iPad2 for an old Aunty?

nst68 · 17 Aug 2011 at 12:07

My Aunty is getting on a bit now, lives by herself and would like to keep in touch with relatives scattered all round the world.

Her needs are :-

Email to receive pictures
Maybe reply
Skype video calls

Would an iPad2 be a good idea for this?

Someone bought her a laptop but she can't get on with using a mouse and keyboard.

All she wants is something simple and she can switch on and use.

GTA767 · 17 Aug 2011 at 12:08

ipad 2 best choice

waso_dude · 17 Aug 2011 at 12:32

Ipads, are used by 2year olds. My little cousin loves playing on my uncles, games drawing ect. they are soo user interactive, she won't have any problems using it.

FishFluff · 17 Aug 2011 at 13:36

I have a theory that at least 35.7% of all iPads are bought for people's technophobe Aunties/Uncles/Grandparents to use as they're just so damn simple to learn.

Yes, get one for her. She'll learn it in no time. Don't get her anything crazy like an Android tablet as god help her if she ever wants to install more apps.

LordSplodge · 17 Aug 2011 at 16:08

My wife is a technophobe. She can't get on with my iPad at all, she just cannot grasp how to do things. She can, bizarrely, get on fine with OS X on a laptop.

The point I'm trying to make here is the OP needs to take his Aunty to an Apple Store and se if she can get on with one. Lot of money to punt on a guess.

Raikiri · 17 Aug 2011 at 16:11

Get her to try one out first, my parents are awful with touch screens.

Just can't seem to grasp that touching it causes things to happen, then they panic

Robbo · 17 Aug 2011 at 16:57

Raikiri said:
Get her to try one out first, my parents are awful with touch screens.

Just can't seem to grasp that touching it causes things to happen, then they panic

Even then, I bet they could learn to use an iPad. They're superb for that sort of thing.

^187 · 17 Aug 2011 at 20:31

People that don't get on with technology aren't interested in how many GHz the CPU has, how many FPS you can get from games. All they want is something that does what they want, isn't over complicated and they can use with minimal fuss. So the iPad is ideal in my book.

Fr0dders · 17 Aug 2011 at 21:07

Robbo said:
Even then, I bet they could learn to use an iPad. They're superb for that sort of thing.

Some people don't want to learn.

I have some of them as relatives. Easier just to leave them to it and not get involved rather than fighting with them and forcing them to learn something they don't want to learn.

grumpybeard · 18 Aug 2011 at 11:10

Hi nst68,

My 91 year old grandfather uses an iPad 2 now. He used to use a laptop but it got a bit too much for him I think.

He uses his iPad2 for emailing (sending and receiving, attaching pics etc), reading books, listening to the radio (adores this, amazed at number of internet stations), facetime and skype (which is great now there is an iPad specific version), surfing, playing solitaire etc. He also connects it to the tv to show my gran pics I send of holidays etc.

He loves it, finds it ever so simple to use (he uses a stylus rather than finger swiping as that feels more natural to him to hold a "pen in his hand), and would never go back to a laptop. The nurses that visit his house every day say he spends too much time on it. He tells them to mind their own business!

And that way I can always get hold of him simply and cheaply by making facetime calls, so can keep an eye on the old fella.

WiBu · 18 Aug 2011 at 16:23

I got my Dad, a largely computer illiterate guy, an iPad last Christmas instead of something like a netbook. Really glad I went the iPad route, I don't remember the last time he asked for help with it after I helped him with the initial set up. So yea, I guess that's an endorsement for it.

Turbo-G · 18 Aug 2011 at 22:24

My dad has an iPad 2 coming tomorrow, main use for sofa surfing and to watch video's on when on holiday etc so I'm hoping he gets on OK with it (58 and not very techy).

They have an iMac (largely because of me) which they can just about use for basic tasks, but struggle at times. They struggle with most tech, but I have noticed they're on the phone to me A LOT less now they've switched from their Acer/Sony laptops which is good.