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Buying an iPad for older parents. Need advice please.

B

bartonjm

macrumors member
Original poster
Apr 22, 2012
90
1
Upstate NY
Hello folks,
I'm purchasing an iPad for my parents. They're not very tech savvy but would like to have something to use email, FaceTime, and view pictures from our family photos we share. Would a refurb Air be good enough for them, or should I consider new or Air2? I have an Air 2, but I'm not sure they'll benefit from the extra cost. At $339 refurb or $379 new, the original air seems to be a good deal. Your thoughts or advice? Thanks for looking.
 
My 95 year-old Mom was able to use an older Air passed on from a grandson. She didn't do much on it other than look at stored pictures, browse the Web some, and take a stab at email - very light usage as one would expect and the Air was more than adequate for that kind of use. I don't see an advantage for getting an Air 2 for similar use - it would be overkill and underused.
 
Thanks for the advice. I was kind of leaning that way already. I just always get caught up in the quest for new technology.
 
I agree with your thoughts about going refurbished. Refurbs are a great deal, full warranty, and the option to buy AppleCare if that's your thing. Save the money for a bluetooth speaker/keyboard/spare charger or something else.

Parents will surprise you. You may think they'll only to e-mail, facetime, and pictures. It's just a matter of time until they find something in the app store that will catch their fancy.

We tend to get caught up in incremental improvements. The iPad Air 2 is an impressive piece of kit. About the only thing I'm left wanting for is stereo speakers for landscape viewing.

The only time I wouldn't recommend a refurb is if you're a power user intending on buying a computer and holding onto it for a long time. In this case, you would want to ideally time it with the Product cycle to get the newest technology possible (and refurbs start appearing around 6 months into the Product cycle.) It can be a mug's game. i spent over 18 months waiting for a Mac Pro back in the day that never got released. The amount of time/benefit I would have gained by buying the latest on offer would have been a better decision than waiting!

A hidden gem of the iPad is how little time you'll spend "supporting" them with your parents.
 
I have to agree with AGC12, the Air 2 will be the better value in the long run even though you'll have to spend a bit more cash up front. While it doesn't sound like your parents plan to be "power users," the extra RAM alone in the Air 2 means it will be getting software updates (and by extension security patches) long after the Air 1 has been declared end of life. I look at it like the difference between the original iPad and the iPad 2. The 2 is still getting updates today, over 4 years after it first went on sale. By contrast, the original iPad stopped getting updates after 2 years. The Air 1 is still getting updates today, but Apple has already started holding features back (like split view). That's usually a signal that Apple has already started depreciating the device and it hasn't even been on the market for 2 years yet. The bottom line is the Air 1 was always a bit underpowered, and that will become more and more apparent going forward.

Also, depending on your parents' eyesight, the laminated display and anti-glare coating of the Air 2 may be a big plus for them. I'm in my late 20's and I still really appreciate how much easier it is to read the display on the Air 2.

Get them the Air 2. It will be the better buy in the long run.
 
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bartonjm said:
Acg12 ...can I get AppleCare on that open box item do you know? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Apple says you have 60 days from purchase date to add Apple Care, but I'm not sure how that works with open-box. I'd say give them a call and see what they say.
 
Refurbished Air would be great for them. My super un-tech savvy aunt as well as my grandma (in her 80s; English not her first language) have been able to use them. Get email set up for them and put the unnecessary icons in a folder for them so just the apps they use for now are on the main screen. They may surprise you and become pretty savvy iPad users!
 
I'm 70 and use my iPad 2 for the activities you mentioned so I think any iPad will be Ok. Screen size might be important so I would not get them a mini. My iPad2 has wifi and 3G and rarely use the 3G.

tdale mentioned games. I enjoy The Room, Monument Valley, Candy Crush and some card games.
 
Last edited:
ACG12 said:
Apple says you have 60 days from purchase date to add Apple Care, but I'm not sure how that works with open-box. I'd say give them a call and see what they say.
Click to expand...

if it's an open box from somewhere like Best Buy you might be out of luck. But the refurbs from Apple's site are treated like brand new ones so you have 60 days to add Apple Care
 
I appreciate the help guys. I ended up ordering a refurb Air2 with apple care for my parents. I checked into best buy open boxes and couldn't get a clear answer out of apple as o whether or not I could add apple care, so I spent a few more bucks and purchased a refurb from Apple. Thanks for the advice. I hope they get a few solid years of use out of it.
 
bartonjm said:
I appreciate the help guys. I ended up ordering a refurb Air2 with apple care for my parents. I checked into best buy open boxes and couldn't get a clear answer out of apple as o whether or not I could add apple care, so I spent a few more bucks and purchased a refurb from Apple. Thanks for the advice. I hope they get a few solid years of use out of it.
Click to expand...

They will definitely get lots of use from the purchase. Hope they enjoy it!
 
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