[AnneBerry]

My Dad is turning 96 in a month and I want to get him a tablet. He is obsessed with Blackberry anything because he has the name stuck in his head as he lives near Waterloo Ontario, and the company is in the business news a lot. I can also get a refurbished one with warranty for a decent price.

He currently has a desktop downstairs and can do basic things with Windows XP home. He would use a tablet in the living room upstairs and just look things up on the web like research things (google search and read web pages etc), check weather, check the TV listings and CFL football stats and game times, and otherwise perhaps record daily data like his blood pressure readings, make a reminder notes etc. He would also maybe like to enter appointments into a calendar. His greatest interest these days is the TSX stock market and investing. Could he do online banking (browser based) and online investing. Could he check the stock market ticker? He does this on his desktop now. He will never play a game so need for speed or variety there! He currently checks email on his desktop with microsoft office, what the mail is called (Outlook?) and I don't think I will switch that - he isn't much onto email anyway. He will LOVE the camera on the BB Playbook (or any tablet) though!

If I get this for him, I will get a stylus, and bluetooth keyboard and mouse too, in case he can't wrap his head around touch and swipe screen stuff.

I keep reading that Ipad is the best for seniors to learn on, but it costs an arm and a leg and he may decide he can't stand a tablet and stick with his desktop only so would be a waste of much more money. That and his eyes glaze over like a teenager in love when the name Blackberry is mentioned! LOL

We have wifi through Rogers in our house. Will the Playbook work with normal wifi and suit his needs that I described above?

Thank you for any advice that anyone can give me. I have never used a tablet or smartphone myself but will learn it myself and then teach it to him. I have a windows 7 laptop that I am addicted too ha ha and will get a smartphone soon for myself (ha ha landline only here so far!)

Thanks in advance! Cheers!

[Jeroen Vos]

To be honest get the IPad or a Droid. Learning curve is less steep and the playbook browser doesn't play nice with some websites anymore. Apps are no longer updated, as is the OS.

I love my playbook cause of the potential, multitasking and have learned to cope with the things it doesn't do.

But if you want an easy app suported (read easy access to banking sites etc) tablet get another tablet. The playbook has been abandoned for too long.

Posted via CB10

[Drenegade]

Playbook should suit his needs just fine and the price is definitely right. Get him on crackberry too. It sounds like he would fit right in.

Posted via CB10

[Gooseberry Falls]

First of all kudos to your Dad! And he is a BBRY fan boy! I actually think the PB is easier than the iPad, once you run through the tutorials. Much more intuitive. Email and the surfing he plans to do is no problem. The banking may be a problem if it can't be done in the browser. No problem with tracking BP as there is a Docs to go spreadsheet app. A mouse and keyboard may be more difficult as the OS is gesture based. If you can get one around $50-80 go for it. If he doesn't like it no big loss. But if he likes all things BBRY, he will love it. Next he'll want a Passport!

Posted via CB10

[Old_Mil]

I can do online banking and stock tracking with my PlayBook without a problem. If you are looking for a cheap tablet to see if he likes the idea of using a tablet then that should be a reasonable experiment...

...but you did mention something in your post that needs addressing: his windows xp computer. With that operating system having had future support terminated by Microsoft I would think twice before using it online for sensitive financial matters.

Posted via CB10

[kbz1960]

Get him a win8.1 tablet. The dell venue pro isn't bad. I have an 8" win tab. I use reading glasses with it so I imagine he would need them too.

[ubeda92]

Very good point re: Windows XP security problems, now that Microsoft no longer provides security updates for XP, unless one is a corporate entity that is paying Microsoft much more than most individuals would.

I'd get him a Windows 7 laptop. Windows 7 is very similar to Windows XP in many important areas. The laptop would have portability in a house and should have a much larger screen than that of any tablet. And a consumer grade laptop in the U.S. can be had for around 400 USD. I would believe that the cost in Canada should be about the same.

[AnimalPak200]

She wants something less expensive in case he ends up not being into it at all, AND he's a BlackBerry fan. I would get the PlayBook and see what he thinks about it.

But if I had a bigger budget I would go for a windows tablet as mentioned above. Ones not made by Microsoft are much cheaper than say, the Surface. iPads are OK, but expensive and who knows if he secretly hates Apple since be is a BlackBerry fan... lol

Posted via CB10

[dad2bandm]

I'd stay clear of a Playbook at this point, especially if you want to sell your Dad on the idea of a tablet.

You can get much better Android tablets, New, for $150'ish Canadian.

If you're trying for even lower cost, pick up a used, but still supported and relevant tablet.

Posted via the CrackBerry App for Android

[howarmat]

Honestly the browser is one of the most lacking parts of the PB. Sure it works but its out of date for many sites and slow as molassas. The windows 8.1 tablet is an option and can be found fairly cheap as well as most nexus tablets.

[darkhawk]

I say for sure to play book as a supporter
But realistically the gestures can be confusing

Posted via CB10

[StampyBeaverbrook]

I'm seeing lots of seniors around with iPads. They're easy to use, though a bit expensive, but older models can be picked up for a reasonable price. Even the iPad 2 is still getting updates.

The Playbook might be a bit small for your dad's eyes. The browser gives a full desktop experience, which is good, but can make for small writing and problems with touching wrong links, also as mentioned by others it can be slow.
I just got a windows tablet. I like it, but it's a bit more complicated than the iPad. The way it swaps from the metro interface to the desktop could be confusing/frustrating. Particularly with a smaller tablet.

[AnneBerry]

Wow you folks are great! Thank you so much for all your thoughtful replies! I have thought about this for ages (as you can see by my long time in responding here) and I have finally decided that a tablet, ANY tablet, will make my father's head explode - and guess who will have to clean up that mess?! LOL But seriously, he has been getting quite a bit more confused lately and I don't think he will enjoy learning something like a tablet. I think he would get very frustrated and the feel inadequate and be hard on himself and be sad.

I have finally decided to just get him a regular flip phone cell phone. I actually did just buy him one on pay-as-you-go that he can take on walks and in the car in case of needing to call someone when he is out. I got a Samsung S275 and a car charger and belt clip/holster thingy. I am not 100% positive that he will even be fine using that so I hope printing off the relevant parts of the manual for him will suffice.

For everything else I decided he is better off sticking with his desktop. If I win a lottery I will get him a laptop with Windows 7! Keep your fingers crossed for me! As for online banking, he doesn't do that right now as he doesn't feel safe with it but he does look at his stock market investments online, and companies that he is interested in or following.

Again THANK YOU all for your generous help to me in this thread! Have a GREAT weekend everyone.
Anne

P.S. Edited to add: As far as support ending for Windows XP my Dad is well aware of that and the implications and he is FURIOUS with Microsoft and Bill Gates. He ruminated and fantasized for weeks about wishing he could become a hacker or programmer with the ability to send a horrible virus to Microsoft and Bill Gates! He kept asking me how he could learn how to do that. LOL My father is NOT normally the least bit subversive so this was hilarious and adorable in my opinion!