Mac Slocum
04-11-07, 03:20 PM
Tech for Seniors Must be Practical
A recent upgrade to his parents' home tech gave columnist John Caldwell a new perspective on A/V.
Much has been written about the need for consumer electronics manufacturers to embrace the burgeoning senior citizen market. This last week gave me a deeper appreciation for just how vexing today’s tech world can be to seventy-somethings.
My son Cameron’s spring break was last week. He wanted to get away for a few days and I needed a few days of R&R. Cam could hardly wait to see his cousins and other desert rat buds in and around Scottsdale, AZ. I was envisioning a few lazy days by the pool and even a round or two of golf. The desert in the spring is truly resplendent. While Cam executed his social game plan perfectly, I on the other hand wound up performing all manner of tech support upgrades for my parents and never did make it to the pool, much less the golf course.
http://www.electronichouse.com/images/uploads/seniors-dvr.jpg (http://www.electronichouse.com/article/tech_for_seniors_must_be_practical/C155/)
Let me back up a bit. My dad is a retired Navy carrier fighter pilot and aerospace engineer with a couple of graduate degrees. Pretty sharp guy technically you would think. But the very notion of upgrading his computer’s operating software or hooking up a DVD player to his HDTV completely stymies the guy.
When I arrived at my folk’s home in Scottsdale, dad had a short list of home technology “spring cleaning” issues waiting for me. Evidently things had been festering for quite some time.
To read the rest of John’s rant, check out
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/tech_for_seniors_must_be_practical/C155/
A recent upgrade to his parents' home tech gave columnist John Caldwell a new perspective on A/V.
Much has been written about the need for consumer electronics manufacturers to embrace the burgeoning senior citizen market. This last week gave me a deeper appreciation for just how vexing today’s tech world can be to seventy-somethings.
My son Cameron’s spring break was last week. He wanted to get away for a few days and I needed a few days of R&R. Cam could hardly wait to see his cousins and other desert rat buds in and around Scottsdale, AZ. I was envisioning a few lazy days by the pool and even a round or two of golf. The desert in the spring is truly resplendent. While Cam executed his social game plan perfectly, I on the other hand wound up performing all manner of tech support upgrades for my parents and never did make it to the pool, much less the golf course.
http://www.electronichouse.com/images/uploads/seniors-dvr.jpg (http://www.electronichouse.com/article/tech_for_seniors_must_be_practical/C155/)
Let me back up a bit. My dad is a retired Navy carrier fighter pilot and aerospace engineer with a couple of graduate degrees. Pretty sharp guy technically you would think. But the very notion of upgrading his computer’s operating software or hooking up a DVD player to his HDTV completely stymies the guy.
When I arrived at my folk’s home in Scottsdale, dad had a short list of home technology “spring cleaning” issues waiting for me. Evidently things had been festering for quite some time.
To read the rest of John’s rant, check out
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/tech_for_seniors_must_be_practical/C155/