Computer designed for seniors comes with unpleasant surprises
In my opinion, the thousand dollar computer offer prepared especially for seniors is the swindle of the month.
The plan is advertised as assisting seniors in using their new computers. I visited the website and read the ad after a customer contacted us with problems, and I can see why they still have issues.
The tech support contract should protect them against defects or, at least, help customers resolve issues. However, sadly, it did not.
The purchase came with an extra monthly charge for tech support. After contacting tech support in an effort to fix problems, the customer feels they didn’t get what they paid for and now they’re “stuck” with a computer that appears to be a complete dud.
Old technology
The pitch is designed to ensnare unknowing senior citizens into buying a computer that shouldn’t be sold as new in today’s market. It’s old technology, with software features that are now available on the web for free.
The features highlighted in the advertisement include the ability to “send photos” and “search Google.” Seniors can also “use Facebook.” Oh my, how exciting. But wait, there’s more: Communicate with your friends and “make restaurant reservations.” It just doesn’t get any more special than that, does it?
The hardware offers an old (two versions or more old) Celeron CPU. Technically, this CPU can’t do math because the math co-processor is disabled. How much would you pay for a giant calculator (computer as the name implies) that can’t do math?
In addition, this 19-inch all-in-one comes with 4GB of old-style RAM, Windows 8 and an extremely slow hard drive. Perhaps the worst hard drive in the world, in my opinion. There is no CD or DVD drive, and who knows what the motherboard is.
Support is not locally based, but in Houston. And they are open half a day.
They are charging three times as much as this old clunker’s retail value. But hold on, it has software, too. Not anything anyone uses anymore, but it does have a word processor. Not Word, Excel or Outlook. No, you pay extra for that.
Questions are extra
Speaking about extras, the tech support subscription is $19.99 a month on a long-term contract. For that, you get to ask questions. However, the answers are cryptic, and I cannot see how they fix anything. That’s why the customer called us.
By the way, Internet security isn’t included from what I can tell. I am sure if it did have anti-virus, it would be in big bold letters.
I believe seniors deserve more than a broken-down, 4-year-old model that is overpriced and underpowered. If you love your moms and dads or have senior friends and relatives, help them avoid this stuff.
In my opinion, stay away from MyGait Elite II Computer.
William Claney is an independent tech writer and former owner of Computers USA in the Clayton Station. Email questions or comments to willclaney@gmail.com.