Which computer technology do you use?

Are we the best people to ask about this? When the real problems are those facing people as they get into their 80s and 90s, probably considerably older than the average Gransnetter, although we do have older members. Eyesight loses accuity and wrists and hands can become athritic or develop a tremor, then small touch sensitive ipads and the like may not be so accessible. Difficult to touch accurately and difficult to read.

Look at the adverts for telephones with large white number pads with bold black numbers on them and then think about the best equipment for people who need those. To my mind that will be a big well lit screen and a keypad with good big keys that are easy to read.

Although I do not use an ipad I do feel that they are best used for surfing and email. Although I regularly check email and use the internet, most of my time is spent using Microsoft Office, particularly Word, Excel and Powerpoint and I think that you need a good sized screen and keypad for editing and proofreading.

Sorry if that's a problem just trying to get the widest possible range of advice/ feedback.

There is a third one in 'tech stuff' too!

Wondered why we had two threads and have just seen that one is Ask a Gran and the other is Ask a Grandad. Glad to see we have all ignored the distinction!

I tried to love an Apple Mac - an 'original' - I even took it home for Christmas - couldn't get on with it at all. Of course that was before Windows 2.0, even, so the GUI was a mystery! One thing about Apple computers - I have the feeling that you are tying yourself in to one manufacturer, which is not the case with the PC. (I didn't think much of the original IBM PC either - oh that keyboard, like a donkey's jawbone full of loose teeth - rattle, rattle!)

Opposite for me Tanith. I have used BBCs, Acorns, several generations of Mac and PCs over the last thirty years. I think Windows gets more and more over-complicated and un-user-friendly with each incarnation. I have an ipad and an iphone which I love to bits and I avoid the PC as much as I can. Now we don't have to use PCs for work we will return completely to Apple, I think.

We have ipad and laptop I still prefer the laptop or PC for most of my computing , ipad is ok for games and a quick looksee at something . I just find everything seems more logical on the PC/laptop.. not even sure why its just seems more comfortable somehow.

I've started from scratch!

I do think you need laptops as a means of helping elderly people learn computing. Tablets of any sort are really not so easy at all... touchscreen and all of that. I have both but only use my tablet to say, type an email, if I am away or not in reach of my laptop. Don't get me wrong... a tablet is great but to me it's just a plaything and it would be really difficult to start from scratch on one, I think.

Chromebooks store everything in Cloud and you need excellent connectivity for them. I was tempted at one point but our speed at home is slow so decided against it. I had a play for half an hour with one in PC World and it is something more to learn that is different to what I have on my laptop and couldn't be fussed to do it.