What computer/phone/tablet type things do your parents use?

[Memorex MP3]

I've gradually fallen into the role of choosing these things for mine. Despite using computers on the regular for 20+ years she has always refused to learn more than the bare minimum and has actively been forgetting it all since retirement so I tend to just pick the things that make the most sense to me.

Currently has a Samsung A22 on account of the promise to provide 4 years of software updates. I really didn't want to get a phone so big but the options seemed be either Samsung and their massive phones, Google and their expensive phones or everyone else with their almost as big phones and their total lack of support after one year.
We've had a lot of issues with her phones not being able to use some important app or incessant storage issues. Had a point earlier this year where there was a bit of a death scare and it turned out her phone just refused to open anything until the storage was cleared and the settings kept blocking her trying to delete anything. if I were around more often I'd've just gotten an iPhone but absolutely no one else in the area uses one so she'd have limited support nearby.

Having looked into Samsung a bit more and seeing they're still doing that DEX thing, I half think I should've gotten an S21 and had it replace her ancient computer too. I guess I'll just get her a Chromebook on that front.



So yeah, what do your parents use? Have you had any issues with them not being able to use any of it? Are you concerned that their limited grasp on technology is going to be an issue in some emergency situation?

[famethrowa]

My mother was an accountant, and her office had "the only computer in town" back in the early 80s, so it's sad for me to be raging at her "click on the thing! NO, THAT THING! ohhhh don't double click..." etc etc. But inevitable. Anyway, I got them the same laptop I use for work (Toshiba Z930, best laptop ever made) and same phone (Samsung) so I can hopefully tell them exactly what to do when it "doesn't work". They're constantly concerned that they have to "do something" about warning messages and data updates, the kind of stuff we ignore.

They live in an old folks village so emergency communication is not really a concern.

[Sebastian Cobb]

My dad's computer literate to the point he's happy with Windows, android and some Linux provided there's a tutorial.

My mum's at the opposite end of the literacy spectrum and just about manages with an iPhone and iPad. I have plenty of reservations about Apple but would happily recommend or buy one for a relative as their walled garden actually helps here, Apple are pretty generous with support life cycles (and when they do upgrade it'll be more-or-less the same, rather than jumping from touchwiz to some other andriod manufacturer's skin) , wide app support and the ui is quite intuitive. Sure it might cost more, but how much do you, their personal tech support, value your time?

[touchingcloth]

My parents are in their mid-sixties. Dad is basically fine with using technology, though is a bit of a lunatic for having hard copies of things and will always do things like print maps and stick them in a plastic wallet, and store post-its of phone numbers in his phone case.

Mum is a technophobe but gets on pretty well with her iPhone, and even loves it in some ways.

Something like the SE might tick a lot of your boxes, as it's a smaller device (relatively speaking as giant handsets predominate these days. This is the main reason why I use an SE myself), is extremely cheap compared with the flagship iPhones, but has decent hardware meaning that it should get updates for some time yet. I'm banking on getting at least three years out of mine.

When you say that no one in the areas uses one, are you thinking of their neighbours and whatnot? Apple support can initiate a session to remotely view and control your screen without needing to download Citrix or whatever, and my experience with their remote support is generally pretty good. I don't think they treat older devices less preferentially or anything which is nice, and I've been able to get support for years-old secondhand devices without any questions.

[Memorex MP3]

When you say that no one in the areas uses one, are you thinking of their neighbours and whatnot? Apple support can initiate a session to remotely view and control your screen without needing to download Citrix or whatever, and my experience with their remote support is generally pretty good. I don't think they treat older devices less preferentially or anything which is nice, and I've been able to get support for years-old secondhand devices without any questions.

I'm on an iphone 12 mini, stuck with the original SE until this year. Can't see myself going back to Android at all beyond maybe a tablet to do some hacky stuff because every single phone other than the premium ones seems to have some massive caveat.

The issue with moving her over to iOS is that it'll potentially be a huge pain switching her back to Android if she rejects it and I would rather her just not being able to use her phone than having to listen to years of how I forced her away from the thing she knew (which she definitely doesn't know).

At the moment I'm thinking just getting away from shitty internal storage Android devices will go a long way; it's a bit nuts that 16GB devices were still a thing as recently as a year or two ago. Not sure she'll even notice the regular Android updates but if nothing else it'll be useful to give away to someone in a few years instead of joining the graveyard of random budget phones that never got a single update.

[Endicott]

She's 83, and I got her a Galaxy A12 just before Xmas last year. That was to replace the ancient motorola she borrowed off my brother a couple of years ago to see if a smart phone was for her. No memory or permissions issues with this, she mostly gets on pretty well with it, after the initial palaver of not being able to work out how to answer calls.

Also, she's had an ipad for about 8 years. And a windows laptop for longer.

[Spudgun]

This is no help, but I'm in exactly the same boat. In fact, I've just been tasked with buying a new mobile for an older relative, with the added dimension that said relative is an unbelievably clumsy cack-handed ten-thumbed omnishambles who will definitely drop it as soon as they're over the hardest surface within three miles.

So I'm now spending my days Googling "indestructible android mobile" and "entirely plastic smartphone" and the like, and weighing up the pros and cons of one of those, versus going down the route of any old phone plus one of those rubberised bouncy shock-absorber things you wrap around young kids' devices.

I used to be good with technology, but I'm not qualified for this...

[Memorex MP3]

So I'm now spending my days Googling "indestructible android mobile" and "entirely plastic smartphone" and the like, and weighing up the pros and cons of one of those, versus going down the route of any old phone plus one of those rubberised bouncy shock-absorber things you wrap around young kids' devices.

I used to be good with technology, but I'm not qualified for this...

If you can afford it you could go with a Samsung XCover Pro (their premium heavy duty model), you can remove the battery and as its pretty new it'll get 4 years of updates; so conceivably a cheap battery off ebay in 2-3 years will ensure they get 5 years out of it?
Actually, looks like the XCover 5 will do the same for way less; unlocked ones on CEX seem to be relatively cheap [had I known this a few weeks ago I would've gotten one]

[Spudgun]

If you can afford it you could go with a Samsung XCover Pro (their premium heavy duty model), you can remove the battery and as its pretty new it'll get 4 years of updates; so conceivably a cheap battery off ebay in 2-3 years will ensure they get 5 years out of it?
Actually, looks like the XCover 5 will do the same for way less; unlocked ones on CEX seem to be relatively cheap [had I known this a few weeks ago I would've gotten one]

Thank you ever so much for that - I was already looking at Samsungs, and I think you've just made my mind up for me. Thanks!