Electronics

[lovestodance]

I was so ready yesterday to order it as TVS...

However got cold feet.. Did not see it presented till late last night...

I am so embarrased to say i am not in the groove with any wire free tech products...

Am a senior over 78,and only use a Desk top Pc with keyboard and mouse...

My husband who will be 82 in March does not know how to use Pc etc....

Only have one basic Verizon flip cell phone...

I am so confused with all the updated tech stuff out there... Am a bit afraid the Amazon Fire maybe too hard to use...

To add since i know you need wifi connection... Do have a Verizon router with a wire free connection mode....

Really need some adise and any other help would be greatly appreciated...

lovestodance

[shaggygirl]

lovestodance, I don't know squat about the Amazon Fire, I just hopped in here to tell you that I'm happy to hear I'm not the only person on the face of the earth who still has a flip-phone! In fact a few weeks ago somewhere or other I lost mine along w/my favorite lipstick, they obviously fell out of my purse somewhere, checked the last places I had shopped before noticing them missing and NADA. Anyway, I still had my late husband's flip-phone so went to AT&T and got that one set up instead of getting one of the new fangled ones, some things I'm just too afraid of not being able to figure out or that

l'll manage to screw them up. Just wanted you to know you are not alone in not being in the groove with the latest & greatest technology.

[memphis623]

I have the Amazon Firestick and the Firebox.  Both work the same, just the stick plugs into the HDMI slot onto your tv directly, while the box uses a cord to plug into the HDMI slot.

You do need a wireless connection, so if you have a router with wifi it will work.  You have to set it up with your router name and password used to access your internet connection.  Once you do the initial setup, it should connect automatically.

The firestick is super easy to use.  I got my mother - who is 89 - a Roku and it is basically the same thing.  You have a home screen with "apps" available to download.  Some are free, some cost money.  If you have a cable subscription, you can use the apps to watch extra content or catch up with on demand shows.  You can also watch some for free TV such as the CW, ABC, and I believe some NBC app.  There are more as well like crackle adn tubit tv.  CBS you have to subscribe for 5.99 month.  There is also Amazon Prime which I believe is $99 a year, then you have access to prime content.

There are free movie apps for older movies - not current releases unless you pay for them.  You can "rent" movies through the VUDU app.

You can do a lot with the firestick/box and it is pretty easy to use.  I think the hardest part would be the initial setup.  Once you complete that you just browse through the apps, find ones you want and then download them to your firestick/box and watch tv shows, movies, play games, etc. 

Another one to look into, as I mentioned above is the ROKU.  It has more apps for free content available on it.  Unless you really want Amazon Prime, which is on the Firestick/Box.

[lovestodance]

Hi shaggygirl,

Many thanks for your reply,and comments.... So sorry you lost your flip-phone. Happy to hear you got another one and set up for you...

Just to add i live in a fairly rural upstate NY....  Have no family close by to come in and set up any tech stuff for me...

So i have been pondering what wire-free tech things to get...

My pc is not in a very good lighting area. My eyes are not in the best condition as well.. Astigmatisim in both eyes.. Left eye worse then right... Also have what my Opthamoligist calls mild start of Cataracs...

Sorry just wanted to add this to my reply...

Have invested so much in my last pair of progressive lenses,and very unhappy...  Went back and they did say only one time replacement.. Had my eyes rechecked with there Optomitrist and just felt perscription was not done right...

I did add on a light tint as i thought would help with glare...

Guess i mad a mistake doing that in addtion to not feeling something else maybe to blame..

Okay enough of that...

Many thanks again if you see this...

lovestodance

[IMW]

Tablets are fabulous, think of a small portable computer. Much of mastering it is intuitive, such as swiping 

with your finger rather than a mouse. It is actually easier once you get the hang of it. 

I am 65 and use an IPad exclusively, got sick of viruses.

Also, Amazon has absolutely incredible customer support,

throw yourself at their mercy and you will be amazed.

They walked me through set up and use of a Kindle.

Good luck!

[ChynnaBlue]

You missed nothing with that Amazon Fire; it was the 2015 version. 

If you still want it, it's $50 today on the A site, but that's without a case. I find the Android operating system a little more difficult to use than the Apple operating system, but the Android tablets are much less expensive. The Fire tablets use an Amazon proprietary version of Android, which I think works well, but it's harder to find apps I want and it's not as easy to find answers to tech issues in Google.

Before you decide, you may want to investigate local resources that may be of help. My parents live near a very large retirement community that has public adult education classes. They offer classes in computer, tablets, and even smartphones. Local libraries may also offer free classes in technology. If you can take classes and get help, you'll feel more comfortable.

My mom found books like iPad for Dummies and iPad for Seniors for Dummies very helpful. If you get one of those books, make sure it is the most recent. If you get a book from 2015 and a tablet from 2016, the instructions may not match up and it could be frustrating.

My mom's biggest annoyance with the iPad is that things change all the time. She does not manage change well and gets very frustrated. Apps get updated as well as the operating system, which means something you knew how to do yesterday may be different tomorrow and you will need to figure out the changes because they won't be in a book. 

My mom never used a computer before she got the iPad, so you will already be steps ahead of her. She had a really hard time understanding how things like accounts and passwords worked and thought that once she got a Gmail account, she would be able to use that account and password for EVERTHING and didn't know she had to create a new account for every site/app.

[number one queen]

Hi, You are not alone, my husband loves his flip phone! He had me get android phone with the internet,,which we hardly use! But I bought a fire for my e books,all you need is the user id and password,easy. Also ,you can call Amazon and they will help you set it up. I am 63 and never did any computer work! With my fire I take in my bag to Dr. apt. Read anywhere, have Amazon prime, which I love .Also you have the Alexa app,you just press it ,it turns on you say what you are looking for and up comes items. Try it, it's easy! 

[kaydee50]

I'm with the OP.  I'm in my mid 60s and have no interest in all this technology.  I don't even have a "smart phone."  My "stupid phone" is sufficient for me--no need to text, take pix or whatever else those things do.  Plus no one ever talks about the added expense of having these devices.  The monthly charges add up. 

[Nuttmeg]

---

@castlenv wrote:

I'm with the OP.  I'm in my mid 60s and have no interest in all this technology.  I don't even have a "smart phone."  My "stupid phone" is sufficient for me--no need to text, take pix or whatever else those things do.  Plus no one ever talks about the added expense of having these devices.  The monthly charges add up. 

---

Hi, my friends are 10 years old than you. Most of them have changed to simple smartphones. Verizon or AT&T would not service their old flips anymore.

I want to LOL. The local bank branch does not have tellers. You use a machine to make transactions. There are only a few branches with tellers.

You should at least know how to send a text, how to use Facebook or Twitter.

[Spurt]

Flip phones have made a come back Samsung just released a new one in Sept 2016...... I recently saw them in Best Buy too ....  so everything old is new again .......  I don't have one....I have a Samsung Galaxy smartphone....

@lovestodance

One thing about Amazon Fire is that it does not support Google Play which has the more popular APPS and GAMES......there is a roundabout way you can add it, but if you aren't tech savvy may not be the best choice.....there are other tablets out there......  You may enjoy a tablet rather than a desk top PC....more portable and some come with the option to use a keyboard and a mouse too......

What you might want to do is check with the school districts in your area to see if they have Continuing Education Programs, many of these offer basic technology courses for seniors.  My friend's step mom is your age she took the course and loved it and learned a lot.