Arg!
OK, so my dad keeps getting taken in by these scams to "fix" his computer. Last night he called about it and I said, don't do anything, I'll talk to you today.
I'm not interested in trying to diagnose his issues over the phone 2000 miles away. I am strongly tempted to tell him to get a Mac or even an iPad although then I'd have to train him on how iOS works (although the iPad is actually pretty good in this respect).
His computer is pretty old and could probably stand being replaced. But then he's back to his old issue where eventually he'll get a "your computer is riddled with viruses" and then we'll be back to square one. If he goes to BestBuy, he might get locked in with GeekSquad and I'm skeptical about their utility.
I'm asking for general ideas on what to do here.
I'm also asking this specific question -- is there a software/maintenance plan for PCs that provides good value for money (protects against viruses, gives regular updates, has either a small subscription plan or a larger every-few-years update fee)?
If I were to push him to an iPad (or Surface???) are there any other protective services I should mention? In the case of the iPad, I'd probably suggest he sign up for AppleCare (assuming an Apple store in his area...)?
Thanks for your help.
I was impressed with how well my 84-year-old mother, who has a computer but is not terribly technically savvy, took to her iPad. And she even mentioned herself the last time I was there that she might just ditch the desktop and use the iPad all the time.
ReplyDeleteI tend to line up with Rowan M here. The amount of effort and money you'd end up spending on some kind of maintenance/service subscription for a PC would exceed the iPad's cost pretty rapidly. Does your Dad have any computing needs that the pad wouldn't meet?
ReplyDeleteI was trying to solve this problem with my dad a few years ago. His PC was a disaster of viruses and misleading links ("your browser has a problem, click here to fix") and I think he was sometimes shelling out money :(
ReplyDeleteI ended up getting him a $300 Chrome Book. He was resistant to signing up with google (lots of malware claims to be google), but a few years in it still seems to be chugging along without anything suspicious on it. I think ChromeOS has better security, but I can't speak to that to any detail.
Another benefit of Chrome Books is that you can set yourself up as admin on them and remotely maintain them. You can remotely wipe them, run software updates, and a few other things (maybe reset passwords? restore contents from the cloud? - my research is old).
If he has any favorite software, this might not be the right solution for him. But it has a browser, google docs, and other apps, and can be networked to printers and other hardware.
Full disclosure: my dad has since bought himself a MacBook which is his daily use computer now. I about tore my hair out when he was complaining about not being able to find his email on it, I discovered the mail program wasn't set up correctly, pulled teeth to get it up and running, and then found out he was just looking for a browser window to log into webmail. I think the Chrome Book is way simpler for him to use (if less powerful).
DrWex The more I think about it, the more the iPad seems to be the best choice. I'm sure he just wants to watch videos, see facebook and play solitare.
ReplyDeleteI will have to talk about the apple store and making sure that he has to enter a password each and every time he wants to buy something, but there's at least a return policy and he's unlikely to get super-burned.
Blue Gargantua it's easy to set it up to request the password before each purchase (I have my pad set that way). The one thing I might want to check is how convenient the on-screen keyboard is for his hands. It might also be easier for him if he has a holder like this one - https://www.amazon.com/G-Hold-Ergonomic-Comfortable-Tablets-Removable/dp/B00PCE4NFC - Pygment has something similar and finds it very convenient.
ReplyDeleteI will chime in on the iPad. My Mom loves her tablet, (not an iPad) but I had to set up the home screen very much like an iPad for her to use it reliably.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Apple still has the best customer service rating - hands down. Something I recommend for anyone, never mind Senior Citizens.
Shazza Gilbert brings up a good point. If you get your Dad an iPad I would recommend the AppleCare plan, not least because it will give him some decent level of phone support and priority appointments at a Genius Bar (assuming there's an Apple store in reasonable driving distance from him). That alone could reduce your stress level significantly.
ReplyDeleteDrWex I was going to ask about AppleCare. Technically there's no Apple store near them, but they drive out to see my sister often enough that they could swing by. But if their phone support is good then that might be worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks for the link to the ergonomic gripper. I was planning to get the case/keyboard thing for it but that might be useful too.