Computer for the elderly?

Not the first time I notice the attempts of different companies to make a kind of "computer for the elderly." The main goal of such a computer is to achieve such a level of ease of use so that it does not cause difficulties for people who practically cannot work with a computer. I recently saw another announcement of another company of this computer recently, in early December: “In Denmark, a computer was developed for the elderly . ” In my opinion, the need and importance of such computers is artificially exaggerated. Why I decided this, and how such “computers for the elderly” are “created” in general, you will learn by reading this article.



Let's start by clarifying the creation process. We read the news: “The Danish company DukaPC has created a desktop for the elderly and those who are just starting their acquaintance with IT technologies. To get started, DukaPC explains, it’s enough to power the computer. A simple interface allows you to quickly access the Internet, email, news, games, weather reports and Facebook. There is nothing to set up. ”How did the Danish company manage to“ create ”such a desktop? We look at the photo - either from the news , or directly on the company's website :





What we see? We see a computer performed by “all-in-one” or “monoblock”. As a sysadmin, the appearance of the computer seemed to me very familiar, and I decided to find where my legs grow from. I will not torment - this is MSI Wind Top AE2020 :



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We compare the technical characteristics of DukaPC and MSI Wind Top AE2020 - they are also very close. We come to a simple conclusion: everything that “created” DukaPC is a shell for running several basic programs. True, there are a couple of things that distinguish this “computer for the elderly” from a regular computer: first, they have a wireless modem installed (3G or 4G is not known exactly), and secondly, “updating software components and troubleshooting if such ones will arise, DukaPC promises to carry out remotely ”(by the way, this service is paid, by subscription). In such a simple way, you can not only create a computer for the elderly, but also make money on it even after the sale. What about the price? According to the manufacturer’s website, the unit itself costs DKK 6.995.00, which in Russian rubles will be about 37 tr, + the maintenance subscription for a year is approximately 1,330 rubles. For comparison - in Russia such a monoblock costs about 27 tr. (but - without the shell calling the main programs).



A small digression about these shells - in fact, there are just a lot of similar things for Linux, both oriented to use computers as media players, and for common household tasks (for example, many companies develop similar things for netbooks). I think to remake such a ready shell for the above tasks is not so difficult, inexpensive and fairly quick. But back to the existing options.



An attempt to create a “computer for the elderly” is by no means the first. So, back in 2009, I saw the initiative of a British company called SimplicITy :





The idea is the same - a large on-screen menu for calling the main programs, plus several video tutorials on usage in the kit. Earlier, in 2008, Fujitsu announced a laptop for the elderly - the most frequently used buttons on the keyboard are highlighted in color and marked with larger icons and symbols than on conventional laptops, programs in the menu are highlighted in color, and an extended help system is provided. This laptop was originally planned for distribution in the Japanese market, and then around the world, but as of January 2011 I did not find any references to it more on the network.



However, mentions of such computers, as you see, happen regularly, but for some reason they don’t get fame and distribution anyway. Why? I will try to answer with the free literary translation of one of the comments to the news about SimplicITy: “My family considers me a computer expert, since I sell computers and set them up for my clients. With few exceptions, most people learn computer skills fairly quickly. My mother, who is already 79, received a laptop a couple of years ago, and now it is connected via WiFi, and it works with mail, uses Internet search, plays games, downloads music to the player, etc. She recently started using Skype for a chat with my sister in New Zealand. Finally, she is thinking of opening computer courses for her acquaintances, most of whom are younger than her ... But my brother, who is 53, seems to be getting closer to a complete lack of understanding of such things. He calls me four times a week for completely idiotic problems. So, as you can see, age is not the main reason for anything. You either want to learn how to use something for yourself, or you fall into a stupor and return to using only your hands. ”



My opinion on the results of the collected information is as follows: some special simplified interfaces for ordinary elderly people are not particularly needed, except for the initial demonstration that "this may not be so difficult." There is no fundamental difference in learning how to choose one large icon on the screen of six, or how to click on a regular icon on the desktop, because after selecting it, you still need to type text to write or search for information, or search for a person on Skype and call up with him will have the same. But what pensioners may really need is basic training in computer literacy, plus help with choosing a computer to purchase and an Internet service provider, plus technical support (answering questions) in the initial stages of development. And, I think, video courses with a thoughtful, slow, understandable explanation of basic simple actions will be useful and in demand so that they can be easily reviewed and remembered. And we will be happy to see everyone who is ready to help the grandparents master the computer with ideas, in our “Grandma Online” project .



Related link: Gadgets for the Elderly



PS: maybe move to some thematic blog?