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80 year old mom's iPad review...

California

California

macrumors 68040
Original poster
Aug 21, 2004
3,885
90
My 80 year old mom's Mac credentials: been on Macs since 2002, iMac G3 and now her maxed out and sturdy iMac G5. She has an iPod photo with slide shows on it and her music that runs mostly in her Mercedes through its internal system, she loves that. I gave her an iPhone and a 12" Powerbook back in the day and she gave away the laptop and didn't want the iPhone, though she regretted giving away the iPhone once she saw it was an iPod that could store photos. Oh, she also used to have a 1st Gen shuffle that she gave to my sister.

Her review of the iPad was based on a commercial she saw. "It doesn't make calls and doesn't take pictures", and the keyboard is too small, I don't know what I'd do with it."
 
Why would anyone expect a 10" tablet to make calls or be used as a camera? The form factor makes both somewhat awkward, IMHO.
 
Your mom should get a RAZR. Makes calls, takes pictures, and free with contract.
 
So why would we expect your mom, who you clearly describe as not being a fan of technology (didn't want iPhone or laptop), to want an iPad exactly?
 
johnnyhow said:
That was a massive introduction just to tell us that your mum doesn't like the ipad.
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Just wanted to make sure you guys knew she was a Mac fan.

drjsway said:
Your mom should get a RAZR. Makes calls, takes pictures, and free with contract.
Click to expand...

I just called her to tell her you said that. Good idea...

admanimal said:
So why would we expect your mom, who you clearly describe as not being a fan of technology (didn't want iPhone or laptop), to want an iPad exactly?
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She loves technology, and her macs. She didn't want two computers. And I got her the iPhone in Sept 2007, I didn't even have one yet, so no one to help teach her about it.

She and her 90 year old hubby, (plays tennis three times a week, was in the Army at Pearl Harbor and at DDay and was friendz with Stephen Ambrose) travel a lot and the iPad could be a good way to keep up with emails on those world cruises. We'll see if it works for her.
 
I guess that what the OP wants to point out is that at the contrary of what many are saying, that the iPad is for not computer savvy people (such has old people), at least his old mother does not like it.
 
California said:
Just wanted to make sure you guys knew she was a Mac fan. .
Click to expand...
Yeh I understand now, and I guess you do make a really good point. As much as I like the ipad, I have to say I'm honestly not tempted to get one simply because it's basically an iPod touch with a bigger screen. Plus I also have a MacBook if I need a larger, but more portable screen.
 
I was kind of under the impression that the iPad was more for the computer-illiterate people.
 
California said:
My 80 year old mom's Mac credentials: been on Macs since 2002, iMac G3 and now her maxed out and sturdy iMac G5. She has an iPod photo with slide shows on it and her music that runs mostly in her Mercedes through its internal system, she loves that. I gave her an iPhone and a 12" Powerbook back in the day and she gave away the laptop and didn't want the iPhone, though she regretted giving away the iPhone once she saw it was an iPod that could store photos. Oh, she also used to have a 1st Gen shuffle that she gave to my sister.

Her review of the iPad was based on a commercial she saw. "It doesn't make calls and doesn't take pictures", and the keyboard is too small, I don't know what I'd do with it."
Click to expand...

Good that she's still so open minded about new things after all those years. :rolleyes:

It'd be decent of you not to bait her into never actually trying it.
 
Apple is doomed. Jobs specifically said the blue hair crowd was the target market. :rolleyes:
 
Wow, what a sobering review. It really makes you think, I mean, how in the hell will this device succeed when it's not connecting to the 80 year old plus demographic. As we all know, they make the heart of technology buyers. So this proves it, the iPad is dead on arrival.
 
If she's happy with the Serenity brand, why should she change to the iPad? (rim shot)
 
okoemt.jpg
 
She just gave away stuff you spent hundreds of dollars on?

I would send her to live at a old folks home after that.
 
Nano2k said:
I guess that what the OP wants to point out is that at the contrary of what many are saying, that the iPad is for not computer savvy people (such has old people), at least his old mother does not like it.
Click to expand...

But this person is clearly not not-tech savvy. She has a PowerMac and a non-touch screen iPod already. She was able to identify some of the things technically possible but not included with the device with a brief commercial. She's one of the older people who understand technology, to some degree. For every person like the OP's Mom there is at least one person like my Grandma who understands that there are computers, but has no idea what they actually do. (One of) the target audience(s) for the iPad is the group of older folks in between those levels.
 
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