Expert: Bobbert - 8/13/2009

Question
Hello,

I am a Computer Programmer with many years in IT so I have used many computers - especially Windows.  I am no a hardware expert but my elderly friends and relatives often ask me for help with their computer difficulties.

I have seen that most PCs over time get slower.  They become frustratingly slow to boot.  Slow to download mail. Slow all round.

I think that what happens is:
(1) New software is too bloated for an "old" PC
(2) emails & web pages tend to be bigger as internet gets faster
(3) People are forced to get new anti-virus software as they need up to date virus protection
(3) The Windows operating system gradually degrades over time

Most of the elderly people I am talking of have very simple needs:

(1) They need a word-processing program for writing letters + a printer
(2) they need email
(3) they need internet

But... after they have had a PC for 5 years (and learned how to use it more or less) it is frustratingly slow.

The usual approach of throwing it away and buying another is a big problem for them as they do not find learning a new computer system at all easy and can barely manage to do so once.

Ideally they want a computer they can continue to use in the same way for 30 years.

What is the answer to this common problem of older people with computers?  

Answer
With a Windows system, at least mature/released platforms (Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Vista to a degree (more on this later)), almost continual maintinence is required to keep the system "at the top of its game", for the tasks you've listed, even machines from the turn of the millenium should work, although the maintenence needs at this age may become price inhibitive (at this point you've either met or exceeded the MTBF on a large majority of hardware, such as fans, power supplies, optical drives, and so on, and hardware begins to require replacement).

Generally most of this maintenance can be automated, to a degree, for example daily anti-virus or anti-spyware scans (especially with newer Windows applications, such as Windows Defender), although it still requires a competent operator to keep everything running "right". This is more or less true of any system, although with Windows its generally held that it requires a bit more interaction (mostly due to the larger number of exploits, viruses, and other nasties available for the OS).

Vista is a bit of an exception, it is still targeted quite heavily, but it takes a somewhat more proactive role in terms of security and reliability, assuming everything was setup correctly from the beginning, and the system isn't likely to have massive hardware changes over time. This isn't to say Vista is the savior of Windows, honestly Windows XP can be just as secure and just as stable (if not better, this varies system to system), as long as the user is informed on good usage habits, and similar.

Now, all of that aside, my general suggestion for older users is the switch to Apple, this is based on a few points:

1. Apple has excellent legacy support, in other words, their latest software runs on hardware from years ago, so users aren't "left in the dark" compared to some Windows changes which happen over time (This is not absolute, there are applications which require an Intel based Mac over a G5, and similar).

2. Apple has generally good customer service, this is a large factor for users with a less technical background, this is not to say that all "PCs" have poor customer service, it just isn't as universal (if a Windows PC were your goal, I would suggest Dell or HP, based on their equally good customer service track record).

3. Apple has a fairly intuitive UI and hardware design, simply put, everyday tasks are kept simple, and as long as the user isn't wanting to do something increasingly technical (for example DCC, CAD, or similar), OS X is not a bad platform for day to day usage.

4. Security/stability, basically, while the platform is not entirely bulletproof, it is quite secure, mostly due to being less targeted than Windows when it comes to various nasties around the internet.

So unless the user is willing to maintain their system to a given degree (oversee various tasks like anti-virus, anti-spyware, regular updates, responsible browsing habits, and so on), and live with the occasional reformat (say, every 2-3 years, this is still a far better condition than trashing the system), I would suggest going with the Apple platform.

-bob