Asus EEeeee etc -- granny friendly?
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From: Ian Rawlings on 27 Nov 2008 08:57 Wotcher all, talk of the Asuses has got me wondering. Is the linux install fairly granny friendly? My mum's in her 60s and not particularly adept with computers (to put it mildly), I was thinking of getting a linux version of the Eeeeee and seeing if it's suitable for her, and if not, using it for myself. I get the impression it comes with a front-end that's fairly captive and simple to use, probably more so than a standard windows desktop. Her needs are very simple, web browsing, copying photos off a camera and printing them (rarely), emails (using pop3) and writing the occasional letter. Can this be done without much faff on the basic EEeEeE user interface thing? -- Blast off and strike the evil Bydo empire! http://youtube.com/user/tarcus69 http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarcus/sets/
From: Dave Liquorice on 27 Nov 2008 09:27 On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:57:09 +0000, Ian Rawlings wrote: > Wotcher all, talk of the Asuses has got me wondering. Is the linux > install fairly granny friendly? My mum's in her 60s and not > particularly adept with computers (to put it mildly), What strikes me about that is that Eeeeeeeee's are small with a small screen, small keyboard and an 'orrible track pad thing. Might be alright with good eye sight and nimble fingers... Does your Mum really need the portabilty? Wouldn't a small desktop of cheap laptop with decent screen and keyborads size and proper mouse/trackball be more suitable? -- Cheers Dave.
From: PeeGee on 27 Nov 2008 10:39 Ian Rawlings wrote: > Wotcher all, talk of the Asuses has got me wondering. Is the linux > install fairly granny friendly? My mum's in her 60s and not > particularly adept with computers (to put it mildly), I was thinking > of getting a linux version of the Eeeeee and seeing if it's suitable > for her, and if not, using it for myself. I get the impression it > comes with a front-end that's fairly captive and simple to use, > probably more so than a standard windows desktop. Her needs are very > simple, web browsing, copying photos off a camera and printing them > (rarely), emails (using pop3) and writing the occasional letter. Can > this be done without much faff on the basic EEeEeE user interface thing? > I would probably not recommend the 70x series as the screen is small, resulting in dialogues being taller than the screen, and the larger models are not much less than a cheap laptop (as Dave suggested). You may need a USB mouse to avoid the trackpad. If familiar with MS windows, the Fisher-Price mode would be usable but may irritate after a while :-) Firefox and Thunderbird won't be a problem and printing will depend on the support available (eg Canon is effectively out unless you use Turboprint). -- PeeGee "Nothing should be able to load itself onto a computer without the knowledge or consent of the computer user. Software should also be able to be removed from a computer easily." Peter Cullen, Microsoft Chief Privacy Strategist (Computing 18 Aug 05)
From: PeeGee on 27 Nov 2008 10:43 Dave Liquorice wrote: > On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 13:57:09 +0000, Ian Rawlings wrote: > >> Wotcher all, talk of the Asuses has got me wondering. Is the linux >> install fairly granny friendly? My mum's in her 60s and not >> particularly adept with computers (to put it mildly), > > What strikes me about that is that Eeeeeeeee's are small with a small > screen, small keyboard and an 'orrible track pad thing. Might be alright > with good eye sight and nimble fingers... > > Does your Mum really need the portabilty? Wouldn't a small desktop of > cheap laptop with decent screen and keyborads size and proper > mouse/trackball be more suitable? > I would second the cheap laptop, even though I have a 701, ... and the trackpad can be adjusted to be acceptable (if you know what you are doing). Either way, a USB mouse/trackball would be sensible. -- PeeGee "Nothing should be able to load itself onto a computer without the knowledge or consent of the computer user. Software should also be able to be removed from a computer easily." Peter Cullen, Microsoft Chief Privacy Strategist (Computing 18 Aug 05)
From: Daniel James on 27 Nov 2008 13:12
In article news:<slrngit9pk.jhj.news06(a)desktop.tarcus.org.uk>, Ian Rawlings wrote: > Wotcher all, talk of the Asuses has got me wondering. Is the linux > install fairly granny friendly? I understand that your concern is with the software ... but I'd say (as others have) that you should worry more about the hardware. The Eee devices are all quite small, have small screens with small pixels, small keyboards with small keys, etc.. They're great little devices, but I wouldn't want one as my /only/ computer. The software is fine. The "Easy" icon-based front-end would be annoying to an IT-savvy user with no other PC, but it's usable enough for a "netbook" style portable. The preinstalled Firefox, Thunderbird, and OpenOffice all work well (subject to the proviso about dialog sizes and screen sizes on the 701 model). I use knode to read newsgroups on my 701, and the reading window is only a few lines tall ... but I don't use it enough for that to be a major worry. The biggest problem with linux for non-technical users is that it isn't the same as the Windows that they're used to, and that their more technically-inclined helpers are familiar with. A non-technical user who doesn't use Windows enough to be familiar with it is hardly going top be disadvantaged at all unless something goes wrong, and then it all depends on whether their volunteer helpdesk knows enough linux to be helpful. Cheers, Daniel. |