Computer for a Grandma

[goody444]

I'm looking to purchase a computer for my 82 year old grandma. She's going to be using this computer for 2 things:

-Emailing with family
-Internet (news articles, viewing pictures, etc)

She is very, very computer-illiterate. I want this to be the easiest setup as possible for her. Ideally, there would be a stripped down computer out there with a very simplistic OS that would make it easy for senior citizens to use. I've done some brief research and it doesnt seem like that exists. So I've narrowed it down to two options:

1) A stripped down Dell, HP, etc that runs windows or Linux. I figure I would remove all unnecessary programs and leave only 2 or 3 desktop icons to make it as easy as possible to get to the internet/email.

-or-

2) An older iMac (G4 or G5) with 2 or 3 icons in the dock to serve the same purpose as mentioned above.


I'm also on a budget here. I can't spend any more than $400-$500.

Has anyone been in a similar situation with an elderly parent/grandparent? Any advice/tips? Am I on the right track here?

Any help would be GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks.

[btfc]

I'd go with the mac.

Simple finder: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?...h1085.html


Standard user, possibly with parental controls:

http://www.peachpit.com/articles/article.aspx?p=482338

[dmann]

I would get her whichever platform YOU are most familiar with. It won't make a whit of difference to her, but when she calls you because she is stuck or something isn't working, you need to make sure you can walk her through the solution.

That said, I'd get an older Mac. For her needs, it really won't matter which one.

DM

[cbelt3]

Your best plan, 100% certainty of success, is to take Granny to the Apple store and let her play around. Then buy what she wants.

Since her computer literacy is of the Grace Hopper level, giving her a stripped down model will drive her bats. What she really wants to do is make her own rap videos with Garageband and post them on Youtube, while hacking the Myspace page of that biotch across the hallway who criticized the afghan she's knitting for her grandchildren.><

[bhaveshp]

For $500, go with an iMac G5 with a webcam (past Rev A). Set her up Firefox and gmail. I got my mom on a similar setup and she's much happier with it over her prior PC.

I would also disable all auto-updates. Firefox, Apple etc. You can do these remotely once every 3-4 months.

She loves iChatting with the grandkids as well.

PC's tend to get in the way, especially as they require more security than Macs.

[rgG]

What dmann said about making sure that you are comfortable with being the tech support. I have the same issues with my 83 year old MIL. She has a G5 iMac and she knows the Mail and the FireFox icon to click in the dock. It works just fine for her and she isn't much more literate with a computer than your gramdma.

One other thing, make sure she has a program that will open the inevitable .doc attachments that her little email forwarding PC friends are going to send her. I installed AppleWorks on my MIL's and set it up to open all .doc attachments. You will most likely also need to set up all PDF's to open in Preview, because someone may send her one of those, too. You never know.

[jesse]

I'd go with an older Mac, we set my mom (77 y.o.) up with G4 tower and an lcd display, she uses it for email and some web surfing, she's been really happy with it and since I'm her tech support I've been pretty happy too.

[Harbourmaster]

How about a nice used iMac G3.

You can pick up a loaded 6-700MHz model, that will run Tiger just fine, for a pittance!

Pull everything out of the dock that you don't need and let her have at it...

[C(-)ris]

Is she getting dial up or DSL/Cable?

[JEBB]

Unless her vision is really poor I'd say get her a Mac laptop. Portability, even around the house, is a big plus.