Are you quick for that 3 a.m. phone call ?
No , not the call from JSOC hoping to get approval to chopper in DEVGRU to take out a grade 1 sherlock ( what that means even we do n’t sleep with ) . What we ’re talking about is that 3 a.m. call from your sobbing parent , sibling , or acquaintanceship desperately asking for your help with a computer .
It . Gets . Old .
permit ’s admit it , for those figurer - phobes , a personal computer with a fully featured and robust operating system is n’t right for either them or you . As fantastic as a PC with a real operating system is , there ’s maintenance to be done , patches and drivers to be installed , and enough dials , knobs , and gauges that a computer - phobic cyberklutz can really bork thing up faster than you may say right - click .
But in a human beings where not have access code to e-mail , Facebook , and the Internet puts you as far off the control grid as the Unabomber , is there a way of life for these family line to have an gentle , bother - liberal computing lifestyle ?
To find out , we look at three car - the Telikin Touch , the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook , and Apple ’s iPad 2 - that just might be changeling - substantiation enough to keep even a arrant data processor - dufus from chicane things up .
Telikin Touch
The Telikin is billed as “ quite possibly the cosmos ’s easiest information processing system . ” And we can see why . in the beginning aimed at non - tech - savvy elderly common people who need a calculation experience without have to dial - a - nerd every daytime , the Telikin offers a custom - design operating system to do just a few thing , but do them well .
The Telikin Touch itself is an off - the - shelf , 18 - inch MSI all - in - one with a dual - core Atom , a 320 GB hard crusade , 2 GB of RAM , and Wi - Fi . The Telikin ’s performance is n’t horribly boring , but it ’s certainly not as responsive as the other two equipment we ’re review here and can lag on occasion . The Telikin ’s main selling period is its ease of usage and aged - friendliness . The unit comes with a USB keyboard sporting very big letters , and there is an alternative for a keyboard with even orotund varsity letter . The OS itself is a stochastic variable of Linux that ’s been pull off to display big , well-disposed clitoris on one side for e-mail , browsing , and game .
The buttons are large enough that the CRT screen ’s soupcon capacity works amazingly well . The touch covert does n’t support flick - based scrolling , but the boastful buttons and a UI that ’s never hidden ensure that the newb ca n’t get lost .
The Telikin supports Skype , Facebook , and POP- and IMAP - based email systems . We did hit a snag here : We let the Telikin configure our Hotmail account , but it biffed on the extroverted mail port . We make up it easily , but this would leave a computer - newb stumped for months . The iPad 2 got this right , while the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook did n’t have aboriginal guest funding for Hotmail .
Another big fail for the Telikin come soon after our first thrill : a LibreOffice fatal error and occasional hard lock . The error notification itself is enough to send a estimator - phobe cowering in a W.C. , but the intemperate locks ? Inexcusable . We thought it was all over for the Telikin but a call to the company resulted in a tech logging into the machine remotely and applying a quick patch . From that point on , the alert message and lockups went away . We almost wondered if the caller planned this as a way to showcase its tech support - but no , that ’s too Machiavellian even for us . The machine come in with loose 60 - sidereal day VIP support , whereby you do n’t have to look in the waiting line to have issues fixed . After the 60 - day period is up , you could still get gratis support and a tech will still remote in , but you have to wait longer on the phone . There ’s also the ability to back up your data remotely to Telikin ’s servers for $ 10 a month , and that admit the dignitary backup discourse .
Maintenance of the unit should be clean painless , as updates are pushed out by Telikin as necessitate , and the company promises to offer up updates for the life of the building block .
In ease - of - use of goods and services , the Telikin is extremely elementary - perhaps easier than the iPad for some . In our attachment test , we could spread out PDF and Word files without issue , but Zip file confuse it .
The Telikin ’s chief weakness is in play . There are a handful of secret plan that come establish with the OS , but the rest will have to be Flash - based . That ’s not bad for a casual gamer , but the optimized iPad 2 games are far stronger . The automobile has its strengths , though . The 18 - inch screen is certainly wanton for folks with vision issues , and the real keyboard is prize .
In video ingestion , we could watch Flash - base videos on Vimeo and YouTube , but lamentably , the Telikin failed on both Netflix and Hulu .
We ’re still a bit suspicious about the initial error and locks , but candidly , this is n’t a bad solution for a senior who wants a big screenland , full keyboard , and does n’t listen something that ’s not as milled or extensile as the iPad 2 .
$ 700,www.telikin.com
Samsung Series 5 Chromebook
Of all the devices here , mass likely have the most difficulty understanding the Samsung Series 5 Chromebook . Running Google ’s Chrome OS , the Series 5 look like a netbook , but it ’s not . The hush-hush sauce is Google ’s Chrome OS . build around a very lightweight Linux heart and soul , Chrome OS is just enough OS to blab out to the hardware , run a web browser , and that ’s it . There ’s no desktop and no ikon to be tapped or dragged - it ’s all browser app , all the time .
Frankly , that ’s what we thought made the Chromebook the gross computer - phobe tool . He or she ca n’t get misplace in some menu or goof up a place setting because there are very few options to pick off , and you ca n’t exit from the internet browser . Even though Intel ’s secondary dual - core Atom powers the Series 5 , the Chromebook has a reactive tone to it and will boot in four seconds - on the rare occasions that it even powers down . Most of the clock time it ’ll be in instant - on mode , which work wonderfully .
With its nice , spacious keyboard ( which lacks a Caps Lock paint , apparently to prevent SHOUTING on the Internet ) , the Series 5 is a truly unique piece of mobile hardware for someone with basic needs . But will this nerdware work for a non - nerd ? Yes and no .
One rap against it : It ’s really optimized for know the Google lifestyle of Gmail , Google Calendar , and Google Docs . Yeah , it ’ll work for Yahoo or Hotmail , and anything else that runs in a web browser , but it ’s got an obvious chemical attraction for all thing G. The nature of Chrome O makes it almost entirely reliant upon Internet access and cloud storage - just a smattering of apps work offline . That cuts both ways . If the Series 5 eats a cup of coffee , no data is lost . Buy another one and you ’re up and running in 60 minute . Without Internet , though , you ’re SOL ( a 3 G model sell for $ 100 more , plus the price of a datum plan ) .
Since it ’s really nothing but a internet browser , it ’s not surprising that the Series 5 offers fantabulous browsing and webmail support . We were able-bodied to watch telecasting on Netflix , YouTube , and Hulu without hitches , but not on Vimeo . Video chat is limited to Google Talk , so Skype devotee need not apply .
Casual gaming on the Series 5 is actually pretty adept . It ’s sure as shooting better than on the Telikin , which is limit to a few built - in game , as well as Flash- and Java - based games . Google has been pushing more Chrome - based game , and it shows with such winners as Angry Birds . Still , the selection pales in comparability to the iPad 2 ’s productive experience .
Media handling on the Chromebook is dissatisfactory . Chrome OS can now read an SD circuit card in the Chromebook ’s slot , but we could only upload the Indian file to Picasa . People have figured out ways to creatively move files to the SSD , but that definitely ai n’t an undertaking for newbs .
We did a simple attachment test to see how well the Series 5 could handle a Word , Zip , and PDF file attachment in a ring armor file when see from , say , Hotmail and not Gmail . The Series 5 handled the PDF just okay as an attachment download , but the Zip and Word file shed it for a grommet . To start the Word file , you ’d take to upload it to Google Docs - not exactly newb - friendly .
We do n’t discount the Series 5 ’s usefulness , though . It ’s maintenance liberal , with updates pushed out mechanically by Google , but the Series 5 is probably become for slightly more advance computer - phobes , if not unlimited nerds .
$ 400,www.samsung.com
Apple iPad 2
The shining symbolisation of the “ post‑PC ” era is the tablet , and its most spectacular spokesperson is Apple ’s iconic iPad 2 . That ’s one of the reasons we picked the iPad 2 as the pad of paper to test in this face-off over more feature - rich , but also more complicated Android pill . We had high expectations that the iPad 2 would work our calculator - phobe problem . Part of that comes from a user port so easy even a Mac user can do by it .
Right out of the gate we slay a rub : setup and sustentation . You do n’t just begin using your iPad 2 , you must colligate it to a PC with iTunes run . What if you do n’t have a microcomputer or Mac ? You ’re SOL .
Far big is the iPad 2 ’s need to continually run home to mommy . Updates , for example , can only be apply through iTunes , and for us that was problematic . We finally give up render to download a 647 MB fleck , leave the iPad open to a very serious security credential hack . Sigh . fortuitously , Apple is hoping to fix the iPad ’s reliance on another figurer for future update , but at press clock time , no such fix was uncommitted .
As is , though , the iPad 2 ’s polish makes it a serious contender for data processor - phobes . It ’s easy to specify up for email , the web web browser is fair hefty , and the extensibility through apps for just about anything you desire to do make it the most feature - fat equipment in this roundup . Out of the box , for example , you ca n’t open Zip file or do video Skype , but a few gratuitous apps after , and your problems are solved . The killer whale feature of the iPad 2 is in gaming , though . A reckoner - phobe may check email or graze a bit , but the games are likely to suck them in . With its vast lotion bazaar , the iPad 2 is one of the strongest casual gaming platforms available today .
So what does n’t work for a computer - phobe ? While it ’s a good medium use of goods and services twist , you ca n’t copy photos to it without either using a computer or paying for a particular adaptor . The lack of a real keyboard is also go to dissuade those who want an email machine more than a pasture or gaming machine . A Bluetooth keyboard can be added , but that increases the cost .
And for the calculator - phobe who wants to use a twist for long stretching of time , the iPad 2 can be a bit punishing to hold in and the 9.7 - inch screen a bit small - although the font size scales up nicely for those with visual sensation issues . The screen ’s relatively low 1024×768 resolution also offended our eminent - technical school tastes but a computer - phobe is unlikely ever to mark . Plus , the iPad 2 has the advantage of being more agnostic when it comes to World Wide Web armed service , unlike the Samsung Series 5 .
Yes , there ’s a stack of win for the iPad 2 here . From its first-rate app fair , to its offline capacity and its overly simplistic user interface , the iPad is distinctly the lead gimmick for a computer - phobe - if Apple could , um , really not require you to own a PC to use this , um , post - PC equipment .
$ 500,www.apple.com
The Easy Answer
Let ’s be straight , there is n’t a gadget here that we did n’t find wanting in some mental ability or another . From the Samsung Series 5 ’s mediocre manipulation of medium , to the iPad 2 ’s requirement that you habituate another computer just to turn it on , to the Telikin ’s out - of - the - box seat erroneous belief message , not one of these machines is the perfect solution for the computer - phobe in your life . Let ’s face it , if completely trouble - free computing existed , there would be no reckoner - phobes .
Still , these gadget do get closer to trouble - complimentary computing than a full - fledge PC , each in its own way . The Telikin Touch seems thoroughgoing for the hearing it was in the first place create for : computer - newb seniors who want a shiner and keyboard and access to a technical school who can fix any event remotely . The Samsung Series 5 is degraded , responsive , and likely impossible to break , and it ’s a undecomposed compromise for the phobe who want a keyboard , mobility , and zero maintenance . The iPad 2 , for its part , offers portability and the offline functionality that the Series 5 ca n’t , and its gambling and extensile app backup is brilliant .
So can we declare a winner ? Honestly , we think we can . Keep in thinker that each solution has serious faults , but we think the all - around computer - phobe is best served by the iPad 2 . We make that decision based on its agnostic entanglement services support , its copious gaming , and its power to take on a computer - phobe ’s evolving needs - because let ’s face it , the more prosperous a individual gets with computing , the more they tend to want to do . For example , on the iPad 2 you’re able to edit photos and video recording topically ; not so on either the Telikin Touch or Series 5 . And permit ’s not forget the generous functionality offered through apps . The iPad 2 ’s extensibility ( with the assistant of an optional Bluetooth keyboard , of course ) gives it a leg up over both the Series 5 and the Telikin . The only big fail for the iPad 2 where computing gadget - phobes are concerned is that they may have to come to your house to update their devices on your microcomputer once every few calendar month . Still , that ’s a hell of a mass beneficial than regular 3 a.m. sound Call .
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