What are these “free” tablets of which you speak?
This is a handy feature in Windows that will enlarge text to a useful size.
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I know that Newscorp papers have had specials in the past where if you sign up for a year (?) long subscription, one gets a ‘free’ tablet.
I would say no unless one has good eye sight. My mother who is a bit older has bought the same tablet and is happy with it, but her eyesight is good. While one can increase font sizes in browsers etc, the bigger the font size the less text is visible on the screen. Sometimes over large font can play havoc with page layouts as well, especially where there are a lot of ads, pictures or inserted media.
The best thing to do is to go to a local electronics store and have a play with the Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0 before making a decision in relation to the subscription offer (at the same time one can also ‘play’ with other larger screen tablets for comparison purposes). One can then see how things look on the screen. Also try news sites such as Newcorp’s as this will also give a feel for how things are displayed (sizing and layout on the 8 inch screen). Newcorp usually has some articles which are not paywalled and can be viewed as examples.
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With a small screen magnifying the text reduces what is displayed, so many of us would not be happy. An older rellie struggled with a 15" notebook screen. Personally an 11" screen is minimum, 13" is fine. My corrected vision is essentially 20:20 (progressive lenses) but ‘close up’ can be a strain.
Is it going to be Windows, Chrome, or Android? Or will the member decide to spring for an iPad (IOS)?
Whether 75+ years matters, corrected vision and dexterity for scrolling are as or more important than just screen size. An 8" might be fine, or they might be more like me.
Making a short list from reviews and auditioning them in a shop with the user, assuming it is possible in their area is the best thing to do.
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If it is purely to read “papers” and maybe kindle style books, a 10" Pendo, the occasional 10" ALDI special or similar low spec cheaper 10" tablet is the way to go in my opinion. They sell around the $100 mark and they last around a couple of years before an upgrade is considered, but not necessarily needed.
Lock the screen orientation so it doesn’t change (normally best with widest width horizontal) and up the font size a bit so a page fits width wise and they just need to scroll up and down to read the page and sideways for a page change.
8" can be satisfactory if done this way as well but the Pendos and similar tend to be much more wide than others when in the orientation I recommended above. Samsung and others tend to be almost square and so not as capable in this orientation to the larger font for reading size.
These cheap models tend to be slow startups, low RAM, small storage but if the need is not taxing then maybe a good answer. Eyesight issues are the final determinate of what screen size is best, but much larger tablets become very expensive and then a cheap 13"-15" laptop begins to hold more appeal as it can then often be linked to a TV/monitor as well to really enlarge the view as eyesight deteriorates.
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I’m thinking of an iPad because Mum already has an iPhone though really only uses it for calls and text messages. The ‘free’ tablet of which I speak is what newspapers are spruiking to encourage digital subscribers now that they’ve abruptly ceased local papers.
I’m wondering if an iPad Air (10.5”) is big enough or should I go to a Pro which is about 12” I think.
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An iPad is a lot of money to spend on just reading messages, Newspapers, and perhaps EBooks. If you have a spare one or your mother really likes one then sure go for it…they tend to be more squarish so doing the locking orientation step is not going to be much more beneficial whichever way the screen is fixed in it’s rotation.
The following are not recommendations of either the goods or the retailers and are provided to show examples of the type. I have no business affiliation with any of the businesses other than the occassional purchase when the prices are right on the goods I wish to obtain.
As an example of the cheaper tablets see this Lenovo from Officeworks (LINK)
Or this one from Harvey Norman (LINK)
I am sure there are others around from JB HiFi or similar stores.
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Older Australians 75+ years of age.
It might pay to do a technology adoption trial before making any commitments. My observations only, older Australians have lived in technology isolation with zero first hand experience of smart devices. Most handle a TV remote which has buttons because you only need to learn what some do. IE to change channels, the volume and on/off.
I’m not suggesting you do not give it a go. It may be a long process requiring kindness, repetition, and infinite patience. Your mileage will vary.
Aside from the obvious issues of eyesight and hearing needs, the physical dexterity of the fingers to tap, double tap, tap and drag etc is a learnt skill. I’m not sure at what level of arthritis or other conditions the ability to drive a tablet becomes too challenging. As suggested by others a cheap laptop and mouse might be a good alternative to a tablet for some.
Which device?
It might help to ask the question, which problem am I trying to solve?
For an avid reader a Kindle might be all that is needed. I know several who are happy with just that.
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I found the 12.9” of the pro just a bit too big for me. It was not the 13” that was the problem, though, it was the aspect ratio. I have a 13” laptop which is fine at (I think) 16:9, but the iPads, although not 4:3, are still a bit wrong. I sold mine in the end and bought an Air3 at 10.5” which is (for me) a perfect compromise.
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With some exceptions… at 70, I have been using tech since 1984 because I just love it. I’ve had an iPhone of one kind or another since the first 2007 2G model which was never sold in Australia and for which multiple hoops had to be jumped through to make it useable (4 hours back then, on average, to jailbreak for local use), and I have been using iPad since the first version also. I still have my original iphone but of course it can no longer be used as a phone here. Prior to all that, I had a WindowsCE PDA which was used for reading ebooks (I used to work nights and taking a load of books was a PITA)
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Hi Sue, I was relating experiences with those in that 75+ age group. IE My parents, and near relatives of that generation. Observations and no criticism intended, most retired or eased back in life 10-20years ago. There are always exceptions.
Typically in 2000 a mobile phone was a pretty dumb Nokia you could play snake on. TV’s still had a CRT and dumb IR remote while few households had a mobile or PC. That’s only 20 years ago. The Apple 3GS was released in 2009. It was not the first smart phone, but is a great landmark, just 11 years back.
70 is not old. If it is, I would be considering finding a younger partner? 
As for devices, I doubt one size fits all. My partner uses an iPad Mini, but opted for a plus size mobile. My choice is the opposite with a larger 10.2” iPad and pocket sized smart phone. For me the bigger and clearer (higher pixel density) the screen one can carry or handle the better.
It might be wise to stay in the one universe. IE Apple tablet or Mac and mobile, alternately Android tablet/Chromebook and mobile. There is nothing wrong with a PC or MS Surface if that is what the user already knows.
Budget wise the Android universe likely wins. It is also the choice of many in the extended family. For the empty nesters still employed the drift to the Apple-verse has been our observed trend. In either example it has been portability and function driving the choice. For anyone less mobile a desktop and big screen might be better value. That assumes one is happy to sit in a chair at a desk and stare at a screen to read the paper. Those who have the option of sitting at a screen or sitting anywhere with a tablet, seem to prefer the latter.
P.S.
Our generation are more tech aware. I’ve sufficient experience of those in the 60-70 age group to relate smart devices remain a challenge for many. I’ll suggest those who have the greater experience with technology include the users of this community. There are always exceptions as @SueW notes. I do know one 90yo who does use a PC still, and another approaching 80 who uses a smart phone as well as any 18yo. Mental agility as we age is a different discussion. We are still looking for an iPod for the older generation. The UK designed Koto is good, but simplified for a special need. The very early versions digital MP3 players (cigarette pack sized) had minimal large button controls, minimum need to use displays and short battery life.
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Being too big can also be an issue for over 75+ as well. Bigger tablets can be more awkward to carry and handle, and if one has arthritis or poor hand/finger movement, it may prove to be harder to manage. They also usually need to be used in a supported way either on the lap or on a table, where smaller tablets can be often used in the hand…one holding and one touching the screen.
Something else is to buy a case for the acquired device. These are inexpensive to the cost of a tablet but protect them from the odd knock, bump or being dropped from small heights.
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Maybe 2 or 3 cases. While less important for the most popular products, from experience cases for some models can go off market as the tablets and phones become old technology. Although the tablets and phones may still have long and useful lives, cases wear, especially hinges that fail, most cases cannot be repaired in any case, and often cannot be easily replaced into the future.
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I don’t have any grip or dexterity problems (yet) but went for an 8" tablet that has a very nice hi-res screen. I can adjust the text size and brightness to be able to read without strain under many conditions. I read in bed quite a lot and find it is light enough so that I can hold it in the fingers of one hand for a long time without fatigue. Also it is small enough to easily fit into a pocket on luggage or even an outside pocket on a coat. Sure a 10.5" would have allowed more words on the screen or bigger images but it would not have been so easy to handle or store.
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Interesting thread, I’m looking for a productive laptop that I could use for different tasks including photo editing and video editing. This is good to thread to check on cheap but reliable and dynamic laptops to buy.
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As a business or as a serious hobby or as a normal user who wants to tinker but not get too serious?
Each of these choices leads to different speccing of possibilities.
Most people asking here are looking at a bang for buck laptop with decent reliability, if you are a image editing business this changes the cost you would need to pay for a laptop (if in fact that would really be suitable) to suit those needs and also changes dramatically the recommendations of specifications you would receive as it also would for the serious hobby user. If a tinkerer then many of the best value ones would likely fit the bill for your needs.
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As @grahroll suggested it depends on how intense and frequent the task.
As a general guide photo editing where colour, contrast, sharpness, brightness etc are important requires a quality screen. For every day snaps, resizing and minor adjustments it may not be so critical. My iPad does just fine for those. One option with a cheaper laptop is to use an external screen that has good assessments of it’s colour accuracy.
For video editing the more cores, threads and faster the processor the the better. Again it depends on knowing what your goals are. I’ve edited full HD 1080p video, taken on a home digital video camera. At one end on a desktop with a dual core 3gHz processor with midrange graphics card to help. At the other with a quad core 8 thread CPU plus graphics card. Applying the edits to 60 mins of video to produce 20-30 finished product. One option provided sufficient time to prepare a Sunday roast, the other time to make coffees and enjoy morning tea. There are mid range $1,000+ laptops that might be adequate for home videos, but in general the screens are all compromises.
My comments are not intended as solutions or recommendations. They are just observations from editing photos and videos at home. Editing digital snaps and mobile phone video for digital sharing can be done on most devices. It’s simply a matter of time. Some Pros have delivered shorts or whole productions using just iPhones for filming.
I’d simply value a better screen over a faster laptop, and try to avoid any laptop with a poor screen, (or use an external screen if colour, etc are important). I’ve used 4 laptops over the previous 20 years. All from the higher end of the market. Only one had a screen that provided after tweaking suitable results.
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Updated advice on the most reliable laptop brands (member content):
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Three brands not reviewed? (apologies if I missed the explanation …)
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I suggest that a part of the score is missing. It appears that 86% of Apple owners who needed service were happy - putting Apple in the lead. What the table does not say is that in total numbers 206 of 819 (25% of) Apple owners required service - compared to the overall average of just 19% of owners needing their laptop to be serviced.
Am I missing something in how the numbers were compiled, or is Apple the most trouble-prone laptop?
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@draughtrider, apologies I couldn’t find this reference. I can follow up, let me know which ones are missing.
Interesting point @postulative. The higher percentage could be indicative of the need to visit an Apple service centre when an issue occurs, the scoring also factors in when problems occur over a five year period.
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