I got news today that my 81 year old Granddad bought his first computer. He has always been interested in electronics. He can fix almost every electrical item you give him, although he tells me that over the last decade or two, it has all been moving too fast for him to keep up with, and he's never owned a computer or understood how they work. I've been trying to convince him to buy one for a while now, and it looks like the effort finally paid off.

My only concern is that he never consulted me before buying it, so I'm hoping he had a store worker explain some things to him before he actually went ahead and bought it. He's coming over tomorrow afternoon so I can get things up and running for him and also to allow me to teach him the basics. I'm so excited to welcome him into the world of computing, being a computer scientist and all.

It's probably going to be a long afternoon for me though, because he doesn't have the faintest idea how these things work. He told me the keyboard alone is something that always put him off. He seemed to be under the impression that the keyboard controlled everything. I'm also hoping he didn't get a laptop running a Linux distro, since it's a little more advanced for a first time computer user to learn, I think.

So, Newgrounds, I thought I'd ask you a few questions:
1. Do your grandparents own computers, and if so, how old are they?
2. What do your grandparents use their computers for?
3. Do any of your grandparents have an interest in writing programs or tinkering with hardware?

1. Yes, my grandmother is 50-something (she was a teenage mother).

2.Facebook and family tree stuff. My grandpa uses it for music and car show information.

3. Hell no!

At 10/15/10 02:08 PM, Otto wrote: My grandad took actual classes to learn how to e-mail and now we keep eachother updated all the time.

Same here, it's so funny trying to get him to understand the bloody things.

My grandfather owns both a computer and an iPod Touch. He's not too skilled with them, though.

1. Do your grandparents own computers, and if so, how old are they?

Yes, two.
And an iPhone.
They're over seventy, probably 74 and 76

2. What do your grandparents use their computers for?

Word processing, checking E-mail. Pretty basic stuff.

3. Do any of your grandparents have an interest in writing programs or tinkering with hardware?

No, I think they're fine just being able to use the internet and send mail to their relatives.

At 10/15/10 02:12 PM, agustana wrote:

At 10/15/10 02:04 PM, Dean wrote:

2. What do your grandparents use their computers for?

Farmville and poker.

Fuck Yeah!

1. yes, my grandmother bought a laptop a few months ago. Because her other computer were old
2. Share/Store photos, use social network, stuff like that
3. hell no

Take him to a bunch of shock sites!

At 10/15/10 02:04 PM, Dean wrote: So, Newgrounds, I thought I'd ask you a few questions:
1. Do your grandparents own computers, and if so, how old are they?

Yes, a desktop. I can't remember the model but what I can remember is, it runs XP. They're also both 81.

2. What do your grandparents use their computers for?

They use it rarely, but whenever they do it's for emailing. Sometimes it may be for searching information about something related to what they're doing.

3. Do any of your grandparents have an interest in writing programs or tinkering with hardware?

Absolutely, positively, never been more sure in my life; no. They are completely illiterate on computers. Whenever they use it, or even try to switch it on someone has to be nearby to help. It's a little like weight lifting, as soon as the light appears they call for a spotter so it doesn't crash.

They both dont mix

Show him blue waffle, offended, goatse, meatspin and lemon party.

All my grandma uses her computer for is checking emails. She'll give me a call all of a sudden and say "HOW DO I GET RID OF MY E MAILS" and I'll give her the step by step process on how to click on and email and press the delete button on the keyboard.

It's pretty sad how stupid people can be.

I notice that everyone who's grandparents have computers said they use them for something internet related, like checking emails. Well, my Granddad said he isn't interested in the internet for now, which sounds crazy. He just wanted the computer to mess about with and to view the content that comes on the disks he gets with his magazines.

I'm sure when he fully understands what the internet is, he'll get it in no time.

My grandfather is quite competent with computers, my grandmother on the other hand..

My grandparents have an old computer (ironic huh) its like a 2000 compaq desktop. The use it for just playing games and sending the seldom email. But as a joke my sister created a facebook page for both of them with pictures and everything.

At 10/15/10 02:08 PM, Otto wrote: My grandad took actual classes to learn how to e-mail and now we keep eachother updated all the time. I love it, and he gets a great thrill attaching things. Bless him.

Lmao, my nan took classes like that.

She still hasn't bought a computer yet though, It'd be wasted on her generation though, all she'd do is use google and check the weather, she's doing just fine without one. I remember like 10 or so years ago when not everybody had a computer and nowadays it's almost guaranteed everybody has one, strange shit.

My Grandmother owns a computer. She knows a little bit about it, but she also believes common rumors, like everything can have a virus attached to it, RAM is everything, etc. She mainly uses it for her job.

My Grandfather also has his own computer, but he just use it to play Solitaire.

That's great that he has a computer. I wish him the best of luck!

My grand parents have computers and use them for work and play (mostly, just Mahjong Titans and Solitaire). My great-grandparents have one now, too. It's so weird.

At 10/15/10 02:04 PM, Dean wrote: So, Newgrounds, I thought I'd ask you a few questions:
1. Do your grandparents own computers, and if so, how old are they?

Yes, and I think they are roughly ten years old.

2. What do your grandparents use their computers for?

I think mostly just e-mail.

3. Do any of your grandparents have an interest in writing programs or tinkering with hardware?

Not that I am aware of.

My grandpa is a medium computer user, experimented a bit with browsers himself (sigh, he downloaded Safari but now he's using Chrome).

My grandma is using it too for a bit, but not much more than email and facebook.

At 10/15/10 02:04 PM, Dean wrote: 1. Do your grandparents own computers, and if so, how old are they?

Yes, but only my mum's side. My grandad's 82? And my grandma 72.

2. What do your grandparents use their computers for?

Generally just emails but my Grandad for his Train classes work stuff and my Grandma for WI accounts aswell.

3. Do any of your grandparents have an interest in writing programs or tinkering with hardware?

No, they're not that technological. I'm always getting phone calls asking me to go round and show them how to do something. Sometimes its just the simplest thing! Haha

At 10/15/10 03:49 PM, Chdonga wrote: My Grandmother owns a computer. She knows a little bit about it, but she also believes common rumors, like everything can have a virus attached to it, RAM is everything, etc. She mainly uses it for her job.

My Grandfather also has his own computer, but he just use it to play Solitaire.

Yes this but she downloads random stuff that involves spelling and one game I buy from the store for it she says has a virus

At 10/15/10 03:49 PM, Chdonga wrote:

he just use it to play Solitaire.

Oh hell, I forgot about this. Lots and lots of this.

My grandma has an Iphone, and she knows her shit about computers.

My grandma owns a computer. Kind of a dumbshit in this field. Just turned 74.

She has a laptop. It has a touch tensitive pad above the keyboard where you can do things like play with volume controls and shit. Apparently she turned off WLAN that way. Made me head over to her place. I sat there for 2 hours wondering wtf happened, why her network wasn't working. I was unaware it was a touch sensitive WLAN switch. WWanted to hang myself once I found out. bad day.

My grandpa has a computer with vista, he generally knows how to use it (email, skype, navigating the web), but normally gets a new one every 6 months due to viruses (this is probably the longest he's ever had one). My nan has our incredibly old windows 98 desktop, with a dial up modem and all which has to be plugged in downstairs with about 20 metres of RJ-45 cable. It still works just about, but she uses it like once a year, only to type something and print it or prove to people she actually has one.

Both of my grandfathers died before I was born. God dammit.

So, Newgrounds, I thought I'd ask you a few questions:
1. Do your grandparents own computers, and if so, how old are they?
2. What do your grandparents use their computers for?
3. Do any of your grandparents have an interest in writing programs or tinkering with hardware?

1. yes, 69
2. Sibelius (as he does classical music)
3. nope

Technology and my Grandparents don't tend to get on too well with each other.