Comments on: Presto: Because Computers Scare Old People

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MaxGXL Benefits of Glutathione » MaxGXL Glutathione — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 18:02:07 +0000

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We\’re cat people here at News of Doom HQ so we take stories like this very personally. I wouldn\’t be held responsible for my actions if someone plunged a knife into one of my buddies. We\’re also parents so we can\’t understand what part of C…

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Thu, 04 Oct 2007 13:00:39 +0000

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By: Presto: Because Computers Scare Old People « Hardware

Presto: Because Computers Scare Old People « Hardware — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:32:18 +0000

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By: Steve

Steve — Sat, 24 Feb 2007 06:08:47 +0000

I purchased my mother a Presto last month and it works as advertised. Understand this is not the be all, end all. Its sits in the corner of my Mom’s house and everybody in the family sends her photos from time to time, which she enjoys. Yes, its just another gadget but so what. Everybody I know promises to send photos and write a letter but they never do. Now my family just attaches a photo to an email and presto (I know, I know). I manage everything from my browser with no problems. I buy third party ink cartridges, show it doesn’t get expensive. For $9.99 a month, I bring joy to my Mom, money well spent.

By: Grandma Vicky

Grandma Vicky — Sun, 21 Jan 2007 22:15:20 +0000

Let’s not bash the elderly, okay? That sounds a little juvenile. Just remember, all of you will be elderly someday…that is, if you’re lucky?

By: kaitlin

kaitlin — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 19:38:21 +0000

I think a big part of this product that’s been largely overlooked in these posts is that it has two users–the receiving customer and their sponsor. The sponsor takes an active, continuing role in managing the account for the receiving customer, monitors their ink and paper usage, and who can send e-mail to the receiver. Sometimes they’ll manage other things, for instance finding a local friend at the nursing home who can change toner, buy new paper, etc. It’s going to vary a lot from person to person. I don’t think Presto is trying to be insulting or condescending to “seniors”. My own 75 and 77 YO grandparents are far too tech savvy for a product like this. But I do think there is a huge silent group of people out there who have no interest in computers. This product is great for them.

By: Elika

Elika — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 19:34:18 +0000

This seems like the perfect thing for my father who is 80. He is resistant to doing computers because he knows he will get addicted. (Keeping in mind that he’s been deaf all his life.) Phone conversations through TTY service leave much to be desired. I’ve been trying to find something that would fit the needs of my being able to email or text message without using computers.

Knowing that he will only be able to receive email from approved addresses also gives me comfort that he wont be inundated with junk mail or taken advantage of by false advertising.

I’m definitly going to check it out.

By: Beverly

Beverly — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:33:54 +0000

Any any age, certain personality types are resistant to learning or trying new things. Clearly, this product is targeted to the elderly, and ageist or not, my 90 year old dad and early 80s stepmother are convinced they can’t learn email, don’t want to spend the time, don’t want to feel stupid as a student, and they can’t hear much of anything. Also, they say they ‘don’t want to bother anyone ‘. (that’s their story and they’re sticking to it) They are already frightened of the answering machine. A fax machine would scare the bejammers out of them.

They are headed for assisted living in two weeks. I just learned about Presto today, and will make it their housewar….apartment warmi….cubicle warming present. Sitting and receiving is what they like to do best. Phone calls are a nightmare. (What? What? Camel talking? Sock of dandy? Speak up!)

I’m gleeful that I can put everything in writing. I’d never write them a note a day, or a letter a week. Their grandchildren will be much more likely to stay in touch.

As for the product? My immediate reaction was–Oh, sure. Gussy up the emails into colorful newsletter form. Use up the ink. That’s where the money is. There should be a b/w option for text only missives, the way other HP printers can be set up.

I think the idea will be good for a decade, and especially appeal to scattered families with folks in assisted living who have memory problems, motor skill problems, and anxiety issues. PLUS, it’s hard to think of good presents for older folks. Buying a fancy walker with brakes and a seat for dad was not exactly a high point of my gift giving history. Presto’s got me excited, which means they’ll get my money.

By: MARY GALLAGHER

MARY GALLAGHER — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 22:19:49 +0000

I’VE PURCHASED THE PRESTO SYSTEM FOR MY 92-YEAR OLD MOTHER. WE’VE TRIED MANY OF THE PREVIOUS PRODUCTS TOUTED AS BEING VERY EASY TO USE BY NON-COMPUTERIZED FOLK AND HER TOTAL LACK OF ABILITY TO USE EVEN A TELEPHONE ANSWERING MACHINE SEEMS TO ELIMINATE THE USE OF A FAX AND CERTAINLY EVEN THE SIMPLEST COMPUTER. WE HAVEN’T GOTTEN THE PRODUCT YET, BUT IT’LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE HOW WELL IT SERVES ITS PURPOSE. I’M RELYING ON THE 60-DAY RETURN POLICY IF IT DOESN’T FIT THE BILL. I JUST WANT HER 7 GRANDKIDS(ALL ADULTS) TO STAY IN TOUCH FROM TIME TO TIME!

By: tee

tee — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 21:06:20 +0000

Why not just set their home page on the browser to the webmai accont the person usess? They type in their email address and password (they can have it written on a piece of paper they keep next to the computer if they can’t remember this)……..I mean surely anyone can use hotmail or yahoo.
And if the cartridge for the ink runs out, do they have to pay an engineer to replace a new one? This is a lame idea, for the same price they could get a cheap computer and a fully functional internet service instead of being short changed for some limited feature email service.

By: Kara

Kara — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 21:00:47 +0000

My grandmother’s been keeping up with family photos for a couple of years using a Ceiva digital photo frame (http://www.ceiva.com/). Similarly, it plugs into an outlet and phone line. We log into an account and upload our latest photos, then they rotate through her frame. She can’t print them out, but that avoids the toner and maintenance issue. And considering the gazillion baby photos sent her way, I’m sure she appreciates having a nice clean, clutter-free way to enjoy them.

BTW - She uses a regular computer for emails, so wouldn’t need that feature.

By: Petitpois » Web 0.5

Petitpois » Web 0.5 — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 18:56:57 +0000

[...] Via Tech Crunch. By lulileslie Feedbacks on this entry via RSS 2.0 Please leave a Comment or discuss via Trackback! Comments Please Leave a Comment! [...]

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 17:19:00 +0000

You know, this is very close to the device that Netpliance was building, marketing, and providing content to in 1999. The only difference that I can see is that now, there is a significant service cost for consumables.

I think that the Netpliance device was more appropriate.

By: The CyberSlug

The CyberSlug — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 15:11:00 +0000

This won’t get any spam because it only accepts authorized senders? No spammer/virus out there is capable of faking the return address of someone I know? Whew… I feel much safer now.

Seriously, the FAQ mentions a security code, but it appears to only be to prevent other units from retrieving your mail - not keeping fake messages out.

Also:
Q: Can I reprint messages that are difficult to read or did not print because my Printing Mailbox was out of ink?

A: Unfortunately, no. Be sure to replace your print cartridge as soon as it starts running low on ink. If you would like a reprint of a message, you will need to ask the sender to resend it.

*cough*

By: Oskar Valles

Oskar Valles — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 14:46:16 +0000

As this service only operates with US landlines, it will do no harm to specify it in the first place. The product could be a hit if it was to be transnational, and deployed to other countries with much less internet penetration than the lucky and almighty US. Globalization does not only mean being able to communicate from one State to another, folks.

By: Kevin Fischer

Kevin Fischer — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 07:59:42 +0000

Why do internet appliances insist on trivializing the internet?

By: scooter

scooter — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 03:39:32 +0000

Brian, I’m glad you said something. The discriminatory tone not only in Presto’s in-your-face ageist marketing but, frankly, in most of this thread is offensive beyond belief. Substitute any race or religion for the ageist comments anywhere above, and you’d have the PC police all over you like a cheap suit!

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 03:08:26 +0000

Cruncher: So far I have done little to market it-it’s mainly for my boomer friends and associates who encouraged me to start tthe blog because of my technical background and they usually end up emailing me because I email them the posts every day. But I did check my stats and it does show 11 comments but they are all from people I don’t know. So far, I have 16 emails from the Presto post but I guess I should start encouraging people to comment on the blog site. Thanks for the feedback.

By: Cruncher

Cruncher — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 02:42:05 +0000

Brian -
Having blog may not be the best way to reach Seniors ( I see zero comments for all your posts in the blog).
I agree, you can not insult your own consumers.

By: Brian

Brian — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 01:05:15 +0000

I’m 60, have a network of about 500 boomer friends and associates and I am hard pressed to think of any one of them who don’t have a computer. Sure, not all of them use it to more than 5% of its potential but that doesn’t mean they don’t want to learn more. That’s why I set up my blog. Presto’s marketing strategy is an insult to boomers and seniors. Look at the subject line “Presto-because computers scare old people.” I realize its supposed to be tongue in cheek but if that’s basically what people think about boomers and seniors that’s just wrong!

By: THE SAVVY BOOMER

THE SAVVY BOOMER — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:29:54 +0000

Because Computers Scare Old People?…

On November 16 I posted a bit of a rant against a company called Presto. I basically called their marketing strategy to Boomers insulting. Now Techcrunch has reviewed their product with the subject line Presto-Because computers scare old people. After…

By: Jason

Jason — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:10:18 +0000

She looks like she’s having a heart attack.

By: randy

randy — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:08:29 +0000

printers are even more crappy than computers! i am a computer programmer and even i refuse to deal with a problem printer. and they have LOTS of problems.

this is not going to work, at least not for long once a whole host of dissatified customers get the word out.

By: Chad Edge

Chad Edge — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:06:50 +0000

A couple comments:
1. Couldn’t HP setup a special 1-800 # that allows subscribers to speak with a late 20’s, early 30’s comforting voice (a nice woman I’d imagine), to setup/manage their subscriber list?
2. Downstream only? How hard would it be to add a fax-quality sheet-fed scanner. Sure, it would be handwriting (or granny’s old 1914 Harverville typewriter), but with the Adobe barcode system (a little square that looks like a bad bitmap error), you could allow granny to write her reply on the bottom half or the backside of a sheet and the barcode could contain the return address of the sender.
3. Photo printing? With approved senders, you could partition messages into groups (text, text with art, text with photo, high quality photo [with size]). If high quality photo, the printer would print the photo at a better quality, possibly with crops and instructions for cutting (say, with the scissor icon and dotted line).

By: Gadget Wisdom / Presto: Because Computers Scare Old People

Gadget Wisdom / Presto: Because Computers Scare Old People — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 22:40:59 +0000

[...] TechCrunch reported today on Presto, a new service for people who don’t currently have internet access. The service uses a printer which hooks to a telephone line to receive email. When someone sends you email at your presto.com email address, it prints on the printer. [...]