My Mother and her iPad - update

My Mother had been keeping her distance from the iPad. I thought we were going to have a breakthrough when we found a Shirley Temple movie on NetFlix that she seemed interested in. We started watching the movie together, but it soon became clear that her hearing was not good enough for using an unamplified iPad. I have some extra portable speakers here at my place that we used to plug into the iPhone near the hot tub outside to overcome the pump noise. I just need to get the speakers to Mom's place and try them.

I'm a little concerned about this, because I really wanted the iPad to be complete just itself. I don't imagine my Mom will tote around external, battery operated speakers in her walker pouch. I'll let you know how this goes. We may just watch the NetFlix movies on an extra laptop I have at Mom's house.

But yesterday during a visit I brought the iPad. As I rested in a chair, Mom started investigating the iPad on her own as she sat at the kitchen counter. I offered a bit of guidance regarding "swiping" the screen to see more apps. Soon I heard the familiar sounds of iPad Yahtzee! She still wants to play without a computer opponent, and I haven't seen how to adjust that setting.

I purchased and downloaded a $5.99 Casino app for her to play since she like BlackJack and 5 card poker on smaller, handheld games.

When I left for the day, I left the iPad, thinking perhaps we'd made progress with her adopting the device.

But I'd forgotten something and returned several minutes after heading out to my car. What did I find? My Mother was placing the iPad gently off of the counter where she was, and onto a dining room table where she wasn't. When I called her later that night, she was playing Yahtzee on her little monochrome, hard to read, handheld game. So, she still hasn't taken to the iPad yet.

What an iPad App needs to consider for seniors

First, an App needs to be tailored for the iPad, not an iPhone app running on the iPad. The screen size is just too small.

Next let's have nice big, high contrast text for navigation labels and instructions.

No Ads. It's too easy to tap them by mistake and get taken away from the App.

Easy to adjust music volume.

That's a start!

Introducing a senior to the iPad (my Mother)

After having the Apple iPad for just a day, I took it along on a Mom visit. Although I had put just a couple of apps I still felt it could be a positive meeting of the two.

So I brought the iPad out and showed it to my Mother in a very low key way - we played a game of Yahtzee together (read review). Then we put a puzzle together on it. She reads the obituaries in the local papers, so I brought up the local papers' obituaries on the local paper web sites.  I showed her how to enlarge the web site text easily with gestures. Then I informed her that the iPad was her birthday gift. Uh oh. Major mood change.

She protested the gift. She said she didn't want it. She wouldn't use it. She didn't have time to use it. Could I send it back? No, I said, I wasn't sending it back. I showed her again how easy the iPad is to use. I brought up a Shirley Temple movie, Seabiscuit,  from Netflix. She liked the movie, liked the device, but didn't want to have it as her own.

OK, I said, I'll keep it and bring it on visits. So for now my strategy is to keep bringing the iPad along on visits until she gets used to it.

Buying a $500 gift for someone often involves taking a chance. I'm OK with that. I'm OK with her not liking the iPad at first, maybe even never taking ownership of it.  But I'm still optimistic. Computers can be frightening for people who aren't used to using them. I understand that. I'll stick with it. I think she'll come around. She got her ham radio license 20 years ago because I did and she wanted to be involved with the hobby. Time will tell.

What do you think? Your comments are welcome.

iPad arrives - my first impressions

My Mother's iPad arrived Tuesday. Fed Ex mis-delivered it to the wrong address, but that was remedied quickly via a live chat on their web site. Just slight panic on my part when I checked the tracking and saw DELIVERED as the package status, but knew it wasn't delivered here. All is well now.

When I opened the iPad packaging, it literally took my breath away. It's one thing to see a product online or in a TV commercial but to see it in front of you is different. The iPad is visually beautiful.

There's a small visual instruction card included, but because I have an iPhone already I jumped right it. I found operation very intuitive. The screen requested to be connected to a Mac or PC running iTunes via the included USB cable. I did that, answered a few questions that came up on the screen and the system started copying my photos to the iPad. I took 45 minutes or so (thousands of photos).

Next, I told the iPad my wireless (wifi) network password so it had Internet access, then installed some apps to start with - more on choosing apps later.

My first impression of the iPad has been very positive. I've set up plenty of Windows computers, none were this straight forward. Good Job, Apple!

Why choose the iPad for a senior?

I've used Windows and Mac computers. I have a Kindle and an iPhone. Video games at my house include an Xbox 360, a Wii and Wii Fit and Nintendo DS handheld games. So, why did I choose an iPad for my  80 plus year old Mom?

1. It's much lighter than a laptop. She'll be able to put it in her walker pouch and take it with her from room to room if she chooses.
2. It can operate longer on a charge than a laptop
3. It doesn't need a nite light like the Kindle. I love my Kindle, but this is a different situation.
4. It does far more than the Kindle does, via Apps.
5. My Mother understood my iPhone screen and how to slide to more photos almost immediately.
6. My Mother likes hand held games including casino games (poker, slots), hangman, word games and Yahtzee.  Most of these are available for the iPad.
7. I've shown Mom the iPhone Yahtzee app - she took to it quickly.
8. There's no On/Off confusion. simply push ONE BUTTON. Windows laptops are very different - click START to turn off (WHY?!?!) then choose Sleep, Restart, Shut Sown or Hibernate. Argh!
9. The iOS update includes text size adjust settings.
10. I've used an iPhone3gs for a year. I think she'll take to this.
11. There is already  wireless (WiFi) at her home.
12. She didn't take to the DS screen, I think it is too small for her.

I ordered an iPad for my Mother

My Mothers iPad Author,
 Kathy Kolb

September 15, 2010 - The journey begins. I ordered an iPad from Apple for my 80+ year old, not a computer user, Mother.

I tried to introduce her to computing through several decades. I've had a computer since the late 70s.

The reason for this purchase is that she wants to get on Facebook. She wants to get on Facebook because a grandson moved away to start college. When I visit my Mom, we look through his Facebook updates and photos on my iPhone.

I set up a Windows laptop up for my Mother to try on Facebook but she didn't take to it at all. I expect to post another story comparing a Windows laptop and an iPad.

After a few days of thinking it over, I order the WiFi iPad for my Mother. Stay tuned as I share the journey with you that will help document how a typical senior citizen, who hasn't used computers, takes to her iPad!

I expect to review apps as they related to seniors and elders to help others as they help their parents with iPads and perhaps other tablet computers.