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Computing with Elders

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Do you have a Grandparent or older friend/relative in your life who is interested in computing? Here are some tips sent in by Clay to help you (and them!) get started.

  • Use the Dvorak keyboard layout! It is less stressful on the hands and wrists.. Because the most commonly used letters are together there is less movement involved to get those letters, which equals less energy being used, which equals good for bad joints.
  • If you are getting the elderly started on their first computer or trying to help someone that is having trouble seeing the screen, get them a BIG monitor with a high resolution.. When you set it up for him or her, set the resolution lower than the optimal.. 1152×864 for instance for a monitor with a 4:3 aspect ratio and an optimal resolution of 1600×1200.. This will help in several ways… First, some websites are wider than 1024 pixels in width, if you have a smaller monitor with a resolution of 1024×768 they have to scroll over.. If you can set the resolution higher they don’t have to do that. Second, the monitor is big, so lower resolution added to the big size will make the text and images even bigger, making it even easier to see.
  • They don’t need a fast computer! You can get them an older, slower computer. First, most likely all they are going to use it for is the internet, for that almost all computers from 1999 will work. Second, they are patient, they won’t mind to wait for programs to start.
  • Get them started on Linux or even an old Mac. This way they don’t have to worry about viruses, spyware, and all the junk you all ways have to update. Doing the updates will probably not happen also. My grandparents WILL NOT update their protection I have showed them how, programmed it in for the app to update automatically but they stop it when it starts. I would guess many other people would too. Another advantage to Linux or Mac would be that, they are stable.. Even on the best windows machines you can get errors while browsing the web, save them from that torture.
  • Help them out with the computer when ever you can. When you are there to help them, then they know that you really care about them. Also besides that, they also enjoy the company.

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