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So it's happened; mom's venerable Dell has bit the dust and I'm being called on to find her a new laptop. Everything I've seen here and elsewhere says Windows 10 is a privacy nightmare and we're trusting Microsoft's forced automatic updates to not break the computer. Dell is still offering computers with Win 7 and 8.1, but Microsoft is pushing the OS upgrade hard and heavy. I'd love for her to let me set her up with Linux but she's devoted to Google Picasa (Google not porting their apps is another rant) and I'm not sure how often she's going to be calling me with some Windows only program she needs. And then there's Apple, which makes my fingers itch to type, but it's looking better and better. So, what is the collective wisdom of the Soylentils*?
- Is windows 10 really not that bad and just roll with it.
- Is Linux finally ready for Grandma?
- Stick with 8.1 and turn off all the updates?
- Shell out the cash for a Macbook?
*Irony duly noted.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 03 2015, @12:08PM
Just wait for Black Friday and get her a nice new Windows 10 PC/laptop or maybe something from Apple. She's your grandmother and this may be her last computer, get her something nice and tell her how much you lover her. Privacy? The companies/governments/whoever know all about her already, unless she's been off the grid her entire life. Normally I would completely agree with avoiding Microsoft and Apple but this isn't the time for a principled stand. Linux is great and I use it for everything but if it were me and my grandma was still around, I would get her something familiar. Then I'd carefully wrap it in the nicest wrapping paper and video her beautiful smile as she tore into it! I'd also throw in all the accessories because she's grandma! :-)
(Score: 4, Insightful) by inertnet on Tuesday November 03 2015, @12:27PM
I agree that Windows would be the easiest choice in this case. But a factor to consider would be that an older Windows user is more likely to become a victim of scammers. So for me it would depend on how "scammer aware" grandma is.
(Score: 2) by iamjacksusername on Tuesday November 03 2015, @02:10PM
Best advice here
(Score: 3, Informative) by Nerdfest on Tuesday November 03 2015, @03:03PM
Giving money to Microsoft or Apple is just encouraging their various abuses. My girlfriend runs Linux, and has for about 6 years now. My mother and her current partner have run Linux for about 4 years. The only call I've got was after mom got a new machine I got a call from her partner because he couldn't remember the password on her old machine. Ubuntu LTS with Gnome Shell, for those that are interested. They love it. I'm a KDE user myself, but Gnome Shell seems to be fast, easy to use, and has nice widgets for weather, calendar, etc on the task bar. Saying Windows or Apple is easier to use is subjective at best and in many cases quite wrong in my opinion. Seriously, have your family member give it a try.
(Score: 2) by turgid on Tuesday November 03 2015, @04:01PM
Grandma's time is very valuable. She hasn't any to waste waiting for and fighting against Windows whether that's its broken user interface, broken design, designed-in restrictions, broken security or broken updates and update mechanism.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday November 03 2015, @08:28PM
Grandma is in the Windows Insider program?
(Score: 4, Funny) by Grishnakh on Wednesday November 04 2015, @12:30AM
WTF? This is cruel and inhuman advice. "Get her a nice Windows 10 PC/laptop"? "tell her how much you love her"?
Giving someone a stinky turd straight from your ass while telling them you love them is generally considered horribly rude, disgusting, and disrespectful behavior. You would make someone an enemy for life by doing this to them. Giving them a Windows 10 PC is no different from this. Grandma is going to take one look at that piece-of-shit Metro UI and throw the thing at you, and curse you for it.
(Score: 2) by Anal Pumpernickel on Wednesday November 04 2015, @04:42AM
Just wait for Black Friday and get her a nice new Windows 10 PC/laptop or maybe something from Apple. She's your grandmother and this may be her last computer, get her something nice and tell her how much you lover her.
You're not doing anything nice for her by buying her abusive non-free proprietary user-subjugating software; in fact, you're doing her an injustice. In addition, you're giving money to the scumbag companies who produce said abusive software, which is unacceptable.
Privacy? The companies/governments/whoever know all about her already, unless she's been off the grid her entire life.
"The privacy situation is bad, so let's just give up all hope and hand over everything on a silver platter!" Nice defeatist attitude, but the situation will never improve if you simply give up. What you're saying is false anyway, since even companies and governments are not all-knowing. You're greatly exaggerating.
Normally I would completely agree with avoiding Microsoft and Apple but this isn't the time for a principled stand.
It's always a good time for a principled stand. By buying proprietary software, you are endorsing it.
(Score: 2) by Appalbarry on Wednesday November 04 2015, @07:26AM
Exactly what I was going to say. Best use for her likely is a new machine running current Windows, with auto updates enabled.
It may not be what any of us would want, but it's likely what she needs.