Advice on Pi 500

[Rider007]

I don't have much experince here. I want to give my 79 ry old dad some sort of tech to read emails, watch youtube, print out letters(yes he does still post things to relatives) . Rasb Pi 500 looks good , basic machine, built in keyboard, just add mouse job done, Can you use printers on Pi OS ? . Or just get some cheap heavy old laptop ?

[nyt]

A Pi 500 can do all of those things, but it lacks storage and isn't especially fast.
If you're not familiar with Linux then you might have issues adding printers.


You might consider one of the mini PCs that seem to be popular at the moment

Something like: https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/gmktec-g2-mini-pc... but there are many similar PCs

hth

[Zad]

How about a Chromebook? "Lighter" in terms of OS, but I think will do all the things you mentioned. You can get refurbished laptops that are considerably more capable for the same money, but I guess he doesn't want all that.

[Rider007]

nyt said:

A Pi 500 can do all of those things, but it lacks storage and isn't especially fast.
If you're not familiar with Linux then you might have issues adding printers.


You might consider one of the mini PCs that seem to be popular at the moment

Something like: https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/gmktec-g2-mini-pc... but there are many similar PCs

hth

Thanks for those replies, seems like the cheap Mini PC are the best value for money option. Hopefully they wion't burn the house down in the future. Fire extinguisher to be kept close by.

[FlossyThePig]

Rider007 said:

nyt said:

A Pi 500 can do all of those things, but it lacks storage and isn't especially fast.
If you're not familiar with Linux then you might have issues adding printers.


You might consider one of the mini PCs that seem to be popular at the moment

Something like: https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/gmktec-g2-mini-pc... but there are many similar PCs

hth

Thanks for those replies, seems like the cheap Mini PC are the best value for money option. Hopefully they wion't burn the house down in the future. Fire extinguisher to be kept close by.

What does your dad do at the moment?

I'm only a 71 year old and my thought is: Are you trying to solve a non-existent problem with something you would like to tinker with?

[Mr Penguin]

nyt said:

A Pi 500 can do all of those things, but it lacks storage and isn't especially fast.
If you're not familiar with Linux then you might have issues adding printers.

Shouldn't be that hard with the right DE or having someone help, which is the main downside of moving older and non-techy people onto Linux: they are probably used to Windows, so you need to find a DE that feels like Windows and doesn't have other downsides like speed.

[Bullett]

you can do all that with a tablet.
ipad or chrome, matters not. It's what my 80yo mum uses.

[Paul Drawmer]

Bullett said:

you can do all that with a tablet.
ipad or chrome, matters not. It's what my 80yo mum uses.

Yes but....
Please check with the user if they would be happy to lose a proper keyboard. (Geriatric user here)

[gangzoom]

Paul Drawmer said:

Yes but....
Please check with the user if they would be happy to lose a proper keyboard. (Geriatric user here)

All tablets will connect to a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. You can even have wired ones on a dock, and connect vis USBC, which is how I sometimes use my iPad (screen sharing via USBC dock on the iPad is inconsistent though).

[Pistom]

Isn't the best solution for this user case the most user friendly one?

A Windows or Linux laptop is all in one, portable and hassle free.

If you're trying to keep costs down, just go for one of the countless used machines on eBay. Many ex company ones with negligible if any signs of use.

I recently picked up a Dell Inspiron which still had it's protective plastic on. Looked like it had been in a cupboard for 3 years. £100.

[biggiles]

I really don't think a Pi is the obvious answer here.

An iPad probably is.

[Rider007]

Thanks for the recommendations. He uses a scanner also to scan in old photos and stuff so I think a Mini PC is going to be the best solution with compatibility and drivers as well access to free office apps like LibreOffice.

[jimmyjimjim]

A full copy of ms office from any of the cd keys sites is only 20 quid. Bear that in mind. Might be easier than getting him used to something else (assuming he's used to office).

[Paulsd]

iPad all the way for this.

[Pistom]

A few comments saying iPad here but not sure why anyone would choose a device like that for this user case.

Great as the iPad is, needing a keyboard as an extra device surely makes it unnecessarily clunky. Typing on a screen is never fun.

[Crafty_]

Pistom said:

A few comments saying iPad here but not sure why anyone would choose a device like that for this user case.

Great as the iPad is, needing a keyboard as an extra device surely makes it unnecessarily clunky. Typing on a screen is never fun.

Who said anything about typing on a screen ?

many keyboard available for ipads, some even integrate into a case


OP's requirement for attaching scanner hardware would need investigating though.
Certainly I wouldn't be suggesting linux for this use case.