Re: tablets for parents
On Sun, Mar 2, 2014 at 9:20 PM, Nicholas Clark n...@ccl4.org wrote: 1) What tablet? (with camera, obviously, 3G, and possibly not much else special) No-one ever got disinherited for buying an iPad. Combine it with a £70 Apple TV, and you can give them Netflix and LOVEFiLM as well as easy access to your and your sister's Flickr account for slideshows. 2) What data plan? Is going to be a function of who gets the best reception where they live. I happily watch Netflix on my Three account, and that was before it was 4G. They also have some pretty reasonably priced PAYG plans for data. But if your two locations in the South get spotty Three coverage, you'll need another solution. -P
Re: tablets for parents
On 02/03/2014 22:40, Ben Evans wrote: It would mean putting in fixed infrastructure, but modern smart TVs are capable of doing Skype. But is anyone capable of using a IR remote's cursor buttons for typing Skype username and password? Let alone navigating the Smart TV's menu systems.. My parents do struggle with these. Having given them an iPad has been a bit step forward though. My parents have a Panasonic Smart Viera connected to a standard BT broadband line. It does Skype perfectly fine - in fact provides a much better video conferencing experience than basically anything else short of the $100k dedicated infra I've seen in banks. A smart TV combined with a Freeview box and the catchup services available on the Smart TV basically do everything my parents want apart from video games. YMMV, of course. Ben On Sun, Mar 2, 2014 at 9:20 PM, Nicholas Clark n...@ccl4.org wrote: Dear knowledgeable hive mind, It seems that my parents are finally cracking and amenable to the idea of buying a device for the purpose of videoconferencing. My sister and I suspect that the right thing is a tablet connected via 3G (my parents alternate between two locations in southern England, so fixed line would mean 2 fixed lines, and two lots of fixed infrastructure, which feels like a pain) So, what is good to get. Specifically 1) What tablet? (with camera, obviously, 3G, and possibly not much else special) 2) What data plan? You can infer from this that they don't currently have an Internet connection, and I don't think that once they get one they are going to start heavy surfing or high bandwidth activities such as watching videos on YouTube or iPlayer. (They have had the recording the TV thing sussed for a decade or more now, and whilst they have migrated from VHS to hard drives, I don't think that they are going to move from the idea of a box under the TV connected to an aerial, that they program after circling programmes in a paper listings magazine) I don't think that they care what OS, and I don't think that I do hugely either. I just that care it doesn't get abandoned by the manufacturer as soon as the next model comes out*, and it needs to work without assuming that the owner has a PC for any sort of regular service activity. My sister has Macs (and a Blackberry too, I think), but is dealing with Windows at work, so between us I think we can hand-hold most things. Nicholas Clark * So *this* would put me off Windows RT even if it ticked all the other boxes, as I can't see how MS are going to sanely sustain 3 different OSes and ecosystems, and I suspect that RT is more than 33% likely to be the one for the chop. And even if it isn't, well, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 - they have a pedigree now of dumping their customers. -- Toby Parkins HeadForwards Find out why we work in Cornwall http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boNT46BMyWg --- toby.park...@headforwards.com +44 (0) 1209 311 151 +44 (0) 7977 933 664 Skype (with webcam): uknetweb Pool Innovation Centre, Trevenson Road, Pool, Redruth, Cornwall, TR15 3PL, UK. Twitter: @headforwards Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/headforwards --- This e-mail (and any attachments) contains information which is intended solely for the attention of the person to whom it has been sent. If you are not the intended recipient, you are not authorised to copy, distribute or use it for any purpose or disclose the contents to any person. If you have received this e-mail in error, please notify us immediately at enquir...@headforwards.com and delete this e-mail from your systems. Headforwards Solutions makes no warranty that this message is error or virus free. Any comments or opinions expressed are those of the originator not of Headforwards Solutions Ltd. unless otherwise expressly stated. Headforwards Solutions Limited is a company registered in England and Wales with company number 7576641. Registered Address: The Engine House, Wheal Kitty, St Agnes, Cornwall, TR5 0RD, UK.
Re: tablets for parents
I suspect you're probably right about the 3G/4G, assuming that there is good coverage where they spend their time (really needs to be checked). If they don't have decent 3G at one location maybe they could consider getting cheap DSL installed there. If they don't have good 3G at either place then one fixed line and they only videoconference from there. That's still more often than they do it now. :) The usual device suggestion for people like your parents is obviously Apple, but it would be nice to let them try a few first. Perhaps they would like a 3G Chromebook. These are fairly inexpensive. I had an easy to use ee 4G dongle which cost about £20 per month for an unlimited plan. Just on the off chance that they might prefer a notebook. On 2 March 2014 21:20, Nicholas Clark n...@ccl4.org wrote: Dear knowledgeable hive mind, It seems that my parents are finally cracking and amenable to the idea of buying a device for the purpose of videoconferencing. My sister and I suspect that the right thing is a tablet connected via 3G (my parents alternate between two locations in southern England, so fixed line would mean 2 fixed lines, and two lots of fixed infrastructure, which feels like a pain) So, what is good to get. Specifically 1) What tablet? (with camera, obviously, 3G, and possibly not much else special) 2) What data plan? You can infer from this that they don't currently have an Internet connection, and I don't think that once they get one they are going to start heavy surfing or high bandwidth activities such as watching videos on YouTube or iPlayer. (They have had the recording the TV thing sussed for a decade or more now, and whilst they have migrated from VHS to hard drives, I don't think that they are going to move from the idea of a box under the TV connected to an aerial, that they program after circling programmes in a paper listings magazine) I don't think that they care what OS, and I don't think that I do hugely either. I just that care it doesn't get abandoned by the manufacturer as soon as the next model comes out*, and it needs to work without assuming that the owner has a PC for any sort of regular service activity. My sister has Macs (and a Blackberry too, I think), but is dealing with Windows at work, so between us I think we can hand-hold most things. Nicholas Clark * So *this* would put me off Windows RT even if it ticked all the other boxes, as I can't see how MS are going to sanely sustain 3 different OSes and ecosystems, and I suspect that RT is more than 33% likely to be the one for the chop. And even if it isn't, well, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 - they have a pedigree now of dumping their customers.
Re: tablets for parents
Message: 1 Date: Sun, 2 Mar 2014 21:20:39 + From: Nicholas Clark n...@ccl4.org Subject: tablets for parents To: london.pm@london.pm.org Message-ID: 20140302212039.gh22...@plum.flirble.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Dear knowledgeable hive mind, It seems that my parents are finally cracking and amenable to the idea of buying a device for the purpose of videoconferencing. My sister and I suspect that the right thing is a tablet connected via 3G (my parents alternate between two locations in southern England, so fixed line would mean 2 fixed lines, and two lots of fixed infrastructure, which feels like a pain) So, what is good to get. Specifically 1) What tablet? (with camera, obviously, 3G, and possibly not much else special) 2) What data plan? You can infer from this that they don't currently have an Internet connection, and I don't think that once they get one they are going to start heavy surfing or high bandwidth activities such as watching videos on YouTube or iPlayer. (They have had the recording the TV thing sussed for a decade or more now, and whilst they have migrated from VHS to hard drives, I don't think that they are going to move from the idea of a box under the TV connected to an aerial, that they program after circling programmes in a paper listings magazine) I don't think that they care what OS, and I don't think that I do hugely either. I just that care it doesn't get abandoned by the manufacturer as soon as the next model comes out*, and it needs to work without assuming that the owner has a PC for any sort of regular service activity. My sister has Macs (and a Blackberry too, I think), but is dealing with Windows at work, so between us I think we can hand-hold most things. Nicholas Clark * So *this* would put me off Windows RT even if it ticked all the other boxes, as I can't see how MS are going to sanely sustain 3 different OSes and ecosystems, and I suspect that RT is more than 33% likely to be the one for the chop. And even if it isn't, well, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 - they have a pedigree now of dumping their customers. My in-laws manage fine with a 3G/wifi dongle/doodad on PAYG. Then you have to option of finding the best coverage for their location, and decoupling network from hardware. I've found HSDPA to be fine for Skype, but maybe that's just my luck. Nick - you don't mention screen size? How about remote support? I'm not sure how that goes on iOS/Android. Very useful for PC/Mac. Apart from that... I'd say iPad vs Nexus (on Wifi). Ash
Re: tablets for parents
You could ditch the 3G on the tablet and use a mobile phone as a WiFi hotspot... I would assume they already have a mobile and it may work out cheaper to upgrade their package than get a new one (they should be able to get unlimited talktime as a bonus and be able to position the phone to get the best reception (if the 3G is dodgy)
tablets for parents
Dear knowledgeable hive mind, It seems that my parents are finally cracking and amenable to the idea of buying a device for the purpose of videoconferencing. My sister and I suspect that the right thing is a tablet connected via 3G (my parents alternate between two locations in southern England, so fixed line would mean 2 fixed lines, and two lots of fixed infrastructure, which feels like a pain) So, what is good to get. Specifically 1) What tablet? (with camera, obviously, 3G, and possibly not much else special) 2) What data plan? You can infer from this that they don't currently have an Internet connection, and I don't think that once they get one they are going to start heavy surfing or high bandwidth activities such as watching videos on YouTube or iPlayer. (They have had the recording the TV thing sussed for a decade or more now, and whilst they have migrated from VHS to hard drives, I don't think that they are going to move from the idea of a box under the TV connected to an aerial, that they program after circling programmes in a paper listings magazine) I don't think that they care what OS, and I don't think that I do hugely either. I just that care it doesn't get abandoned by the manufacturer as soon as the next model comes out*, and it needs to work without assuming that the owner has a PC for any sort of regular service activity. My sister has Macs (and a Blackberry too, I think), but is dealing with Windows at work, so between us I think we can hand-hold most things. Nicholas Clark * So *this* would put me off Windows RT even if it ticked all the other boxes, as I can't see how MS are going to sanely sustain 3 different OSes and ecosystems, and I suspect that RT is more than 33% likely to be the one for the chop. And even if it isn't, well, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 - they have a pedigree now of dumping their customers.
Re: tablets for parents
Hi From: Nicholas Clark n...@ccl4.org To: london pm london.pm@london.pm.org Sent: Sunday, 2 March, 2014 9:20:39 PM Subject: tablets for parents buying a device for the purpose of videoconferencing. My sister and I suspect that the right thing is a tablet connected via 3G I don't think I would recommend trying to videoconference over a 3G connection. Not as anything other than a one-off emergency thing, anyway. -- Martin A. Brooks http://antibodyMX.net/ - antispam antivirus email filtering.
Re: tablets for parents
I reckon a 4G (LTE) connection would be more appropriate. On 2 March 2014 22:37, Martin A. Brooks mar...@antibodymx.net wrote: Hi From: Nicholas Clark n...@ccl4.org To: london pm london.pm@london.pm.org Sent: Sunday, 2 March, 2014 9:20:39 PM Subject: tablets for parents buying a device for the purpose of videoconferencing. My sister and I suspect that the right thing is a tablet connected via 3G I don't think I would recommend trying to videoconference over a 3G connection. Not as anything other than a one-off emergency thing, anyway. -- Martin A. Brooks http://antibodyMX.net/ - antispam antivirus email filtering.
Re: tablets for parents
On Sun, Mar 2, 2014 at 1:37 PM, Martin A. Brooks mar...@antibodymx.net wrote: I don't think I would recommend trying to videoconference over a 3G connection. Not as anything other than a one-off emergency thing, anyway. Works fine in my experience in the US, which on balance has a shittier phone network than any other first world country I've visited. YMMV etc Paul
Re: tablets for parents
On Sun, Mar 02, 2014 at 09:37:01PM +, Martin A. Brooks wrote: Hi From: Nicholas Clark n...@ccl4.org To: london pm london.pm@london.pm.org Sent: Sunday, 2 March, 2014 9:20:39 PM Subject: tablets for parents buying a device for the purpose of videoconferencing. My sister and I suspect that the right thing is a tablet connected via 3G I don't think I would recommend trying to videoconference over a 3G connection. Not as anything other than a one-off emergency thing, anyway. Skype video over 3G has always been quite good for me.
Re: tablets for parents
It would mean putting in fixed infrastructure, but modern smart TVs are capable of doing Skype. My parents have a Panasonic Smart Viera connected to a standard BT broadband line. It does Skype perfectly fine - in fact provides a much better video conferencing experience than basically anything else short of the $100k dedicated infra I've seen in banks. A smart TV combined with a Freeview box and the catchup services available on the Smart TV basically do everything my parents want apart from video games. YMMV, of course. Ben On Sun, Mar 2, 2014 at 9:20 PM, Nicholas Clark n...@ccl4.org wrote: Dear knowledgeable hive mind, It seems that my parents are finally cracking and amenable to the idea of buying a device for the purpose of videoconferencing. My sister and I suspect that the right thing is a tablet connected via 3G (my parents alternate between two locations in southern England, so fixed line would mean 2 fixed lines, and two lots of fixed infrastructure, which feels like a pain) So, what is good to get. Specifically 1) What tablet? (with camera, obviously, 3G, and possibly not much else special) 2) What data plan? You can infer from this that they don't currently have an Internet connection, and I don't think that once they get one they are going to start heavy surfing or high bandwidth activities such as watching videos on YouTube or iPlayer. (They have had the recording the TV thing sussed for a decade or more now, and whilst they have migrated from VHS to hard drives, I don't think that they are going to move from the idea of a box under the TV connected to an aerial, that they program after circling programmes in a paper listings magazine) I don't think that they care what OS, and I don't think that I do hugely either. I just that care it doesn't get abandoned by the manufacturer as soon as the next model comes out*, and it needs to work without assuming that the owner has a PC for any sort of regular service activity. My sister has Macs (and a Blackberry too, I think), but is dealing with Windows at work, so between us I think we can hand-hold most things. Nicholas Clark * So *this* would put me off Windows RT even if it ticked all the other boxes, as I can't see how MS are going to sanely sustain 3 different OSes and ecosystems, and I suspect that RT is more than 33% likely to be the one for the chop. And even if it isn't, well, Windows Mobile, Windows Phone 7, Windows Phone 8 - they have a pedigree now of dumping their customers.
Re: tablets for parents
On Sunday, March 2, 2014, Nicholas Clark n...@ccl4.org wrote: It seems that my parents are finally cracking and amenable to the idea of buying a device for the purpose of videoconferencing. Here's a couple of points regarding iPads: 1. If you have an iOS device you could use FaceTime natively without needing an app (though they can also do skype and google handouts). 2. You can create icons using URL schemes directly on the homescreen so it's a one tap to call you 3. iPads require wifi to download the bigger apps and to update the OS, and to back themselves up to the cloud. (Though other tablets might not actually be updatable at all nor have backup ymmv) Mark
