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Computer for a dad?
Foolish Chaos
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
My dad's current laptop is like 8 years old, and has been dying for the past 2. Its time for an upgrade.
As the person who has to constantly try and fix this stuff when it breaks down or starts acting wonky, I want to get him something reliable. I've never owned a mac product, but everything I've heard about them tells me that's what I want. I've been thinking about an iPad with something like this.
All he really uses it for is web browsing and photos. Its worth noting that he will probably never ever move it (like, seriously), but a full on desktop is probably out of the question due to space around where it will be.
I think a macbook would be preferable to an iPad, but its also more than anyone wants to spend. Onto my questions!
Is the iPad what I want? How does the computing speed compare to laptops of similar cost (around $600)?
For those with first gen iPads, how has it held up? Still fast?
Is 2nd gen the sweet spot? Or did the third or fourth iteration add enough to warrant another $100+?
If I went with the iPad, is the keyboard I listed the good one? It needs to be a keyboard+stand. Also, if there are any other accessories I need.
As the person who has to constantly try and fix this stuff when it breaks down or starts acting wonky, I want to get him something reliable. I've never owned a mac product, but everything I've heard about them tells me that's what I want. I've been thinking about an iPad with something like this.
All he really uses it for is web browsing and photos. Its worth noting that he will probably never ever move it (like, seriously), but a full on desktop is probably out of the question due to space around where it will be.
I think a macbook would be preferable to an iPad, but its also more than anyone wants to spend. Onto my questions!
Is the iPad what I want? How does the computing speed compare to laptops of similar cost (around $600)?
For those with first gen iPads, how has it held up? Still fast?
Is 2nd gen the sweet spot? Or did the third or fourth iteration add enough to warrant another $100+?
If I went with the iPad, is the keyboard I listed the good one? It needs to be a keyboard+stand. Also, if there are any other accessories I need.
Foolish Chaos on
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You don't have to go that way, but if you're looking for a computer replacement in the form of a tablet you should really shop around.
I guess the tablet market is a little young to say if this device lasts a long time or whatever, but I'll appreciate whatever you can tell me.
A tablet should be much faster than a comparable laptop since it's a focused device. I have little experience with Android tablets but iPads are very snappy.
I'm using a 1st gen iPad to type this post and it's lost a bit of its speed, 'cause the OS jump eats a bit more RAM, but it's still fast for all the normal things.
From research I've done the Nexus 7 and 10 (various versions) is also very very nice. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 is also a fast tablet with the side benefit of being in-between the normal sizes.
From personal experience with my modified Amazon Kindle Fire, for web browsing, Netflix, and media playback a tablet can do 90% of what a PC can do. The main problems I've ran into are 1) not having a physical keyboard, and 2) not having a ton of storage space for all my stuff. Thus my mention of the huge local drive in the ASUS Transformer series. One thing of note that Android tablets suffer from is a lack of good office/productivity suites; from what you've said about his needs this shouldn't matter.
Instead of worrying about an inexpensive laptop that will last, it might make more sense to just get a $250 Chromebook and plan on replacing it every two years.
I'm confused. Your father's current laptop worked fairly well for about 6 years and has been giving you trouble but still working for the past 2 years and yet you want to go in a different direction for a replacement long-lasting product? 8 years seems pretty damn admirable for a laptop. Apple products don't inherently last any longer than any other mainstream brand's products. They just provide a different style of interface and content control than their competitors.
Also, if your father doesn't have any intention of ever moving about with his computer, a tablet is a serious waste of money.
A tablet seems nice. If he's anything like my dad, he would rather not type anything and just touch away on the screen.
I'd normally agree, but the OP is considering a Tablet as a PC-Replacement, and in that case, it's much cheaper than any non-refurbished computer.
So yeah, no, I wouldn't go with Apple based on the longevity of their hardware. There would be an argument to be made for there being fewer viruses out there for a Mac (they are legitimately less targeted than Windows because of their smaller install base), but that's the case with tablets too (for now-- phones and tablets are becoming so widespread that they're being targeted pretty seriously at this point), so. Yeah. Given what your dad wants to do with it, a tablet of any sort would probably work fine since it's likely the cheapest option. No tablet is gonna be a beast in today's terms of power because it's small, but if all it's used for is web browsing and photos, it's the cheapest option that will handle that stuff. I don't think anybody really knows how long tablet hardware is supposed to last since they haven't been around in their modern form for all that long, though.
I'm actually not exactly sure how old it is. We bought it second hand 4ish years ago and it was serviceable for the first two years, but after that point its been nothing but 30 minute boot up times and broken ports.
The only reason I don't think a tablet is a not a terrible idea as a computer replacement for a non-hobbyist, not-very-computer-active parent, is that you plug it in, get whatever apps you want, and it just kind of works until it doesn't anymore. Functionality is limited in a way that won't badly affect the computer-illiterate because there are apps for just about every fucking thing that you can set him up with, even printing from a wireless printer. I prefer the idea to getting them a netbook unless said netbook is somehow a full computer scaled back, like the one I have. Most other netbooks I've come in contact with have been toast in a matter of months.
As for the "and it just works" aspect of the tablet, that's what I really want here. If something is minorly borked, my dad probably wont notice it, or will need me there to fix it every time it crops up.
For example, I looked into the ASUS Transformer TF300 and while most of it seems good, apparently there are websites and apps that just load in phone mode for it? I'm guessing this is more of an android os problem , and while it might take nothing more than clicking a couple buttons in the top right of the screen to put the website in desktop/tablet mode, you can bet your ass that it will be me called out to do that every time
I mean, spend the money how you want. If you have your heart set on an iPad, and it seems like you do, go nuts. But while you're reading 1-star reviews for everything else you're looking at, I recommend that you go and read the gen 3 iPad's too. Do your research.
I am doing my research, just thought a thread could compliment it. Sorry if it seems like I am coming off as an apple fanboy. Just as someone who has been building his PC for the past 5 years and has payed 0 attention to stock computers, the iPad seems like the purchase least likely to fuck me later.
As for the Nexus 7 and kindle fire, 7"ish screens are too small for him.
The microsoft surface looked ideal when I saw it promoted pre-release, although the general consensus is that its not great right? I'm going to look more into it now.
so a couple points related to my experience buying the iPad2 and its success.
on the good side...
1. its been wildly successful, my mom loves the device and the ability to just click the app icons and not have to remember the click double click interface has been great.
2. Because it is much faster and more intuitive then the old laptop, she gets much less frustrated and uses it a lot more then before.
3. Its small and easy to carry, so where she used to leave the lap top in the same place at all times. She carries that iPad with here everywhere.
The Down Side
1. Apple devices have their own little quirks, and unless you have one and know whats what. Tech support will be difficult for you. IE different types of swipes, opening and closing apps etc...
2. learning how to use the App Store, and how to find apps that your parents may like can be painful
3. You will still be doing tech support
just some other points
1. we bought a wireless apple keyboard for my mom, thinking she would not like typing on the screen. She does not use it. she likes typing on the screen just fine.
2. do you have a wireless network setup in your dads place already? tablet devices are wireless.
3. Webpages on a tablet do not necessarily look the same as they do on a laptop. Some will detect that you are using an iPad and give you a page designed for that device instead of the old page you may be used to.
However, as you noted, Apple stuff is expensive. My girlfriend actually just bought an All-In-One (the windows version of an iMac, basically), for about $400 bucks, which she really likes. Nice big screen, etc. She also had an old laptop and while she generally just surfs and types, she hated how video sites would stutter and crash.
If he's familiar with Windows, it may be an easier transition for him to just get a new desktop like that. My girlfriend hadn't even heard of them, so was pretty stoked to discover they were a real thing. She was considering an iMac beforehand, simply because of the form factor, but the all-in-one had better TV stuff thanks to the windows media center stuff. May be worth a look.
Most laptops today should come with a recovery partition so if it slows down after a couple of years it's not a big deal to wipe it and start again.
I'm still in the laptop camp because you have more control in the system itself (file organizing, installing applications) and the keyboard is better if you're doing a lot of typing. Not dissing tablets, just putting it out there that they're a different beast altogether.
Windows laptops? If your dad is anything like the stereotypical technophobe older guy, he's going to be installing browser toolbars left right and centre on internet explorer, not updating virus software, installing all kinds of things, and then you'll have to come out and tech support why "my computer is running slowly". And then you'll find the bing, yahoo, google, and about six other toolbars, leaving his internet explorer viewing space to be about half of the actual screen.
the biggest thing going for a tablet is that it works until it doesn't and there is fuckall your dad can do to negatively affect it.