It’s amazing how the senior market responded to Apple’s latest product, the iPad. For those who have been living under a rock for quite some time now, iPad is basically a tablet PC, netbook and ebook reader rolled into one. If you’re to ask me, it’s like a smart phone (internet capability and all) but has bigger screen and a lot of ease of use. I really think that what got our group’s attention is iPad’s simplicity, no complex installation and configuration, no weird, color coded wires to stick into sockets just to have it up and running and best of all, we are no longer limited to ebook reading since we can also use iPad for surfing the net and checking our emails—something that is remotely possible with a simple ebook reader—but still at almost the same size.
Ebook readers were an instant hit then, enabling seniors to read with ease since they can adjust font sizes and look up words without having to reach for their dictionaries. For me, ebook readers have been a real space saver, since I am a packrat at heart. If you could just see my book collection amassed during pre-ebook reader era, I bet you would say I can put up my own bookstore and have it running without a supplier for a whole year! That’s how crazy things were during those times and if not for my partner threatening to sue me I wouldn’t have donated them to a local library!
So more or less you get the idea where I am coming from. My love for books and my eternal bond with the internet were enough to have me waiting in line for just a glimpse of the ever popular iPad. Men and women of different sizes and ages were there with me, patiently waiting and hoping to get our orders in. So, does it appeal to seniors? The answer will be a resounding YES.
Upon closer look, iPad has features that will definitely benefit seniors, even those who are not into internet stuff. Applications, for one, are enough to entertain seniors. There are health applications which prove to be valuable for seniors. This includes applications for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, blood pressure, health tracking plus a handy locator for those who are quite lost in finding the nearest pharmacy.
Having a hard time with your eyes? Don’t worry, iPad has an audio feature which basically reads whatever you touch within its screen, making it very easy for seniors with poor eyesight to create emails and send them to friends and relatives or do whatever they want with it. Of course, there are hundreds, if not thousands of audiobooks you can play with your iPad. Possibilities are indeed endless!
