Amazon Fire for elderly mom -- decent choice?
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Anonymous
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Looking at lots of options. Mom is 81 and knows NOTHING tech-related. The Grandpad is what she really needs, but it is too expensive. Has anyone had success with anything cheaper?
She mostly wants to talk to the grandkids and look at pictures, possibly videos. Needs to have Youtube and be relatively easy and intuitive to use. She might learn to do some other things on it, but for now, that's all she needs. We're not interested in a desktop option and no Apple products. Thanks. |
Anonymous
| My mom is 92 and loves her Kindle Fire, but she uses it mostly to read library books. If the goal is more web-based stuff, would a basic Chromebook be a better choice? |
Anonymous
Yes a chromebook would be better. Unless she is only looking for a reader. |
Anonymous
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Have you considered an Alexa Show? She would just talk to it and the family could video conference with her.
https://amzn.to/3a629FV |
Anonymous
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iPad is the easiest. What about giving her an older one of yours? Our parents (in their late 60s but not techy) had trouble with their amazon fires. The next year we got iPads and they immediately knew how to work them. Just easier all around.
Echo show is good too for FaceTime |
Anonymous
| Does she use a smart phone? If so, I'd consider whether she'd feel most comfortable with something with a similar/same interface and apps. So both Apple or both android. |
Anonymous
Oh, sorry. I just saw that you said "no Apple," so maybe you already thought of than, and matching the apps you use. |
Anonymous
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Why no Apple? They seem to be the easiest to use, even for older people who didn’t grow up with tech-y stuff.
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Anonymous
| Op here. She does not have a smartphone. Just not sure she would “get” an iPad. She’s never done anything on any sort of tablet. |
Anonymous
| Here's a stupid question but I'll ask anyway. Does she currently have internet and wifi in her house or would she need to be set up with that as well? |
Anonymous
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Not a stupid question. She just got wifi two months ago. She doesn’t use it at all but yes, she has it.
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Anonymous
To continue with my stupid questions - how does she have wifi? Does she have a computer? Who handles all that stuff for her? Like if the WiFi were to go out? |
Anonymous
| My siblings recently got it for her. Brother put her on his plan. It’s never gone out so we haven’t had to deal with that yet |
Anonymous
| She does not have a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. |
Anonymous
| PP, are you there? |