I wrote about this earlier – when we talked on the phone over the weekend, he mentioned that he was getting an iPhone 7, upgrading from an iPhone 5. But we didn’t get a chance to discuss it.
I talked to my cousin yesterday and she filled me in: As you might expect, my uncle uses the phone for voice calls. He doesn’t use apps or text – although she did mention he uses it to get Uber. Can you use Uber without using the app?
On the iPad, he reads the news, browses the web, manages his finances, and does email. I didn’t even know he was on email; last time he mentioned it was in the 2000s, when he said he and my aunt tried email in the 90s, got a lot of spam and did not care for it.
That’s pretty neat, I think. 94 years old and an iPhone and iPad user.
My uncle is no technology early adopter, but he’s smart and engaged with the world. He’s a retired cop. Remind me to tell you one day about the time two years ago when he caught a couple of con men who called him up pretending to be me.
My mom is about to be 78. She uses an iPhone 7 and a iPad Pro 12.9 and iPad Air 2. She loves her iPad. My step father is a tech lover even though he doesn’t always “get it” while my mom would be happy still to be living in 1955! He has pushed and pulled her into the 21st century and she loves it now. They are both iPad only and love taking their gear on trips. They are right now in Canada visiting Niagra Falls and I get texts, pictures and FB posts all from their devices.
I suspect there are lots of stories like these, they’re so great. One thing I love about the iPad is that, as of 2018, it can be such a powerful computer (I do all of my web and graphic design work on the 12.9" Pro) and yet so simple and easy to use for those that might need or prefer simple.
My granny used a PC for years but never did anything with it but a few games. Never went online or anything else. In 2010 she got the first iPad and went online for the first time. She used it everyday until she physically no longer could just a week before dying. During those 8 years she emailed, messaged, played games, collected photos and caught up with friends and family she’d not communicated with in years. It opened up a whole new world to her and added to her quality of life.
The same can also be said of almost all of my older relatives. My aunt and uncle both use iPhones and iPads daily. My elderly parents do as well. For everything from games to reading to paying bills to messaging. Every so often they stumble upon something that requires help but for the most part are able to do everything they need on their own.
My 89 yo mother uses an iPhone to call and text, keep up with her favorite newspapers and play Sudoku. She shares photos and when there’s something we think she’d enjoy reading about we send her hyperlinks by text. Several times I’ve tried to suggest getting an iPad but she just won’t warm up to the idea. She seems happy to have her “little” iPhone. Oh, BTW she learned to use Siri rather than type. She’s in heaven!
She shares photos and when there’s something we think she’d enjoy reading about we send her hyperlinks by text. Several times I’ve tried to suggest getting an iPad but she just won’t warm up to the idea. She seems happy to have her “little” iPhone. Oh, BTW she learned to use Siri rather than type. She’s in heaven!