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The Kitchen Table

Have you heard of a WOW computer?

13 years ago

We got a catalog in the mail yesterday I saw these WOW computers for sale. Supposedly made for seniors. There is no tower, no hooking up a zillion cords. You just plug into the wall and your internet connection and you're ready to go. My neighbor is 85 and thinking she's too old to learn the computer, but this says there's no learning curve.

My question is, have you heard of it and what are the down-sides to them? You know what they say, "If it sounds to good to be true...."

I think I'll post this on the Computer site, too. But I am hoping one of you has some experience with them.

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Comments (8)

monica_pa Grieves
13 years ago
Just Googled it....it's a big screen tablet, that depends on touch screen(bad/impossible for seniors like me with arthritis in hands), and uses LINUX.
You cannot add programs,no apps - has only 2 Gig of memory and no disk storage (but there is an external DVD drive).

Here is a link that might be useful: WOW specs
kayjones
13 years ago
A google.com search on this machine produced the following information - copy and paste the addresses into your address bar:

Save money by buying from the manufacturer:

http://www.seniors-staying-home.com/Senior_Products/Computers-for-Seniors/WOW-Computer-Reviews/WOW-Computer.html

A current review of this machine:

http://www.dtechnews.com/review-the-wow-computer.html

Technical specs for this machine:

http://www.aramistech.com/reviews/wow-computer-for-199/

Some questions about this machine are answered here:

http://www.mywowcomputer.com/faqs.html
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ravencajun Zone 8b TX
13 years ago
I replied over on the computer help forum about it.
there are a couple in this same category. The problem is you have to pay them $10 per month as a "tech support" fee which really adds up since you still have to pay for your internet connection and you have to have a wireless router for the wireless in the unit to get a connection from what I understand.

Plus I really do not know how they can legally get away with selling this product with linux on it with out breaking the GNU public license agreement.

Personally I would just get them a low price pc wipe it clean and install one of the light free linux distros on it and let them use that. Pretty much the same thing and the cost would be much less.

the price of the unit for what it is spec wise is ridiculous.
monica_pa Grieves
13 years ago
OMG - I just looked up the price....waaaay overpriced.
What a racket.

Any basic tablet with Android can do more at a fraction of the cost.
Jodi_SoCal
13 years ago
WOW is right. The price is crazy nuts!
marie_ndcal
13 years ago
There are some advertised in the AARP magazine, but I think a regular computer would word better and the seniors could learn to use it with some training. Or a tablet etc. But then I disagree with many of the things sold by AARP.
neesie
13 years ago
At first I thought you might be describing the All-in-One comuter which is (I believe) a monitor that has the CPU (tower functions) built into it. So all you have is the monitor and keyboard. I have seen these on TV and recently at a swanky hotel. I don't know anyone who has one yet.
kudzu9
13 years ago
neesie-
It is an all-in-one computer...it wouldn't be able to work without the CPU and other components built into it. Sometimes in offices there is a CPU located away from the monitor and keyboard, but that's not what this is. It's just a computer.

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