Linux for my 80 year old father?

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oxygenfarm
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by oxygenfarm »

What is all this crap about age? I am 85 and enjoy using Mint 18.3 for much more than just killing time on Solitaire.
Petermint
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by Petermint »

32GB tablets and notebooks use eMMC storage which is the silicon from a 32 GB SD card soldered direct onto the motherboard. No way to change it. For modern 4K video, 32GB is barely enough to film your first grandkid on their first bicycle.
DAMIEN1307

Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by DAMIEN1307 »

loud claps and applause for oxygenfarm...about 8 months ago i installed linux mint on a 83 yr old mans computer...today after church, he took me aside and said..."robb, dont know why i didnt listen to you a long time ago"...after 8 months of running linux mint, he reports its so easy for him to use and he is so happy not to be dealing with windows OS's any longer...he is still having no problems and is a very happy camper...age is NOT a roadblock at all...and for you oxygen, as well as for my friend at church...an inquisitive active mindset is what is keeping you young and active...keep up the good work...ps...you are just old enough to be my father...lol...im turning 63 and intend to be "forever young" at least in attitude...DAMIEN
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MurphCID
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by MurphCID »

My dad is anti-technology, he still uses a basic flip phone, and wishes that he was still using Windows XP. He LIKES Solitare and his card games on the computer. He even will be daring and send an email!
oxygenfarm wrote:What is all this crap about age? I am 85 and enjoy using Mint 18.3 for much more than just killing time on Solitaire.
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by Petermint »

My oldest IT student was 96 and was moving into digital imaging.
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Portreve
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by Portreve »

oxygenfarm wrote:What is all this crap about age? I am 85 and enjoy using Mint 18.3 for much more than just killing time on Solitaire.
*high-fives oxygenfarm*

I salute you. There's no need for you to put up with any crap from us young whippersnappers. :wink:
Flying this flag in support of freedom 🇺🇦

Recommended keyboard layout: English (intl., with AltGR dead keys)

Podcasts: Linux Unplugged, Destination Linux

Also check out Thor Hartmannsson's Linux Tips YouTube Channel
DAMIEN1307

Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by DAMIEN1307 »

hi portreve...im glad to see you are a rebel as well...just because we are all getting older does not stop those of us who are made of strong stuff...lol...DAMIEN
DAMIEN1307

Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by DAMIEN1307 »

hi oxy...you PMed me via my email address...did you get my reply?...by the way...you are doing extremely well to figure out how to do this...again i applaud you...your 80 what!!!!???...lol...i think we could be fast friends...DAMIEN
Nate

Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by Nate »

I'd easily recommend my current portable device, cheap, sturdy and with a 360 degree hinge. Dell Inspiron 11 3000 series. Mine's the cheaper Core M3, 128gb SSD, 4gb of ram version and it will do everything short of playing games that need a beefy machine. Also didn't need me to install any additional drivers. Oh and has a convenient micro-sd card slot on the slide which I use to store all my music and a bunch of videos via a 256gb micro-sd card.

I got mine dirt cheap thanks to knowing people in the logistics industry, but I think these babies are only a few hundred brand new at the standard price anyway. Only downside is the screen is a bit small (which does wonders for the portability) at roughly 11 or 12 inches so if his eye sight is suffering enough, even magnification might not save this one for him.
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MurphCID
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by MurphCID »

Yeah he needs a 15" device with 1366x768 resolution, and I have to increase the font size for him. At 1080 monitor would be just too small for him to use comfortably.
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MurphCID
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by MurphCID »

Well a little update, he loves it, and keeps telling me how nice "Windows" is since I "fixed" the problems with his laptop. I told him it was Linux, but he is determined that it is just a better version of Windows XP. Even my step-mother likes it, although she complains that the laptop is too heavy and that my dad now just sits in his easy chair watching golf on TV while watching golf on Youtube.
oxygenfarm
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by oxygenfarm »

I appreciate the nice comments from Damien and others....as I prepare to fire up a recently acquired HP 8530p (a very impressive business laptop) on which I installed Mate 18.3 hoping that '19' runs even better on it.
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MurphCID
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by MurphCID »

A little late update, and rather than start a new thread, I recycled this one. My dad called me and told me that his laptop was not charging, so I drove over and looked at his system (he lives outside of Houston). Well his laptop was ancient and I suspect the battery was shot after five years. So I got him to go with me to Best Buy and look at new laptops. He threw a fit, he did not want Windows 10, he wanted XP; " Just like I had set up for him". So I convinced him to get a new HP laptop. I got him to get a 15" Envy with a decent drive on board and a good screen. I checked and it had an intel wifi card so I knew it would take Mint with no issues. I told him that I would install "XP" back onto his system just like he wanted it. So I got him home, and after some misadventures in BIOS, and others, I was able to get his system up and running in about an hour. So he was really happy that he now had "XP" back instead of Windows 10. So he is happy, and I did not tell him that it was Mint.
Petermint
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by Petermint »

Mint condition XP :D
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MurphCID
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by MurphCID »

He is convinced that his Mint installation is Windows XP. And I AM NOT GOING TO TELL HIM OTHERWISE! My brother who lives closer (I live in San Antonio) is the main tech support, and since Dad has had Mint there have been almost no tech support calls to my brother (or me). I also put MInt on his Dell All-in-one and it works fine.
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Pierre
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by Pierre »

which version of 'windows XP' .. Ermm .. LinuxMint did you install :?:
- - on that New Machine.
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Please edit your original post title to include [SOLVED] - when your problem is solved!
and DO LOOK at those Unanswered Topics - - you may be able to answer some!.
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MurphCID
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by MurphCID »

Pierre wrote: Mon Feb 03, 2020 8:00 am which version of 'windows XP' .. Ermm .. LinuxMint did you install :?:
- - on that New Machine.
Cinnamon.
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MurphCID
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Re: Linux for my 84 year old father?

Post by MurphCID »

My brother called me and told me that Dad has damaged his "Windows XP" (Mint 20) laptop, and looks like he needs another one. He really loved the current one, but seems to need a bigger screen (he is 84). I am looking at some of the 17" HP laptops, or perhaps a 17" Dell. I will of course put his favorite "Windows XP" back on it. Both my brothers and I will chip in on the machine. We have a budget of no more than $1500 ($500 each). My brother in Houston will get the machine, and send it to me so I can set it up and then mail it back to him. Suggestions? He checks his mail, plays card games, and does some word processing. My brother got him a Microsoft 365 online account which seems to work fine for him, along with Turbo tax online. The laptop needs to be somewhat light, have a 1080 minimum screen, and at least 8 gb of ram.

Two possibilities:
https://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-envy-17 ... Id=6453114 I like this one it has an extra USB port.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/dell-inspi ... Id=6432549
DAMIEN1307

Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by DAMIEN1307 »

He is convinced that his Mint installation is Windows XP. And I AM NOT GOING TO TELL HIM OTHERWISE!
I will of course put his favorite "Windows XP" back on it.
"OH what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive"...[Sir Walter Scott]...lol...DAMIEN
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Re: Linux for my 80 year old father?

Post by pinballfan »

Petermint wrote: Sun Feb 04, 2018 5:15 pm 32GB tablets and notebooks use eMMC storage which is the silicon from a 32 GB SD card soldered direct onto the motherboard. No way to change it. For modern 4K video, 32GB is barely enough to film your first grandkid on their first bicycle.
I've seen new laptops on sale with that sort of permanent hd space. It's such a scam. I mean, I've using an old hard drive with 500gb of space. Sure it's slower than a solid state drive, but surely it's better than just 32gb eemc storage?

It's like new tech has taken a step backwards rather than forwards. Why do people pay for such garbage? They must be completely uninformed.
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