My 90 year old mum likes to play solitaire on my laptop so I'm looking to buy her a used tablet. I'd prefer a first gen Ipad but since it's only going to be used for games, I'll buy the least expensive tablet.
Any recommendations? (Besides a deck of cards...)

iPad definetly has a better selection of games, though I'm pretty sure the basics like solitaire are on both. 2 considerations come to mind for an elderly person, size of the screen(and related to this the on screen elements like icons and text) bigger might be better for older eyes to see. On the other hand the iPad is heavier to hold for long periods of time, 2nd and 3rd gen are better for this than 1st, but I'm pretty sure the play book is even lighter due to its smaller size. If possible I'd have her test drive and ipad2 (it is lighter than the 1, and you should be able to pick up a refurbished or used one relatively cheap)

A deck of cards is much cheaper if you're planning to buy it to be used for only one purpose.

A deck of cards is much cheaper if you're planning to buy it to be used for only one purpose.

:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:
That's soooo 2009 :D

Get her an iPad.

I live in an apartment building with many 90 year olds. They are very interested in new technology, and while some of them feel modern gadgets are beyond their capability, others would latch on quickly.

One lady saw my iPad and immediately wanted one. For Christmas, her family gave her a digital picture frame. She was soooooo disappointed!

We gave my (then 83 year old) Mom an old iMac and she was in heaven. We set her up with some games, showed her how to take a screen shot, got her an email address, showed her how to use TextEdit to write her history, etc.

The greatest thrill for her? Telling her neighbors what she could do on her computer!

Of course we also installed TimBucToo so we could remotely log on and put things back in the right place.

Right up til the end, she emailed and sent pictures of her slots high scores.

As a side benefit, we could tell from her emails how she was feeling. When her spelling was worse than normal or when she left out words etc. we knew something was wrong.

The 90 year olds among us made all this possible. Please let them share in the rewards.

I never try to use my iPad while holding it up. I use a small pillow on my lap to take the weight and then just balance it with one hand.

These The Wedgestand iPad pillow - Love your iPad more! (http://wedge-e.net/) pillows look like the ideal solution.

My 90 year old mum likes to play solitaire on my laptop so I'm looking to buy her a used tablet. I'd prefer a first gen Ipad but since it's only going to be used for games, I'll buy the least expensive tablet.
Any recommendations? (Besides a deck of cards...)

get the iPad.. remember it has pinch and zoom.. no more needs to be said..
plus a 10" screen, way easier to use.
when it comes to support, buy the one you know how to support over the phone off by heart.
otherwise buy a magnify glasses x 10 for the playbook.

Hi JM,

I think your idea of a 1st gen iPad is the way to go.

If anything, the iPad is much simpler to use. period.

I've used a playbook and while it's not bad to use, the iPad is a no brainer.

Put her fav game icons on the 1st screen and she has:

1. 1 button to turn it on or wake it up

2. 1 more button to get into her fav game

plus the screen is larger.

good luck!

Hi JM,

I think your idea of a 1st gen iPad is the way to go.

If anything, the iPad is much simpler to use. period.

I've used a playbook and while it's not bad to use, the iPad is a no brainer.

Put her fav game icons on the 1st screen and she has:

1. 1 button to turn it on or wake it up

2. 1 more button to get into her fav game

plus the screen is larger.

good luck!

+1

3. The iPad is everywhere, on the news, tv shows, etc. She will be thrilled to know that she's using the same gadget as the guys on CSI. She will be the toast of her social group.

OK,
If I go with a first gen Ipad, what's a good price to pay?

Check eBay. But if I was you, I'd ante up and get at least the iPad 2 for $399. She's worth it, don't you think?

OK,
If I go with a first gen Ipad, what's a good price to pay?

Still for sale on the Apple Refurb store. Watch for a while & see when one comes up you want. There's no 16 GB WiFi just now, but there were until recently. I'd expect $299 - $349.

You'll notice that nobody in this CANADIAN forum suggested a Playbook or alternative tablet.

You know why?

Because that [name of alternative tablet] won't be around in a year.

Get an iPad (and I agree, spring for the iPad 2).

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Once she gets a tablet for solitaire, it could (hopefully) be a gateway to email, Web browsing, etc. So I'd make sure that the device you choose will let her do all these things easily. If she has to use arcane swipes or gestures to navigate or use an app, she may well forget them. Menus and buttons and a consistent interface across apps makes things easier to use, navigate and remember.

Whatever you buy, remember that you'll be the one supporting her. Make sure you feel very comfortable with the device she gets.

Whatever you buy, remember that you'll be the one supporting her. Make sure you feel very comfortable with the device she gets.

Or if you can't think up the answers yourself, know where you can tap into a wealth of knowledge. Hint: ehMac.ca. :clap: