Droid for Tech-Challenged Dad?

[Audioslavery]

Hey guys, Eris owner here,

My dad needs a new phone to open excel docs and check his email

I'm thinking he should just get a Blackberry because well, he barely knows how to attach a file to an email on MS Outlook. He is extremely forgetful on how to navigate menus and its extremely frustrating to deal with it after about 10 years of trying to make him understand the mystery of MS Windows.

What has a more user friendly UI, he doesn't need all the fancy add ons of the Droid, just something SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.

So which one is easiest to use? I was thinking of getting him the BB Tour if I got him a BB.

[suzukimethod]

dunno if the droid is a great idea for someone tech-challenged, as it is a complicated device. But I suppose the beauty of it would be that you could set it up in a very "bare-bones" sort of way - an icon for email, pre-load the doc-editing software on it, a couple other app shortcuts on the main page for whatever else he might enjoy or want to use, etc.

Then instruct him if he ever gets stuck, to keep pushing the "house" button (home) to get to the main screen.

I find my droid to be more user friendly than my BB curve was, but I'm fully converted to Gmail, so when the Gmail app loaded, i was set.

I'm guessing that any phone is going to have a learning curve though, and the touch screen does have it's benefits - since you simply tap where you want to go, what you want to open, etc - which is more intuitive than mouse/trackball/touch-pad operation. The full keyboard may also be of interest to him.

dunno...others?

[BeefyBeefo]

Hey guys, Eris owner here,

My dad needs a new phone to open excel docs and check his email

I'm thinking he should just get a Blackberry because well, he barely knows how to attach a file to an email on MS Outlook. He is extremely forgetful on how to navigate menus and its extremely frustrating to deal with it after about 10 years of trying to make him understand the mystery of MS Windows.

What has a more user friendly UI, he doesn't need all the fancy add ons of the Droid, just something SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE.

So which one is easiest to use? I was thinking of getting him the BB Tour if I got him a BB.

I think a stable BB would probably be the best bet as well with someone that "Tech-Challenged".

The Tour would be an excellent option. Also, take a look at the Curve 2. It's a rather simple phone, and it has the trackpad versus the trackball (more durable/accurate/etc). Good luck with your search.

[Audioslavery]

Thanks guys! Some really helpful responses here. Is the Droid customizable Ala the same way that my eris is (customizable widgets and whatnot?).

If so, I just may go with the Droid!

[drbob]

If he is intimidate with the Droid, the iPhone may be the best way for him to go. The Palm Pre may be another option as their WebOS is fairly intuitive. My 86 year old mother uses an iPhone. Documents To Go and Quick Office both allow creation, reading and editing Excel documents.

[suzukimethod]

It's definitely fully customizable with widgets and app shortcuts.

customizing might be a good way to start - big clock icon, shortcuts to mail/calendar/etc. - but the voice search eliminates a lot of tedious menu operations for some of the basic functions of the phone...

very early on in my droid ownership - i got phone direx to the place i would be staying - at 100 XYZ street. I held the search button, and said
"Navitgate to 100 XYZ street". within a few seconds the voice navigation was fired up, pointing me towards the apartment.

Voice recognition includes
Map of....
Navigate to....
Call...
and
If you dont preface your voice search with anything, it does a google search for whatever you say (or whatever it thinks you said).

that all said, it's only as good as you enunciate, and some words are hard to get it to understand. I was trying to get it to search for any Pei Wei restaurants, and it insisted on "highway", and then when i put a large space between the words, "hi way". lol.

[kastj]

Wouldn't recommend it for your dad. I got one for my mom as a gift and it proved too confusing for her so we ended up returning it. Like some people have said a blackberry might be better or an iphone.

[brenj888]

Well!! Taking the liberty of talking for all tech challenged old people, I must say the Droid is wonderful!! I just got mine this morning. I have never had a smart phone before, and I was worried about figuring it out. OK....I was worried when I saw the skinny little multi fold rather than an actual manual. JUst by looking on this forum and googling my problems, I have figured out tons of stuff. Just having a regular stupid phone helps a person understand the intuitive steps.

I can't WAIT to show my Iphone son all my droid can do! He is already razzing me about the "theoretical" superiority of his phone. When he comes home for Christmas he and I will have a phone SMACK DOWN!!

I plan on tackling importing music tomorrow, but I have already got Pandora working! I just logged onto my online account and....BOOM...their were all of my party and easy listening playlists!

[Backnblack]

It is so good to hear "that might be to complicated for them....have them get a BB"...lol

[windstrings]

Who can handle a Droid?

Someone who can take their own computer and maintain it, use it, organize it, troubleshoot it, and find software that will allow them to get the functionality they want... then the Droid has almost no limits just like a computer.

If they need a DVD player to play dvd's, and phone to make phone calls, then get them something simpler.

I can hand my Droid to someone and they don't have a clue how to make a call.. answer a call, send a text or anything... its a learning curve because its so different from a phone.

Every theme or software app changes the whole game.. such as your sms app, movie app/viewer/player. etc.

I think someone has to at least be able to handle a pda before tackling the Droid.

I build, and troubleshoot computers for fun and am new to this pda/smartphone world and I almost took my droid back till I finally conceded its not another phone.... its a whole different animal... I had to accept and get used to it.

On the other hand... most High tech toys get boring as soon as I master them.

I don't think I will ever master the Droid no more than I can master a computer because every piece of software I add, transforms the device into another tool with different controls, and toggles to play with.

At the very least.. your dad has to be half blooded geek and love to tinker and figure out software or he doesn't have a chance IMO.

What other device in the world this complex have you ever bought that didn't come with a one inch plus manual?... the Droid came with none!