Advice on what Tablet to get for elderly Mother

[Skibird]

I have finally got my parents to go on line, as my Dad is not going to be around for much longer, so she can use Zoom, Facebook etc to keep in touch with friends and family.

She is going to look at tablets this week but has no idea what to go for, and I've not had a tablet in years so I don't either. I'm hoping one of you experts can advise
on something suitable for her. She will, I think, only use it for Facebook or checking emails (unless she suddenly realises what she has been missing lol).

Thanks in advance.

Bev

 

[vickster]

A 10” Amazon fire? £60 off
https://www.johnlewis.com/amazon-fi...i-32gb-10-1-inch-with-special-offers/p5199676

 

[fossyant]

Another that would recommend a 10" amazon Fire. MIL is in her mid 80's and manages OK with one. We have a rubber case on it to make holding it easier as she can only use one arm.

 

[Cycleops]

If you don’t mind being worried to death by Amazon then the Fire tablet is a good cheap buy but remember there’s no App Store, my kids have one and does them fine for games and YouTube.

IMHO the best tablet, especially for someone who wants something that is easy and intuitive to use, is any Apple tablet, the basic one is fine. Their iOS is optimised for tablets unlike Android OS which is really made for phones. Okay It’s not cheap as chips but does provide a great user friendly experience.

https://www.johnlewis.com/2019-apple-ipad-air-10-5-inch-a12-bionic-ios-wi-fi-64gb/gold/p4069116

Or if you don’t want to spend that much and don’t mind Android I recently bought this Lenovo for my cousin which she likes. For a bit more you can get it with a dock which might be useful.

View: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08557CHDB/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_5fmXFb9ZAM5C4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[vickster]

I don't disagree on iPad generally, but really £500 to use Facebook and email?!
(you can get refurbs if have to have Apple though, albeit all sold out)

 

[cyberknight]

If you don’t mind being worried to death by Amazon then the Fire tablet is a good cheap buy but remember there’s no App Store, my kids have one and does them fine for games and YouTube.

IMHO the best tablet, especially for someone who wants something that is easy and intuitive to use, is any Apple tablet, the basic one is fine. Their iOS is optimised for tablets unlike Android OS which is really made for phones. Okay It’s not cheap as chips but does provide a great user friendly experience.

https://www.johnlewis.com/2019-apple-ipad-air-10-5-inch-a12-bionic-ios-wi-fi-64gb/gold/p4069116

I havent used an apple tablet personally but my mother whos in her 80s uses one and gets on fine with it, brother bought it for her a few years back

 

[Sharky]

Does she have a smart phone. Even though I've been in It all my life, my mobiles have been years behind the times. Now have a slightly more modern one. Good enough for browsing, emails, WhatsApp msg and video and zoom etc.

My ipad chiefly gets used for solitaire and suduko!

 

[Skibird]

Does she have a smart phone. Even though I've been in It all my life, my mobiles have been years behind the times. Now have a slightly more modern one. Good enough for browsing, emails, WhatsApp msg and video and zoom etc.

My ipad chiefly gets used for solitaire and suduko!

No, she has a mobile but not a smart one.............................yet!

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Doesn't matter how many training sessions you do in person, just get ready for frequent phone calls that go....

"My whatsit isn't doing that thing, it's not letting me. There's a green thing normally but that's not there. You know that thing... that thing, the one that's there, look, you know. Well it's not there today and I can't do the thing that I saw you do that time... you know, the thing you were on? You press it. You did something and I could see the pictures? I can't see those pictures. How do I get the green thing back?"

Drives me spare.

Oh and she has a refurb Samsung tablet. I like the Kindle Fire but as mentioned there's no app store so that's no good for my MIL, she likes to download a lot of those daft free "match 3" games.

 

[vickster]

Doesn't matter how many training sessions you do in person, just get ready for frequent phone calls that go....

"My whatsit isn't doing that thing, it's not letting me. There's a green thing normally but that's not there. You know that thing... that thing, the one that's there, look, you know. Well it's not there today and I can't do the thing that I saw you do that time... you know, the thing you were on? You press it. You did something and I could see the pictures? I can't see those pictures. How do I get the green thing back?"

Drives me spare.

Oh and she has a refurb Samsung tablet. I like the Kindle Fire but as mentioned there's no app store so that's no good for my MIL, she likes to download a lot of those daft free "match 3" games.

Sounds like my dad...yesterday’s crisis was he managed to somehow turn bold text on!

 

[fossyant]

Doesn't matter how many training sessions you do in person, just get ready for frequent phone calls that go....

"My whatsit isn't doing that thing, it's not letting me. There's a green thing normally but that's not there. You know that thing... that thing, the one that's there, look, you know. Well it's not there today and I can't do the thing that I saw you do that time... you know, the thing you were on? You press it. You did something and I could see the pictures? I can't see those pictures. How do I get the green thing back?"

Drives me spare.

Oh and she has a refurb Samsung tablet. I like the Kindle Fire but as mentioned there's no app store so that's no good for my MIL, she likes to download a lot of those daft free "match 3" games.

Yup.

Even had to get the 'tablet' collected and brought to our house for me to put the password in for facebook - MIL currently in a Nursing home, so it's not as though we can pop in to sort it. I know the password now, so can do it over the phone with a member of staff if it happens again. MIL not proficient enough to put in passwords.

 

[Bazzer]

My Mum, who is 89, uses an Ipad and has done for a few years now.
It's largely used for keeping her occupied with games of scrabble and downloading books. But the main reason for buying it was my sister and my two daughters all use Iphones. With Mum having restricted sight and dexterity, the Ipad was easier to handle with my daughters Facetiming her most days, or for my sister to contact her if she was staying with us.
NB I think you need a linked Iphone, but as someone who avoids Apple products, I have very limited knowledge of how it was set up for her.

 

[Milkfloat]

I have finally got my parents to go on line, as my Dad is not going to be around for much longer, so she can use Zoom, Facebook etc to keep in touch with friends and family.

She is going to look at tablets this week but has no idea what to go for, and I've not had a tablet in years so I don't either. I'm hoping one of you experts can advise
on something suitable for her. She will, I think, only use it for Facebook or checking emails (unless she suddenly realises what she has been missing lol).

Thanks in advance.

Bev

My answer is to get her whatever you have (or the person who will be supporting her has). If you are in the Apple world then an iPad makes most sense, if you are on Android then an Android tablet would be best.

My 2 cents - for a tablet for the general population nothing beats an iPad, well worth £300.

 

[MrGrumpy]

I`m with you Apple all the way , iPad is super easy. In fact my sister and I have gone halves on one for our Mother. We can facetime her !

 

[alicat]

My Dad (88) lives on his iPad at the moment. He's mainly livestreaming mass on Youtube from a church in Canada but if it keeps him amused then that's okay with me.