Heard about this on Kim Kommando's radio program on 99.7 this morning.
Seems like a good idea for elderly parents who don't have a computer.
http://presto.com

Merry Christmas to all.

Chip37075 wrote:

Various 'computerless' email devices have been introduced in the past.
IIRC, none have really taken hold of the market. The fact is that all
of them in fact *are* computers; only severely limited in capability. I
think the problem might be that the intended market is just not
there...either not technical enough to even plug in the unit, or not
that interested.

May just be a marketing issue....

jak

On 2006-12-23 12:07:00 -0600, jakdedert bellsouth.net> said:

Check out the link.
This one is much less technical than an answering machine.
Really just a printer that plugs into the phone line.
Of course, I got rid of a land line several years ago in favor of a
cell phone.
That's just me.

On 27 Dec 2006 07:03:52 -0800, "JG" gmail.com> wrote:

This has been an interesting discussion. I got my 82-year-old mother a
modern computer (Dell) two years ago (she had an Apple IIe for many
years) but she will NOT use the Internet. No way, no how. She is now
somewhat interested in email. I've looked at the Presto but it doesn't
look like you can send from it, thereby severely limiting its
usefulness. It's being marketed like it's a color fax machine. There
are other email devices out there but so far what I've found have very
small screens. That's a big issue with older people. Their eyesight is
failing from various problems. Mom has trouble seeing the screen on the
cell phone I got her, so a smaller device like that is out of the
question.

So, still looking.

Actually web tv is still around and the big box stores all have them
instock.
http://www.msntv.com/pc/

On 2007-01-02 21:38:36 -0600, "Chip37075" comcast.net> said:

For parents who are internet-phobic, this might exactly what they want.
--
Kent Finnell writes:

1) I am neither miserable nor a troll.
2) I'm sure you think I'm a gunloon...
3) Well, I won that bet with myself.
4) Sorry, I missed that in the strum und drang.
5) I'm support the Second Amendment every time I put on my pants...

On Dec 23, 10:57 pm, Cyrus Afzali wrote:

Wow, did you miss the point. A Blackberry costs more than twice as
much as a Presto thingy and is probably exponentially more technically
intimidating to someone to whom a Presto might appea, not to...

Cyrus Afzali wrote:

Certainly this is not the solution for everyone over 60. I'm sure
you can find some geezers running IT departments and using all sorts of
technology. But forcing a Blackberry on some old granny who still gets
up to change the TV channels because she can't figure out the remote
(and there are those types too) is not going to work. There is no way
this Presto thing competes with a Blackberry. The two things are more
different than apples and oranges.