Best user friendly laptop
The 5 Best Laptops For Seniors in 2021 (Simple & Easy To Use)December 24, 2020December 25, 2021 4 Comments Whats the best laptop for seniors ? Show Thats very subjective. It doesnt mean you have to buy a laptop for someone who isnt tech savvy. I know of a lady in her 70s thats actually a full time online gamer leading a dozen players in a computer game (including me). One of my best friends & closest neighbor was a retired senior citizen too and he could pretty much fix any computer youd throw at him. How do you find the best laptop for seniors then? First, dont assume seniors are completely computer illiterates. If you do, you might be shooting yourself in the foot and end up with a pretty weak laptop thatd be of no use to him or her. Surely most of them know how to handle a computer. Who do you think invented the computer and started the computer revolution and all the technology we enjoy today? Most seniors will tell you.. That they just an user friendly and simple device, not because they are new to computers but because theyre the least troublesome and some of them may have physical limitations, brought unfortunately by age, which makes these laptops a super perfect fit. Unlike you and me, most seniors dont really have the time nor the patience to be dicking around laptops trying to fix a minor issue so they will be most likely to call YOU to fix it even if its 3 o clock in the morning. Most of them just want to get stuff done and not waste the entire day trying to fix stuff. This is even more true For seniors who havent been introduced to the latest systems and have gotten used to their old rigs. Think about switching to a Mac (if youve been a windows guy your entire life, youll get it). It can get really annoying having to spend half a day locating a file or learning how to use a simple everyday program. So for what kind of laptops should we look for then? Depends. For example, some seniors: Have physical impairments and cant use the cheapest laptop youve seen at Costco cause theyre bulky, have lowsy keyboards and terrible screens. Are very accustomed to simple set ups and do not have the patience to switch and deal with all the bells and whistles the latest gaming rigs have. May not be computer savvy (.01% of them) and will need the most user friendly device you can get your hands on. Possibly a Mac if they havent used Windows in the past. Anyways, in this article You should be able to find laptops for all the instances we mentioned. Weve also included a guide on everything you need to know to find the best laptop for seniors, elderly parents. The guide has way too much info, its a little disorganized but its got everything you need to know and you may even come to the conclusion that another device may be more suitable. Contents
Top 5 Best Laptops For SeniorsI know this is a short list but 95% of you should find exactly what you need. You may have to break the piggy bank for a few though. Note that, despite what other sites might want you to believe. Not all laptops will be configured for seniors right out of the box. (except maybe the Macs). So you may need to do a little tweaking here and there to make it perfect. Dont worry well tell you what to do for each laptop if theres the need to do so. Just a summary of what to consider before you make a purchase: Level of computer literacy: is your senior used to a specific operating system? Is he/she still using Windows XP? or maybe hasnt touched a modern computers yet?
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Weve gotten tons of emails about how laptops we posted in last years posts were way too expensive and had too many bells and whistles. So in 2021, we are posting laptops from 400-700$ and with as few bells and whistles as possible. 1. Acer Aspire E5Best Inexpensive Laptop For Seniors AMD Ryzen 3 3200U 4GB DDR4 Radeon Vega 3 128GB SSD 15 full HD IPS 3.97 lbs 7 hours 802.11 AC BlueTooh 4.0 The most budget friendly laptop youll find for seniors on Amazon. Despite being only 350$. Its got:
Operating System & Ease of Use Windows 10 S: Which leads me to the main issue with this laptop. It doesnt have the full version of Windows 10 Home which means you cant install just ANY program you find online BUT you CAN install any program made my Microsoft like MS Office/Movie Maker/Paint/MineCraft and any other program not MADE by Microsoft thats on the App Store. Youll find out that 99.9% of the programs people use are available on the Windows App store so theres really no downsides on using Windows 10S unless youre a full time gamer or programmer who wants to dick around with third-party software. A huge plus of having Windows 10 is the fact that the chances of getting virus/being hacked/installing dangerous software are close to zero so the likelyhood of your personal data like bankaccounts and credit cards being stolen are almost zero. I would say Windows 10 S, despite its limitations, is actually a faster, more secure and simpler OS than Windows 10. Its still got the features from Windows 10 or Windows XP, the home menu button, the bar below the desktop, it looks exactly like Windows 10 but like said its faster and simpler. You can read more details on it here. If you decide to an upgrade to Windows 10 Home, its just one click away but itll cost you 100 bucks bumping up the cost to 450$. 2. ASUS VivoBook 17Best Laptop For Seniors Best Display AMD Ryzen 7 3700U 12GB RAM DDR4 AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 512GB PCIe NVMe 17 full HD TN 5.1 4 hours This is one of the best laptops made in 2020 and its been a savior for those working from home. Im not suggesting you to buy this one to make your dad work for you obviously. Its just that it has pretty much everything youd want in a laptop for a senior and at a pretty reasonable price ~700$:
Keyboard Heres the real issue. Not its not the operating system. This laptops got the full version of Windows 10 so there wont be limitations on what your senior can do with it. The easy of use can be adjusted through Control Panel for those with physical limitations. The problem is that the keyboard although nice bulky and responsive and a joy to type on, has letters thatve been painted with gray color and the keyboard just like the laptop is silver, so its really going to be hard to see if you dont have a lot of lightining. Pretty much useless at night unless youre like me and dont need to see the keyboard to start typing. Theres a quick and cheap easy fix to this though and if youve got a senior with vision problems, you wouldve needed to do this anyways: Stick key letter stickers on them These stickers are not only super big but fluorescent so if you turn off the lights, theyre going to shine bright! They only sell for 10$. If youre buying this laptop for a visually impaired senior, you MUST buy these. If not just skip it! The keyboard is good enough as it is for most people. if you dont need the huge stickers on it but rather just a backlit keyboard for a senior without dramatic vision problems check laptops #4 Unlike Windows 10 S or Chrome OS. Windows 10 Home will let you do everything. Buy Now 3. 2021 ASUS Chromebook 2 in 1Best Chromebook for Elderly Parents Core m3-8100Y 4GB Intel HD 615 64eMMC 14 FHD 2 in 1 TouchScreen 3.31lb 9 hours ChromeBooks are the cheapest laptops youll find online and by no means does it mean theyre of cheap quality or slow. Most chromebooks have insane build quality and durability. I have a 6 year old chromebook still kicking ( except for a few keys not working anymore). As you browse around the web, you might beging to wonder , why are they cheap and yet so fast? Well its the OS and what you can do with it. Its only useful for basic tasks and very basic photo editing and simple gaming so its components are cheap and enough to blast through any of those activities. While there are plenty and cheaper ChromeBooks at around 300$. Heres why I choose this ~450$ ChromeBook: Screen Size + 2 in 1 TouchScreen: 14 FHD. Its not the biggest ChromeBook but its a good size and nobodys going to be squiting their eyes to read the small letters on articles with this. Another reason why you SHOULD opt for a 2in1 TouchScreen instead of just a TouchScreen laptop is the fact that the screen is going to be a lot closer whenever you want to touch it. In a regular laptop without the flip screen feature youre going to have to raise your arm and extend it towards the screen which EVEN FOR ME gets super tiring and annoying. See the difference yourself:
Operating System & Ease of Use Chrome OS You may be hesitant to get this laptop for your senior because its got Chrome OS but rest assured ChromeBooks, just like Windows 10 S, are perfect for seniors who are doing nothing more than regular tasks. In fact, now that the Google Store and its android apps have made their way into ChromeBooks(this wasnt possible a few years ago), having a ChromeBook nowadays can be as entertaining as having a tablet/iPhone with tons of apps in it + all the capabilities of a laptop. This is why I wanted a post a TouchScreen too. So it can be flipped back and turn into a full tablet/phone mode when not being used as a laptop. There is not just one app for something, there are tons of different apps for photo editing, video editing, gaming, puzzles and anything else you can do on a smartphone. What about Learning Curve? This isnt your typical OS, so theres really not much learning curve if any. Its just a web browser software with apps and settings, thats it. One cool thing about Crome OS is the fact that the settings or the control panel as you would call it is hidden! Not only that, even if you find it, tons of things are LOCKED so theres no chance of messing it up. The accessibility options are pretty accesible theyre right on the bottom corner and with just one click you can open up ALL the options: Check Price 4. Dell Inspiron 3000Best Laptop For Seniors Best Display Core i3 1005G1 16GB RAM DDR4 Intel UHD 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD 17 full HD TN 6.16 lbs 5 hours Yet another huge laptop with a big screen for those seniors with vision problems or those who are just used to big screen because theyre coming from desktops. Just like the ASUS VivoBook with 17. This laptop has:
But unlike the ASUS VivoBook it has:
This laptop is kind of expensive hovering around 800$ if you get the extra 1TB SSD. Nonetheless that much space is really optional so you can choose a configuration which is about 100$ cheaper Check Price 5. MacBook ProBest Rated Laptop For Seniors Intel Core i7-Core i9 9th generation 16-64GB RAM DDR4 Radeon Pro 5300M/5500M 4GB vRAM 512GB-2TB PCIe SSD 16 Retina 4.3lb 10 hours Ok. Im going to be honest. The MacBooks are probably the best of the best you could get for a senior. Theyve got EVERYTHING:
It surpasses every laptop in this laptop by miles! Unfortunately, it is expensive! This is why its last. There are tons of MacBooks to choose from, depending on your senior. Id say you could get away with the smallest ones if youve got a senior with no physical limitations whatsoever like the MacBook Air or the 13 MacBook Pro. But for everyone else, the 16 MacBook Pro is the best of the best.
Performance Like I said all of them are fast enough for photo editing video editing and even the weak MacBook Air can handle a lot of high graphical intensive games like FortNite. Im not saying you should get your senior to play games, Im just trying to explain how fast these little monsters are. Especially with the MacBook Pro 13 and even more so with the MacBook Pro 16. The latter can actually blow past everything everything everything including ANY software and ANY game. Display It depends on the model but as of 2021, all the modern versions of the MacBooks, have awesome displays. Not only are they 13-16 but they have more resolution than FHDs, they call it the retina display which has aprox. x2 as many pixels as a FHD display. They all have higher brightness levels and even gamut (the number of colors to display). Keyboard All keyboards are backlight , are very responsive and are huge. Letters can be easily distinguished because the keys have a white-black colors. Now youre going to read that they have low travel distance which its a must to keep their thinness but that doesnt mean they are not clicky. They feel like a typewriter. Although the MacBook Air usually has a better feeling to it, the other two are better than most keyboards found on Windows laptops. Remember you also get a touchBar which can come in handy if you want to access anything much quickly without having to rely on the keyboard or trackpad to click on an icon. Need MSWord? Skype? Theyre just one button away. Sound All macbooks have crispy and clear sound. The great difference is how loud they can be. The bigger your MacBook , the louder its going to get.Theres no loss of sound quality with any of the models no matter how high you set up the volume to. Operating System & Ease of Use: MAC OSX: Heres the deal breaker: the Operating System: Mac OSX. Actually its only a problem if : If your senior is used to his Windows based rig Or if the entire community he/she is in (friends,colleagues,relatives) are all using Windows based machines. Its definitely going to be an issue the more he is connected with them. Hed feel left out and might not be able to get help for troubleshooting issues(as if that would ever happen with a mac but it could be recommendations for software, apps,games,etc). If thats not a problem and your senior doesnt spend the entire day on a laptop with friends then an Apple Machine has several(in fact might be a better choice) over a Windows machine: no need for wait for updates, everything will work right out of the box, tons of accesibility options which are actually better than what ChromeBooks/Windows 10 offers. No viruses and far less troubleshooting. It looks good and the OS is super easy to use and learn! Price: The main issue is Price. It can cost up to 2500$ if you go all out with the 16 MacBook Pro. However, you dont have to go for the most powerful 16 MacBook Pro. If you really need the big display for someone with vision impairments, then a model like the one shown here will be fine. If you like any of the other models, you can choose the lowest configuration possible because like I said theyll have the same perks for seniors its just that the horsepower will change. But all of them have plenty of horsepower even for an user like me. Refurbished Models: If you cant afford a new model, you can always buy refurbished macbooks. Even the older models are better than most windows machines in terms of display, keyboards and ease of use.
Check Price How To Buy The Best Laptop For SeniorsThere are many factors to take into consideration when shopping laptops for seniors. Not all seniors are created equal, they werent born seniors you know they were once young just like you so theyre preferences will always differ. If you are a senior I think you can agree all seniors want is a comfortable, easy to use and troubleshoot free computer just like everyone else. Of course comfortable and easy to use depends on your senior friend. Most seniors are well versed in technology and very few arent while most of them already have to deal with physical limitations. These are the factors we have to consider when buying any device for a senior. Before Buying A Laptop Ask Them The first place to start is to ask them. You can save a lot of time by asking them what they want from a computer and what they find hard or difficult to manipulate in the computer they use or the ones theyve used. Otherwise youll fall into the trap of thinking age is related to less technology literacy, when in fact most seniors use computer technology to keep their sanity in checkjust like you and me especially to keep loneliness and isolation away. If thats so then ergonomics and physical limitations is all you have to consider. I know of an old lady (in her 70s) who plays one of the latest games and lead us and tell us how to play a bunch of us every night using voice chat. Just ask, dont assume. You never know what seniors are up to some of them might even be well versed in Linux. Keeping The Same Set Up If you want to save yourself some time, then its best for you to get the same up your senior is using. Most seniors, just like us, would rather continue keep using what they already found comfortable and something that works for them. Its best to retain familiarity as much as you can. If your senior uses Windows, then get a Windows machine, etc. Loves large screen display, then avoid iPad. It all depends. Some are used tofull size keyboards rather than the small laptop keyboards so you may need a much bigger laptop that can replicate desktop size level keyboards. While others may not have trouble using smaller keyboards from laptops. Do you have a back up? If you do, I suggest you stick with the same operating system and try your best to set up everything as closely as possible to their main computer if they already had one. If theres no back up, you can always download or check their entire their set up. If not, have an expert install the exact same copy on their new device including files, settings, software and everything else. If the old system is broken, you can always recover what was stored in the hard drive too. Activities Besides the fact that a few of them love to program in FORTRAN, the majority of seniors just like your typical adult or teenager perform the same activities, mostly to keep in touch with their loved ones:
Performance CPU & RAM Performance and computer speed isnt really an issue with these kind of activities unless your senior is a programmer, heavy photo editor or even a gamer (mine is). To avoid getting frustrated with occasional hiccups and lag these activities may bring, look for a laptop with 4GB RAM or 8GB RAM. Alsoavoid any CPU or processorlabeled with the names ATOM & Pentium. Storage If you are an avid photographer or if your seniors loves to store family photos and keeping them neatly organized and safe, then invest on high storage capacities. Look for 256GB as the minimum and if possible 512GB if your budget allows. Other than that storage might be an issue if your senior fellow has tons of photos and videos , in other words, an avid editor or recorder or simply likes to keep all the family photos on his computer in which case 256GB should be sufficient. Having 1 TB or 1000 GB would be even better but not all laptops offer these and you may never be able to use it fully. Keep in mind 128GB for storage can store 16, 000 raw photos! Physical Limitations By the way computers are not the only department where their physical limitations restrict them from some technology. Others are secure packing, tiny prints on packing, black on black buttons on television devices and DVD players, small size buttons on mobile devices, etc. So its not just laptops. Consider this: your senior is likely to be a heavy email user but may suffer from hand movement problems and vision problems. Soa decent keyboard, a decent mouse andgood screen size will help a bit. Weight None of us would want to carry a heavyweight machine everywhere so if your senior plans on making his or her laptop portable to take anywhere, then opt for a laptop around 3lb. Generally most of them will just use it around house in which case any decent weight should do, of course the less weight the better. Keyboard Unfortunately someone with hand movement issues and joint problemswill have more difficulty hitting on screen keyboards than real keyboards. Often multiple keys will be pressed. Heres a few other tips to consider:
Mouse Switching from a mouse to a laptop touchpad can be brutal for any type of user and much more for seniors who deal with physical problems already. It will be one the major obstacles for your elderly person to use recent technology.
External Mouse and Keyboard on a Laptop It might seem to defeat the point of having one but consider this if your senior already has a laptop and is dealing with hand issues. External devices can relieve a lot of physical problems as opposed to the ones on a laptop since you have a wide variety to choose from and are not as cramped as their laptop. Stylus and Digital Pens Just dont buy one if your senior has hand problems or try to avoid one altogether unless your senior is sure to use them. They require a lot more hand eye coordination and are difficult to manipulate for those with joint problems. IntelligentAssistants Those voices robots you listen to in operating systems (cortana, siris, et) can speak too fast for seniors and they expect you to respond as fast. Dont expect them to be useful for all seniors who want to launch tasks with voice. Display & Sound Eyesight& Hearing
Screen Size As mentioned before, screen size will not necessarily make things bigger but actually fit more stuff within the same screen. Grandpa still will have to deal with small fonts and windows and everything else unless you increase the size of everything yourself. How?
Higher display systems have the advantage of having more stuff in the same screen without feeling too cramped this is beneficial for all seniors alike. Resolution It isnt as important however higher resolutions displays will make everything easier on the eyes by making everything crystal clear. Full HD is a nice bonus but HD should be sufficient and more than enough. Higher resolutions are only for professionals who can actually distinguish pixel size details and have thick bottle bottom glasses. If your senior has vision problems display size and magnification are far more useful than resolution. Matte Finish Avoid Glossy screen if your senior is in bright setting areas or likes to use the computer outside with the sun clearly shining on the laptops screen! The reflections will cause great strain to his already aged eyes. A Matte display will minimize this effect and be much more gentle on his eyesight altogether. Try to get one regardless of where your senior uses the computer. Ease of Use Computers were far more difficult to learn and use in the past. So its not seniors have a difficult time learning because of age. In fact, the latest research shows that the brain never stops developing. They can easily pick up any technology or learn just about anything as long you as handle their physical limitations and avoid poorly designed technology when they already have to deal withmany physical problems. Most seniors dont have the patience to spend too much time dealing with minor stuff such as clicking this or that or having to go through tons of steps to check theiremail or any other basic tasks. Its actually quite annoying but we dont notice it because we have already grown with it. In general (all of us actually) prefer systems that are straightforward, have a clean layout with just the right amount of programs or features we need. For seniors these can be:web browsing, email, Skype, Photo viewersand an interface to easily move around files or photos along with a simple to use document writer. Dont shift Operating Systems Stick with whatever you are dealing with, nobody likes to spend countless of hours trying to re-learn an entire new environment especially if its entirely different than the one we had even for the simple stuff I just mentioned. However if this is the first time theyre introduced to one or are having trouble with their current operating system, heres what you need to know about what each OS has to offer for the elderly or seniors. Windows Pros
Cons
Software for Windows As mentioned the advantage of using windows is the availability of all kinds of software. Comapnies target Windows when making specialized software for seniors. For example: HomeTouch A software extremely helpful to keep elders connected to caregivers and family members. Its paid but worth a look at. Its won a few awards for its utility and service. Useful if you have a senior member in your family thats constantly on the computer but also needs a carer from time to time to come in and help (available in Europe). If your senior is fine with web based email such as Gmail, then theres nothing to learn. Otherwise look for more friendly alternatives: MS OutLook, AOL (includes instant messanging), kids email and pawpawmail designed for grandpas. Most stable OS & User Friendly Windows Version If your senior doesnt have the need to use accessibility options or rely too much on it but rather would love to have an OS that gives the least amount of trouble shooting (I am sure you do as well) and just works straightforward, then you may want to give Windows XP a try (yes even in 2017). Go find an original new copy of windows and install it on his laptop, youll be amazed by how wonderful and easy to use the XP is. ChromeOS Pros
Cons
Simplicity Chromebooks are simple and straightforward to use. Theres notmuch of a learning curve other than learning how to remove and install apps from the store. Chrome OS is simple and very hard (if not impossible) to mess up. Mac OS X Pros
Heres a more complete guide on how to set up a Mac for a Senior. Cons
Ubuntu/Linux Pros
Cons
Windows, Mac, Chrome, Linux? Take all the considerations above, find something suitable and the most user friendly OS there is. Install a good antivirus, firewall and anti-spyware if required, firefox or chrome and most important learn to use remote desktop so you can fix the machine remotely anywhere any time and youll have happy senior. Design & Quality Seniors may have lost some physical abilities but that also includes the patience to deal with stuff that doesnt work properly.So aim for well designed and high quality laptops. Dont set out to buy the cheapest one of the store (unless of course its highly known to be trouble free). Otherwise you may end up with low quality keyboards, sound systemsand an entirely useless device for your senior. Customer Support Make sure the brand you choose has great support even if you buy senior friendly laptops from unknown brands out there. Take the amazon kindle for example, it has a built in button that will bring a live expert to help you deal with any issues you may have and its not even a device targeted for seniors. While we all love to have that kind of tech support just make sure yours is actually good and ok to take on phone calls regularly to deal with troubleshooting. Why bother? It may come in handy when youre not available to help your senior or if your senior cant fix it himself ( like every computer user out there). We all need tech support from time to time. However is rather difficult to figure out which one has the best or who to believe. But pretty much everyone agrees Apple having the best tech support out there (rightly so with the money you are paying for!). You can sign in forums ask online users and Apple will give you a reply pretty soon which most of the time includes easy to follow instructions. Phone service is also great. Anyways, heres a study that might come in handy. From bad to worst. Desktop Computers I assume you already made the decision of buying a laptop for the portability. If not a desktop would be a much better choice for both ergonomics andmore comfortable (and cheaper) overall. The reason, the display is better, it needs a keyboard which you can customized and an external mouse too. The AARP has recommended HP as the brand to go for when choosing computers or workstations especially designed for seniors with physical limitations, you can check out their products here if you think a computer will benefit you (or your elderly senior). Laptop vs. Desktop The number one reason of having a laptop over any other device is the ability to use full blown software and be able to take it anywhere something you cant do with a desktop, tablet, phone or whatever technology brings these days. It should be the number one thing to consider when buying a computer device for your senior. Ergonomics In reality, laptops are the worst type of device for ergonomics especially the small sized ones. The screen, keyboard and mouse (touchpad) are too cramped and in not very good position for posture. Especially the touch-pad can present a problem for seniors with joint problems & hand tremors. In some cases, you might need an external keyboard and a separate mouse to make it more user friendly for them which will turn out to be a desktop itself. Thats why portability should be the number one reason why you are even shopping for a laptop. Desktops are cheaper, can be repaired faster and they last longer. This one in particular is especially designed with seniors in mind and a pretty well known brand. Laptop or Tablets For Seniors Ipads & Tablets
Latop vs Tablets:Software The main thing to consider when shopping for tablets for seniors is the software they will use: Skype : Android tablets are no good for skype. The iPad however its a great option. Web surfing: all tablets can do that no problem but flashed based websites, iPad might present problems. Emails: tablets are not practical for long emails, maybe short messages but a Bluetooth keyboard will solve that issue. Reading: Theres no better device than a tablet for reading. If you think about it, it actually becomes a book you can just turn the pages with a swipe, take it anywhere and position it anyplace perhaps to follow any instructions (leaned against a wall/object). Its just like a book all over again which we are all used to anyways. Where is the tablet not so good for seniors?
When is a tablet a good option for seniors? While most seniors and even your elderly parents are quite acquianted with technology, there are a few who arent and may unfortunately not be very eager to use todays computers or devices. This is the rare case where a tablet might be a better option to introduce your senior to computer devices and what they can do for them. You can get an idea of what kind of tablet or ipad to get from the AARP RealPad Android just keep in mind is not your only choice many seniors are quite happy with Apples line of products too. Other brands Telikin: primarily for desktop computers. Has been around for several years. Claris Companion: tablets designed for the elderly, has more features than a regular tablet for seniors including phones, passive monitoring device, picture frame,etc. Bottom Line Whatever your choice is, make sure you get a device that is both comfortable and is easily accessible to the internet. The advantage of the technology today is being connected to the world after all. Research has shown that those who stay connected, especially seniors, with their relatives and loved one live much longer and healthier lives. And if you do your proper research and pick the right device, your senior can happily enjoy his time being connected as well. Taking all these specs into account ideally we would want:
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Comments? If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know. We want to make our seniors as comfortable as possible. After all its thanks to them we even have computers to play around with today and all the technology we see around us. |
