Laptop or Tablet?

[OutragedFromLeeds]

If you were buying for an older, technologically challenged person who just wanted a device to look at photos, play solitaire, do a little bit of googling and maybe check the occasional email would you get a laptop or a tablet?

They have limited dexterity in their fingers so needs to be easy to type, move around etc.

Budget is what it needs to be, but don't want to spend more than is necessary iyswim

TIA

I'm 75 and use a desktop computer, Linux and Firefox, but I used to work in computers years ago and as a primary school TA supported primary children in ICT, and taught some touch typing.

Personally I see these 'tablet' things as very limiting, as if you have to type there isn't normally a proper keyboard (though I guess one could be plugged in on some tablets, via USB). I feel tablets are just a novelty gimmick, and think a laptop or even a budget office-style computer more sensible.

And once you have one, the things you can do, and discover, just grow and grow.

I'd probably get a tablet. My MIL never got on with her desktop and laptop computers but she loves her iPad. I think they are a bit limiting, but it sounds as though, in this case, the limitations of a tablet won't matter too much.

My one concern is that with the iPad, importing music has to be done via a PC/Mac, if you aren't buying it from the iTunes store. I'm not sure if this will matter and whether it will be an issue for other things like photos. Check how easy it is to get photos and music if required onto any tablet you are buying. I would be very annoyed if I bought an iPad to use as a standalone device and found I needed a PC as well.

For the tasks described, a 7 inch tablet such as the Nexus 7 or even a Kindle Fire would be perfect. For emailling you might want to consider a bluetooth keyboard if they don't get on with the on screen keyboard, but you really don't need anything more complicated.