On of the smallest populations to use computers, yet one of the fastest growing, is elderly people. Senior citizens are jumping on the technological bandwagon in hordes. The advent of the iMac had brought a lot to this platform, but with very low cost PCs out there, it will be hard to bring in more. That is where you come in. If you have elderly relatives, that show the slightest interest in technology, steer them towards the Mac.

Now, those Social Security checks don't bring in much money, so don't try to steer them towards a brand new 733 MHz G4 (unless of course they are filthy rich). Instead, look for an older PowerMac, or even a 68040. Remember, we want this experience to be a good one, so don't set them up with a 512K Mac with a 2400 baud modem. Make sure it can run most of today's software, but not the powerhouse games and applications.

So, where are you going to get this Mac, and what should you be looking for. I would recommend a first generation PowerMac. Those with 601 PowerPCs are very cheap these days. Make sure it has enough RAM, and a large enough hard drive to run some older games. I would suggest a couple places. You could check out eBay if you are into that, but I would tend to stay clear for your relatives sake. Somewhere like OWC, Refurb Madness, and Mac Solutions are good places to start. Of course, if you have an older Mac laying around, that you don't use, this would be the cheapest and easiest way to get them a computer.

Remember that they are beginners, so if you hand them an old Mac, with just the system software, they aren't going to be too happy. Before you send it off to them, install a few games (give them the original disk as well, no piracy ;) ), a word processor and drawing program, and some internet utilities. Set them up with a cheap, reliable ISP (read not AOL). The main thing everyone wants to do when they buy a computer is surf the web, so you should make this as easy as you can for them.

Your works not done yet. When you visit them, new/used computer in hands, you will need to spend a little time with them. If you drop it off and leave, it might end up in the trash. Take a couple hours to show them some basic skills like mouse movement, keyboard use, opening and closing stuff, surfing the web, and other general tasks. It is critical you don't give them too much information, as they will just get turned off by the complexity. Also, be prepared to receive the occasional "Why won't this work?" phone call.

Once they get used to the idea of computing, you can teach them more advanced topics. Simple troubleshooting and maintenance, cleaning up the hard drive, and maybe printing if they are so inclined. The more they learn, the fewer midnight calls you will be getting, and the more fun this whole process is. In fact, if you are going to teach them some basic troubleshooting skills, it might be worth it to print out a copy of my troubleshooting tips for their reference.

Soon enough, they'll be having more fun than they ever imagined. They'll be wanting new peripherals, new software, and new Macs. Your relationship will exponentially increase, and you will have created a new Mac user. I think you deserve a pat on the back for all your hard work...wait a minute, you haven't done anything yet. The time is now to get out there, and help some elderly people learn the ways of the Macintosh.