First Computer/Tablet

[Guest]

Hi

 

So my gran has recently decided she wants to get on the internet, she has never ever had a full on computer and would be starting as a complete beginner so has asked me to help her pick and choose a setup, she said she wanted a tablet as they are smaller and easier than a full size desktop PC or laptop, with this in mind I recommended a Windows tablet as its quite a common and easy to understand system if your just using it for everyday tasks, despite wanting a tablet she also wants the ability to use a proper keyboard, which shoulden't be a problem with Windows tablets, I also suggested the idea of something that can run remote software meaning if she ever ran into any problems or the tablet needed a bit of care and attention I could log on to it and sort it out.

 

So the question is which tablet is most suitable for a beginner to the world of computers and internet, she has no idea what she's looking for so is pretty much relying on me to select the correct product, she just wants something easy to use, and of high enough specification to last a good few years.

 

I started by looking at the Surface 2 RT and the Dell XPS 10 both look like ok devices and have keyboard capabilities, but from what Ive heard there is a lot of confusion on RT tablets with regards to what apps work and what ones don't, so with this and some of the potential usage scenarios in mind I decided to look at the full on Windows 8/8 Pro tablets, and this is where it got confusing, the options Ive evaluated so far are as follows.

 

Dell Venue Pro 11

HP Envy X2

Samsung ATIV Smart PC

Microsoft Surface Pro 2

 

I have also had a quick look at the convertable ultrabooks to see if they provide any benefit over a tablet with a keyboard connected to it, found the Dell XPS 12 and the Lenovo Yoga ultrabooks to be quite interesting, but perhaps a bit too pricey.

 

In truth I am at a complete loss as to what to reccomend, the Surface Pro seams quite pricey, the Samsung and HP tablets seam down on spec compared to the Dell Venue Pro 11 which is looking like the best option at the moment.

 

Does anyone have any experiance with any of the above devices or could suggest an alternative suitable for a complete beginner?

[Bluethulhu]

Does she just browse the internet and check email? I got my mom a Nexus 7 + bluetooth keyboard for that and it works really well.

[cjeffcoatjr]

How is her eyesight (serious question)? What is her budget?

[Flyguygamer]

Have a look at asus.

 

*edit* This is the one I was thinking of. I got it for my gf for Christmas and she loves it. 

http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-T100TA-C1-GR-10-1-Inch-Detachable-Touchscreen/dp/B00FFJ0HUE

[Guest]

The budget would be around £1000 UK money, as for her eyesight I can completely understand the question, I don't think she would be comfortable with a smaller tablet so I was looking at anything 10" and above.

 

Like I said she's never done anything like this before and intends for the time being to get something for browsing the internet, storing and viewing photos from her digital camera, and word processing, I figured it might be better to get something that has a certain degree of expanability should she want to do more though.

 

With regards to the photos, a fair bit of storage space, or SD card expandability would be a good idea too.

[Guest]

Considering she'd be a total beginner, an iPad would probably be the best option. It's more intuitive than Windows.