Friday, August 12, 2011

Another PC/Mac alternative for “older people”




This product, called The Telikin, is from a US company and costs around the $700 level.
The bottom line from the WSJ reviewer was:
The Telikin is a good idea with a decent design that suffers from flawed execution. If you have a friend or relative who could benefit from such a computer, you might consider the Telikin, but you should think about waiting until the company fixes the flaws.
I have never been convinced about the usefulness of these ‘simple’ computers as a means of bringing the digital excluded into the online fold. The reason most often given why older Brits don’t want to go online is not that it is complicated or that it costs too much but that they don’t see the point.

Sure, this might well be an excuse but the problems of mastering Windows is not the reason they stick to the telephone and the post.

The one thing a device must do if it is to appeal to older people is not go wrong or have glitches – they can get all of that by buying a PC with Windows.

Maybe there is an ultra small niche market for the device but when we get to a sub-£100 iPad that doesn’t need to a PC for set-up or updating then forget your hybrids. Dick Stroud

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