather sit on the couch, or compose it in the passenger set of the car."). They find it significantly more convenient than their desk top, and they argue over who gets to use it. They'll soon buy a second one.
Based on my parents' experience, I say have your mom ditch the desktop.
That's why many Android owners (who aren't on Slashdot) would rather have something else.
...a 2011 propaganda article in 2013. You really should have thought that through. since that article was written 2011Q3 Android has risen 52.5% to 72.4%...Apple on the other hand have lost market share from 15% to 13.9%...not so much following the vibe that time :) http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=2237315
Had my iPad 1 setting around, and my mother developed breast cancer. I gave it to her and set up facebook, email, scrabble, everything she needed. Gave her a bluetooth keyboard along with it that acted as a stand for typing long emails.
To say she loves it is a clear understatement. I thought she'd use it on days when she was exhausted from the chemo, or during the actual treatments, but she uses it everywhere. She doesn't use the PC I built her last year anymore.
She's especially enamored with the rouxbe.com cooking school membership - they're fully compatible with iOS safari. Works mint. And there's nothing better than a tablet in the kitchen for serving up that kind of content. Keyboards are splash attractors, and a touchscreen is trivial to clean
In my experience a tabled and a senior citizen do just fine. When it comes time to do taxes, she'll likely need her PC, but right now the tablet is the go-to device for everything.
Seriously...another post PC debate to advertise the iPad, my favourite part is the fact that its out of warranty!? If that sort of thing is a major issue. Do not go near an Apple product...
I think this post says more about you than the OP.
just like typing at a real computer, only difference, obviously, instead of mouse clicks, having to tap at the screen for functions (not much different really).
Yeah, except for the gorilla arm. And the fact that a capacitive screen is only accurate to about a quarter inch, which hurts on image editing, as you have to zoom in to make precise changes but have to zoom out to see the context in which you're making those changes. And the fact that you typically can't have more than one document visible on the screen because of the all-maximized-all-the-time window manager policy in iOS and Android. And that it might be difficult to balance the iPad and keyboard on your lap if you commute on public transit or travel as a bus, train, or airline passenger.
I'm 2,500 miles and two time zones away, so I can't exactly troubleshoot things from here
Assuming the problem that needs to be troubleshot isn't network related
In no particular order of preference
TeamViewer
LogMeIn
Techinline Remote Desktop
CrossLoop (I hadn't heard of this one before searching just now but it looks interesting)
Radmin
RemotePC
There are a lot of remote support options. Some good ones are even free.
My personal suggestion is Splashtop. It isn't a remote support tool but it has client's for Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and BB 10/PlayBook OS2 so you could log into your mother's PC from your tablet and fix what needs fixing. It's also a one time cost opposed to a subscription.
At some point your mother will need to do something the tablet cannot do. You can still get an inexpensive tablet for her.
"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
why not get her a nice inexpensive laptop as well?
Because such devices don't exist.
I'm not going to do your Google for you, but of course you are absolutely wrong.
Cheap laptops with a 10" screen exist, but only on the used market. See the recent Slashdot story "Does 2012 Mark the End of the Netbook?".
I can't believe the comments here.
First get her a computer with the same Operating System as she already has. The older generation doesn't like change for the sake of change--they only want change when it offers significant improvements.
Second she will want a full size keyboard and a decent sized screen. As you get older your fingers are less nimble and your eyesight gets worse.
So I am thinking something like a 15"-17", used business class laptop from eBay (a few years old).
I can't speak for any one else's Mother, but mine and all my sisters print coupons which only have MS-Windows printer drivers. Yes, it sucks, but there isn't a driver for OSX, Linux, iOS or Android. Yes, these companies suck big stinky camel balls.
Mom doesn't understand "printer drivers." She just knows that she can't print that buy-1-get-1-free coupon.
Betteridge's law of headlines says no.
I concur.
...and so are you. You should read the wikipedia entry http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betteridge's_law_of_headlines the idea is that *so called controversial* headline probably isn't, based on some flimsy transparent premise
This is just an an advertisement for an iPad more along the lines of "Do you have hair loss?" its disgusting subterfuge, but nothing to do Betteridge...to make the law work you would have to change the headline you "Is this the end of the PC?"
I moved my mother over to an iPad a year ago and it was a great move. While there was definitely an initial learning curve for the first couple of weeks, once we made it through that phase, the support calls dropped dramatically.
Tablets are ergonomic nightmares;
I don't think its true of a 7" tablet which is essentially a book. Its more true for a 10" tablet...but then I would say the problem is from my experience is the weight after long periods...but I think the form factor reflects its use not the other way around.
I gave up on my laptop and have a jailbroken ipad with a bluetooth keyboard. I thought for sure it would work as a laptop killer, but it has been a bit of a pain. The jail-breaking certainly helps defeat the compartmentalization of everything, but even still I find my self using three or more apps to do what I could easily do on a real computer. Almost everything is a work-around and I play mind games trying to figure out how to accomplish menial tasks. I often resort to using a remote desktop app to tap into my desktop to get things done. I think someday the tablet and laptop will successfully fuse into a single device, but it's not here yet. Never-mind trying to eliminate the desktop.
you can resize windows and run side-by-side windows
Good job Google. Now when's this feature going to get ported to Android tablets? Even my Nexus 7 would be big enough for two side-by-side phone-sized windows, let alone a 10" tablet.
and where you've got tons of offline apps now, the Chromebook really seems to handle all the basic needs.
The mom of this Slashdot story is probably not like Bobby Tables's geek mom from xkcd, but the question remains: Can one develop an app for the Chromebook on the Chromebook?
I've thought about pushing my grandmother and maybe my family to tablet-only since they have similar use-cases you describe and I think it would ease a lot of support headaches on my side. The only main hangup I've thought of is printing; my dad still loves to print stuff, as it seems a lot of older people do, too. There are cloud print / air print options out there but they all seem to involve either new specific cloud enabled printers, or shared printers on existing PCs. Honestly, to solve that I've been looking to set up a Raspberry Pi as a print server. I think think using CUPS I could hook that directly up to a printer and have it "available" to any other device on the local network. Then I think I could if I needed have some sort of headless chrome install if I really needed Google Cloud print to print over the Internet. I haven't had a chance to play with it yet...still need a second Pi unless I free up my raspbmc install!
Tablet do really s*ck to produce any meaningful content beside tweets and very short emails.
But if your mother plans to only consume content, it could be ok: I could never make my stepfather to step for more than a few seconds behind a desktop computer but he does love his iPad. He's even taking it with him to show pictures to his friends... He's using it purely to consume content and that's the way a tablet should be used.
But for anyone doing serious work, it's a toy whose level of crapiness cannot be understated. It's madening and the lack of an input device giving input back to your fingers is alienating.
If your mother is old enough so that she's not working anymore and if she isn't writing long emails, than a tablet could probably be fine with her. That or a Chromebook.
...but you can do a heckuva lot.
I actually just embarked upon this very experiment. With a Win 8 tablet no less. Today, you can get a tablet with an i5 processor and a full windows install. For the last 2 weeks I've exclusively used this tablet as my sole work platform, including this very moment.
Now I will say that some behavior modification is/was in order. Due to present day drive space vs cost limitations, Google Drive, Sky Drive, etc are now part of my every day experience for management of files.Counter tablet behavior is sometime called for too: I plug in to the an external monitor and full sized keyboard during the times than my highest levels of productivity are needed or as tasks demand.
IMO tablet only is going to be commonplace before anyone expects.Having the flexibility to bea workhorse, terrific communications and consumption device, and compact all-in-one package has been a terrific experience.
I don't see myself going back to a laptop/workstation. Especially with some tablets having 'snap-on' keyboards for when I want to go retro.
but but but it's open source!!! Even the KGB uses it!!!
Though, they did comb through the source and strip everything they didn't like out first.
Posting from $95 Dell C840. Beautiful, bright, tall, 4:3 display. Slow, low capped satellite internet so I can't watch videos anyway. Battery only last 30 minutes but I have a Galaxy 10.1 for when I leave home :)
Do people really print?
If I want to give someone a copy of a document or a photo, and she isn't yet technically inclined enough to have bought her own tablet or smartphone, she'll probably want paper. I've also had problems sending things from my tablet to a Kindle Fire tablet without bouncing it off an e-mail server because a Kindle Fire tablet lacks Bluetooth.
My limit before I get annoyed with onscreens is about 200 characters
When exceeding a tweet, break out a Bluetooth keyboard.
the support calls dropped dramatically.
..and set fire to her bins (or whatever the localised equivalent is)
Swype (notice the spelling)
When you were at Swype, did you try contacting the other major third-party keyboard application publishers to get the name of this product into their autocorrect dictionaries? Otherwise, Swype will continue to get red squiggly underlines and continue to get corrected to swipe if autocorrect is on.
I got a fantastic deal on a Motorola Xoom (10" screen), now running
Android 4.1 and I've rooted it myself.
When my computer went down I used the Xoom to surf and search for
a new mother board. I use a used bluetooth keyboard that
cost $10 at Goodwill; it's very nice, small in size yet large keys.
I got tired of it quick, not sure why, miss a mouse (?). I put a spare
computer together to used until the motherboard showed up.
I hope I never have to rely solely on a tablet again.
If one is going to use a tablet and it's locked or doesn't allow
say a HOSTS file to be installed, It really needs to be rooted.
Read this Privacy Policy http://www.rovio.com/Privacy this is the
norm for unrooted cell phones, tablets, and future UEFI protected OS's.
It's for Angry Birds, one would think they would make it a free program
seeing how much personal information is collected and the tracking they do.
http://www.rovio.com/Privacy is a favorite example of mine, I've mentioned it
on many occasions as most don't read nor care about ToS's. This ToS is
the same for most programs now. A direct quote from that link "Please note
that certain features of the Services may be able to connect to your social
networking sites to obtain additional information about you."
My HOSTS file for my PC is almost 600K and I thought that was huge
The HOSTS file for a rooted device is over 900K (Adaway).
Root the device or at the very least download and run Android_ID
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bzgames.androidid&feature=search_result
Get your number and paste it here http://www.flurry.com/user-opt-out.html
-Android assumed
Those who recommend a Chromebook - they don't consider that there will be times when you have no internet connectivity and want to use your tablet.
How should that stop anyone from choosing Chrome apps designed with offline first?
A few months ago my wife started using my old iPad 2 more and more. Pretty soon it was all she was using and the kids were using her MacBook. For Christmas I got her a new iPad 4 and she was thrilled.
She mainly uses the web and email, with some rare Excel and Word document reviewing with iWork. For light photo touch up iPhoto has been fine too.
In all seriousness, a Laptop can replace a desktop, but a tablet won't be replacing either until some advent in text input comes around. Since people are used to typing, on screen keyboards are used, but they lack the tactile feedback necessary (as do many chiclet-style laptop keyboards) to type fast and accurate. So for the most part the best use cases are where the tablet can replace paper (eg books, forms) and watch/edit video/pictures with low accuracy.
Like I wouldn't try to do anything precision on a tablet, but if you need to crop, and color adjust a picture, it's fine. Rough cut a film together, delete/edit content from an office document, etc. The actual content creation is not viable on a tablet (the camera itself is not a replacement for a point and shoot, DSLR or a video camera, but it's good enough to replace all the point and shoots that lack zoom lenses.)
As a communication device, a tablet is FAR FAR more perfect of a device than a laptop or desktop.
If all she does is "simple web browsing, email, light photo sharing but no heavy editing, and other simple tasks" then a tablet would fit her needs perfectly, as long as she also gets a keyboard for it. Those virtual keyboards become an act of miserable frustration if you need to type anything more than a couple short sentences.
I recently got a windows 8 surface and it can definitely be used as a laptop replacement. The keyboard is not great but it beats a software keyboard by a mile (or kilometer).
The only concern I would have is the photos and personal data, both that she'd want to recover from her old PC as well as would want to keep. As much as other people may be comfortable with using the "Cloud" for their storage, I would count photos among those things I wouldn't necessarily trust online - even if she is sharing them. It's not worth a heavy investment - something just powerful enough to sync and store someplace would work - but it's the only concern I'd have in what you want to do.
(P.S. I know I'm alone in my thoughts, and that I'm in a losing war on this - many people currently have no problem storing their entire world online, and they're justified to feel that way. I have no doubt in the hardware - my doubt has always been in the people controlling it.)
... that most websites that give coupons away use a special program (browser add-on) that prevents duplicate prints.
Some call themselves "drivers" ... but they are more of OS specific browser plugins. And almost NON of them support Linux and only a few support OSX.
So they person is telling the truth. You just had no clue of what he/she was talking about.
I have a tablet, a laptop, and a desktop. They all get used.
For media consumption or quick stuff or one-handed use the tablet is the best bet. For more stringent but "light" stuff (or if I'm too lazy to go upstairs) the laptop gets picked. For anything where I'm going to be doing a lot of typing I'll use the desktop (which is really another heavier but more powerful laptop that's almost always docked) since it has a 1920x1200 IPS screen, ergo keyboard, and proper mouse.
I tried showing my mom how to use a PC a long time ago but she tried to pick the mouse up off the table to make the cursor move up the screen.
She would complain there were too many things to remember and too many steps and clicks and double clicks.
So I got her the 1st gen iPad back when it first came out and she has been loving it ever since. She figured most of it out on her own without any instruction.
I synced it to my iTunes on my PC with my iTunes account. This way I can control what goes on there and she doesn't have to keep up with anything at all. Also she doesn't have a credit card. I just update all the apps every time I visit every month or two and update the iOS every so often when I think to bring my laptop with me.
There are times when I wish I could see her screen when she has a question about a web page not showing correctly or acting right.
All in all she loves it and says it's the gift that keeps on giving!
--- Nothing is secure.
Wife bought a tablet recently to replace her laptop, thinking that her requirements were modest enough that a tablet could handle it. The requirements (which were all met by her laptop) were:
(1) Runs the Kindle app
(2) Allows access to her Yahoo email
(3) Allows her to play Facebook games
(4) Allows her to see videos (ok, soap operas) on the ABC website.
So, kindle, check. yahoo email, check. Facebook access, check, but none of her facebook games would run. Also, all videos on the ABC site gave her the error "this video can not be played".
After a few very frustrating weeks the tablet has become pretty much shelfware. She's gone back to the laptop and only occasionally uses the tablet to read her kindle books.
Now, what she was missing, turns out, is flash. Yes, we all know why, and that websites should be switching to html 5 or something, but the fact remains that a lot of sites are still using it, and as a consequence, no currently available Android or Apple tablet will display the content. Therefore, it'd be important in your case to explore exactly what your mother's expectations are before pulling that particular trigger.
Yes, I know that you can dink around with an Android tablet and get flash to work. On some implementations it works great, on others it's prone to crashing. In any case, it's not something she's going to be able to fix herself, so you may have to steel yourself to do some sysadmin on the device and be on the hook for support. Just sayin'.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Chrome has Angry Birds in the web store. I've played it on the Chromebook - works well.
I bought an iPad and at first loved it. I travel and I was hoping that finally I could stop lugging round the laptop I use for work.
I think Android is a lot less limiting and only a little less intuitive. I was sorely disappointed with the iPad though. It's bizarre but it's almost like they are deliberately crippled to being a toy. Although it was very nice to sit down with like a book I ended up selling it because I'm not the soprt of person to have unneeded things in my life.
Some of the problems I encountered:
- needing a desktop to activate it; thanks BestBuy for doing that for me in the shop
- no preloaded maps & reliant on internet in general
- pretty cool for typing quick comments on say, slashdot... but it soon starts to annoy when you relise how much quicker it would be with a laptop
- couldn't print
- couldn't plug in a usb printer
- really difficult to pass a file to someone on the road... no usb
- generally dependent on that internet connection for everything... something that is highly variable on the road, ditto for printers
- bank balance attrition on the apps. If you were to root it and start pirating stuff then you lose security. Android is much better but then I think really you need to know what you are doing.
It's a shame but I came to the conclusion that this new fad is... nothing but a toy!
It doesn't have to be... it shouldn't be and I keep thinking it isn't... but that's what I found and continue to find.
I'm hoping that an Android Transformer type thing will prove me wrong but I think for me where I get irritated with Gentoo's new lack of apps that I would quickly get annoyed by it.
However, the mother is a different use case to all of us here. I think it's going to be a lot rarer that she would find something that isn't available for a tablet. With an Android tablet you might be able to get away with it but I think it's best to play it safe at this stage.
If the psychology of feeling like you're buying the same thing again is too painful...
bear in mind there has been a lot of progress in the desktop area too. You can get very small form factors which are also much quieter and I would expect her to like the saved space. That's the sensible choice anyway.
Everybody may recommend a laptop straight away. But I like the idea of having a set place at which to work and in an ergonomic way - a big keyboard, a screen at the right height and all in set place.
It comes down to a philosophical choice.
Do we want something that's nice for sitting in bed wasting time... and can get by on the important stuff most of the time, maybe...
or something that's good at getting the banking done?
A blog I run for the wealth
OK, I'm going to explain something us "web-browser developers" know that you OS types obviously didn't know.
Our web-browser thingies have something called a plug-in architecture, which is now an integrated part of rendering a web page. Plugins can be called on each type of resources embedded on a page, or all of them, and can even be run on resources after another plugin has run.
AdBlock is one of those plug-ins. After Seamonkey (or Firefox) has fetched a HTML document, the parser sends each URL to AdBlock for processing. AdBlock's list of user- and community-defined blocked URL's is ready and waiting in RAM, and AdBlock will remove and prevent the browser from processing the URL. Instead, it places a placeholder on the page instead of another plugin, an image from the ad-farm, or whatever.
So the point I've made all along is that AdBlock isn't actually using the Operating System's DNS stack to block at all - it appears in the execution cycle before the DNS query or the fetch.
Also, this is the same on any and all client OS - Win, Lin, And, iOs etc.
This tagline was transcoded to result in at least one smirk. If you experience failure to smirk, please consult your Gen
The problem with a bluetooth keyboard is if I'm going to that trouble, why don't I just use a laptop?
Because they don't make 10 inch laptops anymore, according to this Slashdot story.
If you buy a tablet with a keyboard (like the ASUS transformer), she'll have great hardware that's good for almost all the things people do with tablets.
The big problem with all the tablets out there is that their browsers aren't full desktop browsers. There are some that you can tell to run in "desktop mode", and that helps, but some sites will still not work. Most annoyingly, there is still no good "desktop-like" solution for Google Docs itself.
Chromebooks are another alternative, but they don't have that many apps for them, and they only give you a choice of a single browser.
Your best solution may still be a laptop running Ubuntu: it's pretty easy to use (easier than Windows 8) and fairly straightforward to maintain. There are lots of built-in apps, and web apps work as well as on a Chromebook.
The article I linked states that Acer, the manufacturer of the Aspire One netbook, has announced the end of production of Aspire One netbooks. Once Walmart runs out of its final shipment, which I expect to happen sometime this year, the only 10" laptops will be used laptops.
My daughter who is a university student and needs to type quite a lot of stuff recently bought herself an Archos tablet.
It has a screen protection cover that doubles as a keyboard.
The "caveat" is that the various text processing software she tried are "ok" for a letter, but when she needs to really create a "professional" document she still feels the need to go back to her old linux box with libreoffice...
In practice any tablet with a decent keyboard addon can serve for almost 100% of most people needs....
You could think of it this way: :-)
-- consumer who just use the device to access content (aka TV replacement) and access some services (mostly bank and shopping) => tablet is good enough for them
-- consumer with some brain who sometimes produce something => add a keyboard
-- person who actually write documents that might be printed by somebody and looked at =>
==> either a cheap 13.1 laptop with windows (do not forget to provide the phone number of a IT repair for pay person that lives near your "customer")
==> macbook air (personally I really like the aerodynamism and the distance they can fly when you throw them out of the window
but hipsters like them, and they fail less than windows)
==> a cheap 13.1 laptop running linux (there will be much less technical issues, but of course any issue will be "your fault" since it is not a "common choice"
so YMMV
-- person who actually is using a computer for something complicated => don't worry she'll know what she needs
It's not your fault. You were raped as a child.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
This baby looks gorgeous and has gorgeous specs:
http://www.dailytech.com/MSI+Announces+Windows+8Powered+Slider+S20+Ultrabook+Convertible/article29559c.htm
It's just the price that's a shocker. But hey, you get what you pay for...
An iPad with an bluetooth keyboard (I use the Apple bluetooth keyboard) will accomplish 95% of what I use a laptop for. With Apple's Pages, Numbers, and Keynote, I can produce everything that I use on a daily basis. Apple sells adapters for USB and SD-type cards that permit movement of music and photos. The iPad is an easily transportable system that just works. I have taken it to Third World countries (Africa) without any problems. Being a tablet, it fits into the day pack that I always carry with me.
My sister previously used a laptop, but after she got an iPad, she simply stopped using it. Well, at work, she still uses it, but at home, it's the iPad all the time. Sometimes, she's forced to use the laptop since her 1 yr old kid keeps screaming for it if it's not surrendered to him. But other than that, she uses it more frequently than she ever used the laptop. For instance, looking up cooking recipes, bill management and the like - she rarely used laptop programs that did those, or look them up. But ever since starting on an iPad, the experience has been different.
She also has a Galaxy phone, and while on the road, she uses that for things like directions, restaurant or movie ticket bookings and so on. Note that she's not a neophyte w/ computers - it's just that they're not all that convenient to lug around, and their interfaces are just not that conducive for travelling either. The phone is particularly handy for travelling, and the iPad, well, it used to be a great help in managing the baby, and now, the baby acts like it's his. On the downside, she's had to buy protective equipment after her kid damaged the iPad twice, so now it's much better protected.
My sense of it - most people who are technophobes may be more receptive to tablets or phones than they ever were to laptops.
For me a tablet can never replace my laptop. I make and edit videos on a regular basis and depend on my USB webcam, HD-PVR, and Kdenlive to do so. Until tablets are fully capable of doing EVERYTHING my laptop can, a tablet only computing life will NEVER be an option. Even if it could do all these things, I'd still prefer my laptop because on a tablet I'd have to be constantly plugging/unplugging everything.
A tablet is a fine computer for consuming information and researching things.
Tablets fall down when it comes to creating content but I expect they'll improve at that.
You can get a keyboard for an iPad - there are many third party alternatives and the official Apple wireless keyboard. I have the Apple version for use with my iPad and it's great. However I still use my MacBookPro for most creative work. For reading on the go or in bed I prefer the iPad.
Do I choose the red one or the blue one. hmmm?
The mind conceives, the body achieves, the spirit manifests.
When I got my first laptop, I thought I would carry it everywhere and that I would be finally able to use the computer sitting in a couch, or in a coffee shop and be able to do all my tasks (develop software, watch movies, etc.) with it everywhere. It had a 15" screen and several pounds of weight, and had a heat problem, so much that even finding a utility to raise the speed of the fan didn't fix it. In the end I just used it only on desks, and never took it to a cafe.
Then I got my second laptop, this time a 12" screen, more power efficient so it heat less. I fantasized about being able to work everywhere, and in the end I just used it from desk to desk, not moving it from weeks at a time. This time I was able to use it in coffee shops though.
Then I bought my first tablet, an Asus Transformer TF300T (didn't by the keyboard dock yet), and this time, though I cannot program in it, I really do move it around the house all the time. I think that's where the value of a tablet comes from. Since the touch screen is the only input device, you don't have to drag mouses or cables around, you just lift it and take it with you. Its as portable as a phone except for the size.
It really gives you the freedom to move. You can take a break from the desk and see your emails, navigate slashdot, etc from the couch. Make a quick query of imdb for the movie that is playing on tv, etc.
I'd never replace a laptop with the tablet though. They are supplementary.
So my advice is, get her a real laptop. Don't get the chromebook though, because it is the worst of both worlds: it cannot do anything more than a tablet does, and lacks the extreme portability of a tablet. You cannot edit video in a chromebook. You cannot play real games in a chromebook. You cannot add a tv tuner to a chromebook. I don't think you can use remote desktop either (to help her remotely)... What about multigigabyte photo and video collections? and so on.
Be free to get her a tablet too, but don't leave her without a real computer.
"So the point I've made all along is that AdBlock isn't actually using the Operating System's DNS stack to block at all - it appears in the execution cycle before the DNS query or the fetch." - by webmistressrachel (903577) on Sunday January 06, @07:33AM (#42494615)
See subject-line above - no, NO "outs" via lies troll. Hosts were the issue, & I'll QUOTE YOU ON THAT TOO, directly:
PERINTENT QUOTE/EXCERPT:
---
"As for HOSTs, give it, up you can't burn anyone.
Adblock:
Web Page Parser -->URL Analyzer -->Plugins ||| BLOCK
HOSTs:
Web Page Parser -->URL Analyzer -->Plugins --> DNS Lookup --> Process HOSTS file (sometimes in RAM) -->Timeout Period for Local Webserver (10-30secs) ||| BLOCK = Slower."
FROM -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3351357&cid=42472651
Oh, really?
See the 1st thing I quote from you - you are IN ERROR, "non-sequitur", & WRONG!
(As per your trolling UNDEREDUCATED stupid usual? You *tried* to 'try me' there on HOSTS files, yet AGAIN, & YOU FAILED)..
LMAO!
Have you NO shame, troll?
---
Microsoft's OWN documentation shows your MISINFORMATION BULLSHIT above, right here (again):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/172218
Host name resolution generally uses the following sequence:
---
The client checks to see if the name queried is its own.
The client then searches a local Hosts file, a list of IP address and names stored on the local computer.
Domain Name System (DNS) servers are queried.
---
I mean, not only are you COMPLETELY "non-sequitur" here? You're also NOW ''busted" as a fucking LIAR!
APK
P.S.=> Payback's a BITCH, isn't it? Especially since you ADMIT to trolling (stalking & harassing is more like it), ME, for years now:
"I'm known for teasing apk" - by webmistressrachel (903577) on Tuesday January 01, @12:00AM (#42438977) Journal
FROM -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3350243&cid=42438977
BUT, also via ac trolling/stalking/harassing posts, via nefarious means (proxying onion routers):
"Screw you, apk, and the horse you rode in on. If I ever see you post here again, I'll bomb you as AC from Tor, meaning I'll NEVER run out of posts because I can change endpoint..." - by webmistressrachel (903577) on Sunday July 03 2011, @02:03PM (#36647614)
FROM -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2292298&cid=36647614
---
You did this, to yourself...
... apk
It's still difficult to one-up the physical keyboard. If the tablet will be her sole computing device, strongly consider one that has a physical keyboard. Most can be adapted with a Bluetooth keyboard, but then you have two devices to manage batteries on. I personally have the Asus Transformer tablet with keyboard dock and it's been a great Windows replacement device. Not only does the keyboard dock add a physical keyboard (and make it feel like a clamshell laptop), it also adds a secondary battery to extend the tablet's runtime to ~16 hours.
Get her a Chomebook and a Nexus 7. You get the best of both works for the price of one iPad.
Don't do it. Just get her a cheap 11" laptop. Tablets are great for watching video, listening to audio, video chatting, playing games, and the OCCASIONAL email or web browsing. Occasional being the highlight since without a real keyboard it's awkward and time consuming trying to do any appreciable amount of text-based communication, not to mention that many websites simply don't work right on tablet browsers. And please don't use your tablet as a camera. No, Just no.
My 85yo mom's 10yo laptop was dying so she asked for a new laptop. Her #1 complaint was that it was hard to see the screen of the old laptop. So I bought her a cheap ($450) large screen laptop (17"). She is very happy. No tablet can address the aging eyesight issue better than a large screen device...
i am happy about this topic and discussion and appreciate the feedback that i need when i support others, thus it is irrelevant whether the OP has any preconcieved idea, and it is truly valid to to hear whether chromebooks are working IRL (printing is essential for a pc replacement) and of course the size, weight, vitual or alternative keyboards all make up new possibilities each month.
Having tried android and ipads, laptops and desktops, i still find myself finding that a ipad big is the easiest device for beginners, seconded by the macbook air, simply in amount of initial and long-term support (android have a confusing way of starting programs with its default 5 screens and app selector) and windows are full of crapware, need AV and lots of messages which are just confusing for non-techs.
The chromebook would be the most simple and directly useful solution if a printer could be physically attached, if that is possible?
My wife ditched her iMac for an iPad. She could have got a Android tablet, but all available Android tables were not white. And she wanted the *white* tablet computer. The choice was made.
I'm using an iPad "1" since more than one year as only device at home (but I use a PC during working hours). :( but I think that it's also a perfect entertianment device for +3 yrs babies.
Now it's showing some problems due to its age, espcially with heavy web sites, with a lot of Javascript, but it's perfect for "sofa websurfing" and casual use. I'm not a big fan of various "apps" and I'm tied to old(????) world wide web
Let's not exagerate. Not only copy/paste is nonintuitive on all tablets for now, but it's extremely basic, limited to text-only clipboards IIRC.
If the OP's dad uses to create emails with images pasted into them, then he's out...
Herve S.
The answer is "Yes, these new-fangled non-pc devices do cover everyday tasks for the layman user and thus are a good full-time replacement for a PC."
Personally I'd check out the Asus Transformer and the Chromebook for devices with KB integrated, and the Google Nexus and the Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 line of tablets.
Remember to clarify a few things first:
Printing required?
Data transfer / backup required?
Optical media reading required? (Audio CD, DVD Video?)
There are solutions for 1 and 2, especially on Android, some involve using WiFi for data transfer, so your mom would maybe need some kind of external WiFi HDD or something. ... Dunno if WiFi optical drives exist.
If optical media is required, you'd have to look carefully at what's needed and search for an apropriate drive.
All those things aside, if your mom isn't a developer, designer or about to go into video editing or something and doesn't need a full M$ Office suite because her friends all use it to send stuff around, then a modern tablet is a very good computer.
My 2 cents.
We suffer more in our imagination than in reality. - Seneca
I use www.teamviewer.com there are others
I thought they were 18 inch (Although I could be wrong). I bought three of them for my kids. Then they went 22 inch intel and now the big bastards. Stopped at an i5 though. They didn't need an i7.
iPad?
Android in their flavors?
Windows 7?
My experiences with Windows for Tablet PC have been quite positive.
Back in the day (1998ish) I used a Fujitsu Stylistic tablet at work as my only machine. It was fine to be used as a sole computer, especially with a dock for using at the desk. I usually used it at home as well (instead of my Dell desktop system.)
Now I use an Asus EP121 slate at work with Win 7 Professional (domain environment.) It's not my only machine, but honestly it could be. It would probably work as my sole computer, period.
I have had the best of Windows XP/Windows 7 (yes, for the haters, there are good things about MS as well,) USB or a dock for a keyboard/mouse experience, pen input when I want it and touch on the Asus, and a screen size smaller than a standard monitor but plenty large enough to work on, and either VGA or HDMI output as well if/when I wanted it. The limitations - no cd/dvd drive without docking or USB, no built-on hard keyboard, lack of peripherals, lower speed/ram than a desktop... none of them ever really bothered me. And it works in portrait mode with OneNote as a replacement for a planner or paper notebook.
The question to ask these days is, "Why do I need to have a desktop?"
Since you & yours downmodded it to TRY hide it: http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42498031
* I can't BELIEVE you'd actually *try* to bullshit everyone reading here like you did saying you were about DNS, when I quote you SPECIFICALLY STATING I WAS OFF ON HOSTS...
(Didn't you even stop to THINK that I'd put your own lies out against you? Guess not - oh well, you brought it on yourself, lying trolling scumbag that you are!).
APK
P.S.=> If you want respect, you have to EARN it - telling outright LIES won't do that for you... you did it, to yourself!
... apk
Trying to "downmod" the truth about you to *hide* it -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42494443
* You're "going down" troll - & funniest part of all? You did it, to YOURSELF!
(So... "rinse, lather, & REPEAT" on that link above, troll, OR THE OTHER TIME I POSTED IT & you tried HIDING IT here too -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42495129 )
What's the matter BOY? Don't like being exposed for WHAT YOU ARE?? You're a fucking troll, online trash, nothing more.
APK
P.S.=> Best part of all is that you're taking webmistressrachel with you for the ride... lol!
... apk
"Rinse, Lather, & Repeat" TROLL -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42494443
(Since you downmodded it last time I posted it, you wussy little PUNK!)
* Face it - Your OWN BLATANT STUPIDITY did you in, lol... & your own words trap you in it, troll!
(I wouldn't use 'rape' either, because webmistressrachel *might* not like it... due to experience with it!)
APK
P.S.=> It's funny not only seeing you reduced to LIBELING ME online which IS AGAINST THE LAW, but also "hiding" it via downmods or trying to, when I posted truths about how you troll others too -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42494443 along with webmistressrachel!
---
"It's not your fault. You were raped as a child." - by Jeremiah Cornelius (137) on Sunday January 06, @08:21AM (#42494779) Homepage
Poor little troll, reduced to not only the "last resort of trolls", in an off-topic illogical ad hominem attack, but also libel now too - There's laws against that... punk!
... apk
Here it is again -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42494787 SINCE YOU VAINLY *TRIED* TO "HIDE IT" VIA UNJUSTIFIABLE DOWNMODS!
* NO HIDING IT NOW!
APK
P.S.=>
"So the point I've made all along is that AdBlock isn't actually using the Operating System's DNS stack to block at all - it appears in the execution cycle before the DNS query or the fetch." - by webmistressrachel (903577) on Sunday January 06, @07:33AM (#42494615)
WHAT A FUCKING LYING PIECE OF ONLINE TRASH YOU ARE! YOU ATTACKED ME ON HOSTS FILES LIAR... and FAILED badly!
(Below proves that, with YOUR OWN SCREWUPS, trying to "play smart" with ME, you lowlife undereducated TROLL!)
---
Here is what you said, quoted verbatim (not on DNS liar, but on hosts, which LOAD FAR BEFORE YOUR UNDEREDUCATED nincompoop level of 'understanding' of how computers work online, lol):
"As for HOSTs, give it, up you can't burn anyone.
Adblock:
Web Page Parser -->URL Analyzer -->Plugins ||| BLOCK
HOSTs:
Web Page Parser -->URL Analyzer -->Plugins --> DNS Lookup --> Process HOSTS file (sometimes in RAM) -->Timeout Period for Local Webserver (10-30secs) ||| BLOCK = Slower." - by webmistressrachel (903577) on Friday January 04, @01:51AM (#42472651) Journal
FROM -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3351357&cid=42472651
---
Additionally: By the way, idiot?
Microsoft's OWN DOCUMENTATION shows what gets queried first (hosts), not LAST like you listed it quoted from YOU, above... you failed programmer that had to become a 'webwuss', lol:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/172218 [microsoft.com]
Host name resolution generally uses the following sequence:
---
The client checks to see if the name queried is its own.
The client then searches a local Hosts file, a list of IP address and names stored on the local computer.
Domain Name System (DNS) servers are queried.
---
BROWSER PLUGINS, even AdBlock (which doesn't block all ads anymore by default too, a fail right there) SLOW DOWN FIREFOX!
Everyone that's used FF knows it... stack a few of them, & see!
LASTLY - ALL YOUR DOWNMODS OF MY POSTS CAN'T HIDE IT, I won't allow that, lol... now? You "eat it"... lol!
(Told you NOT to *try me*, troll...)
... apk
BULLSHIT & I prove it using your LYING WORDS quoted below, troll!
Plugins ALSO SLOW DOWN browsers (especially in FireFox - more messagepassing overheads is why).
Face it - you LIED & got caught, see below, & yet again (especially since you troll me on hosts) trying to say it was on DNS?
LMAO - see the FIRST LINE I QUOTE FROM YOU BELOW, troll...
"So the point I've made all along is that AdBlock isn't actually using the Operating System's DNS stack to block at all - it appears in the execution cycle before the DNS query or the fetch." - by webmistressrachel (903577) on Sunday January 06, @07:33AM (#42494615)
HOSTS DO IT FAR BEFORE THAT, @ OS load via tcpip.sys (a driver, fast as it gets).
See subject-line above - no, NO "outs" via lies troll.
Hosts were the issue, & I'll QUOTE YOU ON THAT TOO, directly:
PERINTENT QUOTE/EXCERPT:
---
"As for HOSTs, give it, up you can't burn anyone.
Adblock:
Web Page Parser -->URL Analyzer -->Plugins ||| BLOCK
HOSTs:
Web Page Parser -->URL Analyzer -->Plugins --> DNS Lookup --> Process HOSTS file (sometimes in RAM) -->Timeout Period for Local Webserver (10-30secs) ||| BLOCK = Slower."
YOUR WORDS in error, massive error, STRAIGHT FROM -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3351357&cid=42472651
On HOSTS querying too?? LMAO - you are IN ERROR, "non-sequitur", & WRONG!
(As per your trolling UNDEREDUCATED stupid usual? You *tried* to 'try me' there on HOSTS files, yet AGAIN, & YOU FAILED)..
Have you NO shame, troll?
---
Microsoft's OWN documentation shows your MISINFORMATION BULLSHIT above, right here (again):
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/172218
Host name resolution generally uses the following sequence:
---
The client checks to see if the name queried is its own.
The client then searches a local Hosts file, a list of IP address and names stored on the local computer.
Domain Name System (DNS) servers are queried.
---
I mean, not only are you COMPLETELY "non-sequitur" here? You're also NOW ''busted" as a fucking LIAR!
Above ALL else - You said "us OS types don't know things you web GOOFS do"?
LMAO - SEE ABOVE! Without US? You wouldn't have a POT TO PISS IN, period... no browsers coded by actual REAL coders? You're shot...
APK
P.S.=> Payback's a BITCH, isn't it? Especially since you ADMIT to trolling (stalking & harassing is more like it), ME, for years now:
"I'm known for teasing apk" - by webmistressrachel (903577) on Tuesday January 01, @12:00AM (#42438977) Journal
FROM -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3350243&cid=42438977
BUT, also via ac trolling/stalking/harassing posts, via nefarious means (proxying onion routers):
"Screw you, apk, and the horse you rode in on. If I ever see you post here again, I'll bomb you as AC from Tor, meaning I'll NEVER run out of posts because I can change endpoint..." - by webmistressrachel (903577) on Sunday July 03 2011, @02:03PM (#36647614)
FROM -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2292298&cid=36647614
---
You did this, to yourself...
... apk
"If I need some crack, can I borrow from your stash? It seems like you get the good stuff. But I'll use my own pipe. You got turd-breath." - by Jeremiah Cornelius (137) on Monday January 07, @05:15PM (#42511001) Homepage
Grow up troll - run outta modpoints to downmod where I exposed YOU -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42494443 & also webmistressrachel (plus the DOLT I ran outta here, tomhudson/Barbara, not Barbie using BOTH of her trolling accounts)?
* Sooner or later, you ALL "run dry" of bogus downmods ability to *try* to "hide" your b.s. troll, but I don't in exposing your trolling wuss ass, punk!
In fact - once I am done with 'webmistressrachel' for her OUTRIGHT LIES and completely WEAK knowledge of computing (like most 'web weasels' who have the NERVE to call themselves programmers) -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42512131
?
You're next... I am going to have a field day on YOU...
APK
P.S.=> Lastly - Oh, I'd LOVE to see you talk to me like you have in posts here now, but, in front of me in person though - you'd never walk away once I was done with you, you pusscake little punk...
... apkrun outta modpoints to downmod where I exposed YOU
Get yourself an account ad karma-fight like a man. I haven't had mod points in years, but I wouldn't need 'em to rip your head off, and shit down your neck - you disgusting, pus-slurping piglet.
"Flyin' in just a sweet place,
Never been known to fail..."
She was raped, ask her (she even told me that) - no libel, she made it public information, herself here on this forums in response to myself & others too, you fool... lol!
* Yup, you MUST be scared & desperate now with YOU saying I was "raped as a child" (which I was NOT)... projecting your OWN issues, BOY?
"Go back to running your pathetic horse-pr0n server, and try not to spoodge your keyboard." - by Jeremiah Cornelius (137) on Monday January 07, @05:20PM (#42511059) Homepage
"Projecting" again, are we, Jeremiah 'troll' Cornelius?
APK
P.S. => See subject-line, BOY... LMAO - you're just (and you KNOW I've just GOTTA say it, BOY) "too, Too, TOO EASY - just '2ez'" to 'rattle in your game', troll... lol!
... apk
"Get yourself an account ad karma-fight like a man. I haven't had mod points in years, but I wouldn't need 'em to rip your head off, and shit down your neck - you disgusting, pus-slurping piglet." - by Jeremiah Cornelius (137) on Monday January 07, @07:00PM (#42512319) Homepage
Oh, that's it, lol - show us that I am correct in my subject above... lol!
You don't have mod points because you're a KNOWN TROLL (scum of the internet) -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42494443
* Where's your "cool" NOW, "BOY"?
(It isn't & NEVER was... my exposing you as what you are? TRULY shows me all I needed to see - just how EASY it is to 'rattle you' in YOUR OWN GAME, lol!)
Seems "boy" can 'dish it out' but he CANNOT take it... lol! What a PUNK, like I said earlier... hahaha.
APK
P.S.=> Keep calling me names "boy", that's fine (you're just setting yourself up like a bowling pin for when I do you in here), but I seriously DOUBT you'd have the balls or anything else to talk to me that way, face-to-face (since real men? Aren't trolling WORMS like you're being exposed as, & will continue to be shortly, lol)...
... apk
I put 4 blacks in the hospital a month ago who tried robbing me - stupid bastards ended up leaking all over the road howling like bitches they are. 2-3 yrs. ago before that? 5-6 more too... I came home with their blood ALL OVER MY JACKET & the guy I was living with was like "WTF?"... so:
ANYTIME, "BOY", anytime...
I grew up doing it. None of them fuck with me for YEARS at a time once word gets around, until the next gen of their 'we bad' group grows up (& finds out the same).
You want to be next? MEET ME HERE IN PERSON, like I said... I fucking DARE you!
You & YOURS? PISS ME THE FUCK OFF - everywhere YOURS are?? GOES TO SHIT!
FACT!
APK
P.S.=> I mean that too... any FUCKING time - you BIG talking WEASEL ass coward trolling bitch!
... apk
You're a punk troll weasel I exposed as a trolling scum -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3360735&cid=42494443
You're NO MAN because of that alone, and you KNOW it... no balls either! I made you a fair challenge, you're a punk that runs from it (like usual from what I've seen per my last post no less in REAL life).
No, you're no man, much less a BLACK MAN (emphasis on MAN)... no real man is a trolling little punk like you are, BOY!
Are there GOOD blacks? Yes - when they ARE? They are OUTSTANDING, like this one I 'championed' years ago -> http://broncotalk.net/2009/08/8572/broncos-news/finally-floyd-little-gets-his-shot/
SO, don't even *TRY* call me racist... BOY!
I call a SPADE, a spade.. that's all!
"You sir, are a racist. And have been..." - by Jeremiah Cornelius (137) on Monday January 07, @07:38PM (#42512739) Homepage
No, I just don't take shit from trolling little weasels like you with NO BALLS... that's all, & I never once have, not once in this LIFE!
It's how I live with myself, and yes, SURVIVE in a clusterfuck around me of TOTAL scum only 2-3 blocks away...
(I find that most however, are TOTAL fucking cowards once you start knocking the FUCKING CRAP outta them... & nobody does it like me!)
APK
P.S.=> I am a polack, & I've had it directed @ me (racism) my ENTIRE LIFE...
Does it bug me? Heck no!
Why? Well - we're a great people who were the MOST powerful nation on earth for centuries (known as "the defenders of Christianity" & we make excellent coders too, and many other things, not just "physical" like some DUMB BRUTE is (you know what I mean here, BOY? lol))...
... apk
"Wants to get in the last word", posting the next day - NO, I won't allow it (you stinking troll waste of LIFE).
* You're a pussy and a punk, no questions asked...
This proves it ( in your OWN words -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2238996&cid=36457426 that YOU are nothing but a little PUNK... lol!)
APK
P.S.=> QUESTION: What is it LIKE to be what I personally call a "not man"?
Hmmm??
Hahahaha - that's what YOU & "your kind" (trolls) show everyone you are, losers & weak wusses (that act more like WOMEN than men)...
... apk
We KNOW why - You're a pusscake troll who acts more a WOMAN than a man!
(You're the worst in humanity, you skulking little trolling worm).
* How a total WORM like you can even stand yourself, I'll never know...
APK
P.S.=> You're a punk, plain & simple...
... apk
Jeremiah Cornelius "live" -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjK9SsOx1WY hahahaha
Have you checked withe the bank?
I use three banks. All provide their own secured app for my iPad. It gives me one more layer of security and authentication.
Nevertheless, all the pages of all the banks render perfectly in Safari, Firefox and a Tor based browser. Only Opera seems a little suspect but runs perfectly most of the time. Might be worth finding out what is actually going on.
Using Safari on iPad for this right now.
Why'd ya pull yer resume off LinkedIn Jeremiah Cornelius -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3368135&cid=42529887 Is it since someone spotted you're not only a "San Fran 'Man'" (a fella is more like it) and that you can't even spell what you allegedly used to do for a job? It's correctly spelled PENETRATION, not "pentration" as you misspelled it there in front of 1,000's no doubt (one would think an anal penetration man from San Fran'd know how THAT is spelled at least, lol). Jeremiah Cornelius likes to troll others -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2238996&cid=36457426 , but can't handle it when it's done in return showing he is illiterate, and that much is obvious. You fail troll. How many years did you leave your resume up there with that basic literacy fail on it? Yes you have been trolled. You like? I wager you don't since you removed your faulty resume (on the very thing you took pride in that you can't even spell correctly most likely indicating you weren't any good at it either).
Why'd ya pull yer resume off LinkedIn Jeremiah Cornelius -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=3368135&cid=42529887 Is it since someone spotted you're not only a "San Fran 'Man'" (a fella is more like it) and that you can't even spell what you allegedly used to do for a job? It's correctly spelled PENETRATION, not "pentration" as you misspelled it there in front of 1,000's no doubt (one would think an anal penetration man from San Fran'd know how THAT is spelled at least, lol). Jeremiah Cornelius likes to troll others -> http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=2238996&cid=36457426 , but can't handle it when it's done in return showing he is illiterate, and that much is obvious. You fail troll. How many years did you leave your resume up there with that basic literacy fail on it? Yes you have been trolled. You like? I wager you don't since you removed your faulty resume (on the very thing you took pride in that you can't even spell correctly most likely indicating you weren't any good at it either).