Mobiles for 65+. Need your input.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3411504

by rafd • 15 years ago

6 9 15 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

A few friends and I are in an incubator (Next36 in Toronto) and wanted poll YC for some input.

Our scope is mobile (cellphones, tablets, other) and we've taking a liking to the 65+ market (retirees, boomers, seniors). We think that this market is underserved by the current mobile industry, which focuses instead on the more tech-savvy 15 to 40 year-olds. We have a few ideas, but would love your input.

If you're 65+, what are your pet peeves about cellphones? Do you own a smartphone or a tablet? Why? What do you use them for?

If you're younger, but have friends or family that are 65+: Do they own mobiles? What do they use them for? What issues do they face? It'd be great if you could fill out our quick survey: http://goo.gl/rybn6

Thanks, and Happy New Year!

jamesbritt• 15 years ago

Not over 65, but have friends who are. Helped one of them get a cell phone, a Jitterbug.

Biggest issue I've run into with people older than me (I'm 53) is the belief that they are not able to understand the technology. Had an older friend who was put off by Tivo, but after some encouragement (and my printing out step-by-step illustrated instructions) she's now amused by the idea that she ever thought it was difficult.

I don't think things need to be dumbed down. The problems are not cognitive (for the most part; there certainly are older people with mental impairment, but I'd consider them a special case).

Older people are not dim, they're just from a different culture.

You have to address issues with vision and possibly motor coordination. (This is what makes the Jitterbug phone so nice. Big buttons, big text.)

Biggest use-case I see for the older people I know would be text chatting (maybe) or automatic phone conversation transcription (definitely).

Many have hearing loss, making phone conversations frustrating or impossible. I'm skeptical that older people (65, 70+) are going to get into texting or IRC (but I know of exceptions) so inexpensive high-quality voice-to-text would be a major win.

BTW, the age range typically defined for the term "boomer" is so large as to make it meaningless. There's a big different between 55 and 75. It's a marketing term I wish would die.

rafd2• 15 years ago

Thanks for your insights.

A lot of the problem seems to be marketing and getting-started help and not just technology.

Based on our conversations with older people, we've been seeing a higher interest in tablets than other computer technology; the interaction model of tablets seems to match non-tech-savvy users' mental models much better. Direct manipulation (just touch it!) and not having to worry about files, folders, and the OS makes it much more approachable... but like you said, a demo is still needed to convince them. Have you or your friends had any experience with tablets?

We'll look into how far we can push voice-to-text, and we'll avoid 'boomer' henceforth. Thanks again.

caw• 15 years ago

> the belief that they are not able to understand the technology.

I agree with this entirely. My grandma does not want to mess with a computer or the TV box. My grandpa did all of that before he died.

She uses a telephone primarily. She has a cell phone with big buttons and big text (but not a jitterbug) but she uses her landline more because of the bigger buttons, and that's what she's used to. She will never text anyone.

My other grandfather didn't have his voicemail set up for 2+ years on his phone. He was concerned about getting charged minutes for listening to voicemail, because he thought that your minutes were billed on 1) listening to the voicemail and 2) while the other person was talking. In effect, he thought he was going to get double billed for the voicemail.

So I think the biggest hurdle is education.

My parents, on the other hand, eventually got in to texting. They use a netbook (no tablets were out when they bought it) because the computer is mobile and they can sit outside on the patio with it, or at the table, etc. My mom's only complaint is that the computer is a bit small to spend hours researching something, like a vacation. I think that will be your argument against tablets.

It's probably worth looking at both demographics, because your 55+ today are going to be your 65+ in a few years.

rafd2• 15 years ago

Thanks for the input. We'll put a lot of effort into the education aspect.

The "future 65+" is something we're thinking about; it's maybe too soon to go after them directly (existing services meet their needs pretty well), but it's part of our long term vision to deliver services to older people used to mobiles.

brudgers• 15 years ago

Having just spent a week with my parents, the biggest hurdle in the 65+ mobile space is overcoming, "Why on earth would I want to do that?"

keeptrying• 15 years ago

I fou d a bunch of cell phones in India catering to the elderly market. Have a google. They were all better than the jitterbug.

denzil_correa• 15 years ago

iBall primarily a firm which manufactures computer peripherals has entered a similar market segment in India. You may want to check it out : http://iballmobiles.co.in/product_senior.php

hcho• 15 years ago

I have a few elderly relatives who I help with their technology issues. Clamshell phones are by far the most comfortable devices for that age group. They don't feel comfortable with pressing the green button to receive a call, but opening the clam is immediately second nature.

helen842000• 15 years ago

From my experience teaching basic computer literacy skills to individuals in the 60+ age range there have been several instances where people have exclaimed that they don't understand the symbology used for buttons etc simply due to lack of exposure.

So for example the floppy disk icon is synonymous with the save function, magnifying glass = zoom etc.

This is also combined with a reluctance to 'just try' incase they perform a function they cannot undo.

It maybe the case that clear labelling using text is used in place of icons.

Mobiles for 65+. Need your input.

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