I Bought a $1,300 Computer Made for Seniors - Krazy Ken's Tech Misadventures
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- Опубликовано: 30 сен 2024
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The WOW Computer is made for seniors and it's valued at $1,300. Today, Krazy Ken tests it out…
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hi
I know seniors who are on Second Life and so on and so yea... they will need a decent graphics card which does not need to be the best one out there either I guess but yes... and that computer is pretty damn bad lol.
Do you know if is possible to use it like a monitor for another pc gaming?
Senior citizens who have no experience of computers already don't need and certainly don't want a computer costing $1300, this is just an outright scam to rip off old people .
I'm only 40, but for nearly the past 17 years I've worked for a non profit that deals with seniors where I run a senior center in my small town that's part of meals on wheels as well, and you have no idea how many of these types of scams I've come across over the years trying to talk to seniors like they are dumb as dirt to put it nicely from senior home Telephones to senior smartphones, and tablets that are usually cheap out of date Chinese junk with a UI skin slapped on it at an inflated price point.
One that's not really a scam, but drives me nuts with their marketing in how they talk to seniors is Consumer Cellular with products named "Grandpad" with marketing slogans like "They will love all the ways they can stay in touch!!" and only $12 a month for 24 months!!!, plus it charges from the wall. 🤦♂️
@@CommodoreFan64 when you charge nothing it's hard to pay for quality marketing. But they know their audience, they talk to them like you talk to them.
@@TheMysteryDriver spot on
If I wanted to get a computer for my grandma I’d get a Chromebook. Cheap, easy to use, and it can be configured with plenty of accessibility features.
"senior citizens" have loads of experience of computers. They are also very adaptable. I set up linux mint for my just retired next door neighbour, and showed 91 year old neighbour how to skype and email their daughter in Australia on their little laptop.
And yes ... it is party central where I live. ;)
I'm a "senior citizen" at 72 and I use a 27" Mac and a couple of laptops, one with Windows 10 on it and one running Linux Mint. That system would drive me crazy although my sister-in-law might find it easier to use than her Windows machine. No way is it worth $1200, though.
IBM, Dell, or Xerox. Which one is your history?
So the "secret" why is this computer is so sub par is because its, probably, some cheap-sh Chinese OEM computer that goes for 200-300$ as a "thin client" and they don't actually build it themselves.
I don't want to be rude but I would like if you could answer some of my questions that popped up reading this comment.
How long have you been using computers for?
Don't you find it difficult to adapt to changes when companies decide to change the design/icon locations/whatever?
When did you start using computers and for what reason?
Do you find the internet enjoyable and fun?
Probably the most important question: are you aware of the "dangers" of the internet? Who taught you (if that's applicable) to use the internet "properly"?
I hope you're safe during these hard times and healthy as ever!
I think it's more of the stereotypically computer illiterate baby-boomer generation this computer was designed for...
Although I agree, this computer isn't worth $1300 lol
exactly. something that costs $1200 shouldn’t have the specs of a $170 laptop.
This is very reminiscent of my 11 year old HP Pavilion laptop, except that the laptop had around 500gb of storage compared to 32 gb on this, along with it using windows 10 and not costing $1,300.
You’re paying the $1.3k moreso for the software than the hardware really, considering that accessibility software in general is marked up super high
my old sandy bridge dv6 would run marathons around this thing
@@zach446 yep. my old hp pavilion dv6 (amd a8-3520m model) would probably be faster than this thing
I'm pretty sure my first PC from my childhood had better specs than this PC in every possible aspect
You mean windows 7?
I remember that thing. I set it up for a senior once and it really was that laggy and slow. She was so excited to have a computer though. She was like “I got a WOW computer!”
Aww.. sounds like a sweet person. So excited for the new computer
The reality is that seniors can't even ask their relatives for help over the phone because they've never used a WOW computer. This happened to my great aunt.
That's a good point. My mother is 87 and uses a desktop Windows 10 machine for basic things like e-mail, online banking, and Amazon shopping. When she needs tech support, she calls me, and I can usually figure out what's going on because I'm thoroughly familiar with Windows 10. If she were using a touchscreen iMac knockoff running a Linux distro I've never heard of with some kind of custom UI on top of that, I wouldn't be much help to her. Heck, I wasn't even able to help my sister recently, because she's still running Windows 8, which I never used, and the UI is so different that I just don't know my way around.
Just as many young people struggle with computers, I'm seventy one years old. I had to set up a computer for my 45 year old friend.
that's why whenever I set up a new computer for an older person I just install KDE Neon And Google Chrome or Firefox depending on what they've used before, I set up a couple of small scripts to have it do some things automatically And then it's all set. All I have to do is show them how to use the app store and where the icons are and it's all good to go. And if they need help with anything, that's really easy because of the fact that I can set up the interface in such a way that it's easy for them to understand what I'm saying and to relay information back to me putting clear distinct icons on everything
The full name should probably be "Wow... I cannot believe that anyone would pay this much for this junk" But i can see the marketing issues that that would incur.
More like:wow...this computer is shit
The best thing about it is that it runs Linux.
@@ccricers I mean it’s a good choice
Wow! Thanks for buying this steaming pile of shit.
Computers Recycled for Aged People??? crap?
I met a 70 yo taxi driver the other day and he talked about playing red dead redemption 2 on his gaming PC setup at home. Seemed like a super chill dude who knows more about computers than I do lol
Most seniors in the gaming community know more about computers than everyone else.
dude thats awesome!
@@nikkiofthevalley Because back then we used to build our own computers. Or had to hack stuff to get it to work. Nowadays it's just "console jockeys". Folks who couldn't tell the difference between a RAM module and an SSD.
@@SandsOfArrakis That last one is uhh fairly obvious that they're different things. One's a rectangle, one's squarish. (Generally, at least. I've seen some weird stuff in laptops.)
Imagine haviNG a more computer literate parent or grandparent you would be a pretty lucky person
So something I think you might find interesting, while working in IT I learned that some old people really like gaming laptops. Gaming laptops tend to have big screens, loud speakers and most importantly back lit keyboards making them perfect for older people. I’ve mostly seen them with asus rog laptops but I’ve also had a really old guy bring in a 17 inch Alienware laptop from 2008ish. It’s funny to me every time it happens and it happens a lot more than you’d expect
my grand uncle has a very modern MSI gaming laptop he uses. but he isnt really impaired in any major way he just really likes playing graphic intensive games like world of warships.
also because he can brag about having a powerful machine.
My grandpa has a gaming keyboard on his PC, and he loves it!
Huh, that is an interesting fact. Makes sense, even if it seems counterintuitive.
Interesting. As an older person who still works from home, I switched to a gaming keyboard because it's tactile, more accurate, has the backlit easier to see letters - and the changing colours are cool. :D I am, at this time, looking to replace my laptop and started wondering about gaming laptops as I went along.
I showed my grandparents this video and my grandfather couldn’t stop laughing, he has a Lenovo IdeaPad with eight gigs of RAM in a 256 GB SSD. He picked it out, really good machine.
If he wanted a really really good machine he would bought a ThinkPad...
An ideapad stan!
@@kornaros96 I think it's safe to say that a ThinkPad and/or an Apple Sillicon MacBook could be considered the best laptops one can get right now
@@heavy0119 and since I'm anti-Apple, ThinkPad it is.
@@kornaros96Framework is also a valid choice for the more expensive end of the smaller laptop market. (Also, very repairable.)
I’ve met two types of senior citizens:
Ones who don’t want a computer at all, and ones for whom this computer isn’t going to be enough.
Nah there's a middle ground, my parents who are both in their 70s would benefit from something like this as they find a regular PC to just be a little too overwhelming. Problem is the price, $1300 is a lot for a retired person on a fixed income and what happens when support goes away? A good tablet with a nice big screen is my usual recommendation for a senior who just wants to have a PC to stay in touch with family online, or video chat with grandkids.
@@Zerbey I'm 65. You can hit up ebay and do much better than this.
I have a theory - this is a computer intended for Nursing Home grift. Senior at a nursing home asks for a computer, the nursing home charges $1500 to their account, the senior doesn’t know any better or know how much they paid for this. Nobody in their right mind would pay this much for their grandmother to have a computer.
This is scary plausible.
People are fucked up. Taking advantage of and exploiting even the elderly.
@@DistinguishedSombrero Even if it's not done by a nursing home, this machine's existence alone and high price is absolutely exploitative. If it was more reasonably priced for what you were getting, there's a lot here that would be *fine* for most seniors - the concept of an OS geared towards a population that's either tech-adverse, has a deficit in technical understanding, or is easily confused when things behave in unexpected ways, is a good one. Just not in the package presented here.
Yeah that price reeks like it was intended for governments etc who won’t notice it’s over priced nor care because it’s not “their” money…..
I bought for my grandmother refurbished HP office PC. i5-4590 - iGPU, 8GB DDR3, 120GB SSD, fine and silent cooling, works fine for her youtube, news , documents, photos etc + it's upgradable too
76 years here and I still build (assemble, really) my own PCs from the case up. Old geeks never die.
Do you play VR?
geek on brother!
That's what I hope to be like as I age. I am 35 and have been building PC's since I was 10. I really don't think it's possible for tech to go too fast for an older person if that person has always had a finger on its pulse. I know an 80 year old woman who plays FF14 on PC and many console games like Call of Duty
We're actually getting to the point where first generation computer nerds that are responsible for the whole computer industry are senior citizens and the younger generation will no longer think of them as old people from a generation that knows nothing about computers, after all Bill Gates is 66 years old.
@@christianskjod3440 Sadly, she probably is better at COD than me. I'm happy when I don't get last if I play with a friend lol.
i feel like an iPad is way cheaper and has accessibility options built in, plus it’ll probably last a lot longer since a lot of seniors probably won’t feel the need to upgrade their iPad until stuff just doesn’t work.
iOS/Android totally defeat the purpose of any of these custom made systems. This is 10 years too late.
@@Locomamonk the UI looks like it may have been right on tie and then sold unchanged for 10 years.
My parents are not techies but they have been consumers for over 70 years. They love upgrading their iPad and other electronics. Plenty of older people enjoy new tech or believe they need the latest and greatest.
the iPad is also a much more powerful machine too
I tend to reccomend ipads to our older customers, espically if they are retired because if they just need a facebook and email machine ipads work great, and they seem easeier for them to use even when compared to a chromebook, plus gettting malware on an ipad is little more of a challenge.
What a dystopic message to seniors on their home screen... " don't cry because it's over...?"
notice the IRS wants your money back🤣
I think the bad graphics performance is due to the Linux install not using hardware graphical acceleration correctly. Probably they made the software 10 years ago and just slapped it onto "newer" hardware.
That's a very likely cause that they did not update the Kernel modules, as Tiny Linux can run on less than 300MB of RAM smooth as butter when that's done, and I'm sure this custom interface is not taking up more than a few 100MB of RAM itself.
Tiny Core Linux and no drivers. Brilliant move.
That intel cellery is older than that kernel! I had a 4core AMD Athlon Phenom ten years ago! The bad graphics are from running a 1080p display from a 1,5MHz single core Intel cellery APU (on board graphics) with only 2GB of RAM. That's more like what I had 20 years ago!
It has no hardware acceleration, and software acceleration only fakes it as good it can.
you can really tell because of the old website logos
@@Bob-of-Zoid 4 core. But that doesn't mean its good. Also those celeron cores I believe are weaker than even the AMD phenom II x4 chip you had
“I don’t really like Cox” 🤣🤣
can't relate 🥴
I almost spit my drink out when he said that..intentionally or not.
I worked for Cox's call center for like half a year, and it was the ACTUAL worst. Nobody likes Cox.
Classic stealth comment-it may be unintentional but if it wasn't,it was CLASSIC.
Yeah I caught that one 😂
If it would be much cheaper, like 200-300USD it would be bearable. But this way it is just terribly overpriced.
Not to mention they straight up lies like having 8 usb ports and the god awful lie of "premium sound" and stero speakers. My god a jbl go 3 which is like 30 bucks sounds better than this garbage of a scam product.
Max 100usd for this garbage.
@@Baner496 yeah
@@champion1859
I don’t think there’s any regulations for sound quality because so many products claim to have ‘premium sound’.
Or maybe the word ‘premium’ has completely lost its meaning.
(I’ve lost trust).
@@JACKHARRINGTON I'm pretty sure it's ladder only to know for sure is to test it yourself.
My now deceased partner bought one of these back in 2013-ish, shortly before I met him. I obviously would not recommend this due to the high price, choked hardware, and limited software. But I was able to install a full Linux distro on his WOW Computer using separate partitions so he could still dual boot into the default limited WOW OS. The only problem with that was whenever WOW updated the bootloader, it did not respect the other distro so I had to come and add it back.
My grandmother ordered this without my knowledge a month or two ago… Seemed like a good idea until I saw the specs then I was wondering why it would cost so much for something with little R&D in it 🤔
You should still be able to send it back. Clone the drive first if she really needs the operating system. Put it on some old hardware. It'll run way better!
@@runed0s86 I really don’t understand why they didn’t sell the OS instead of the hardware 😂
I mean the hardware is abnormally insufficient, even older PCs are better…
The return date expired on it though so I decided to keep it as a historical novelty item… It’s a pretty interesting piece of tech… I wish she’d asked me before buying…
@@prestonferryprobably because a 80 year old grandparent wouldnt know how to flash a os to a computer
@@cassiuscartland but most of them have children or caregivers that could do it for them, and they could have step by step instructions on how to do it…
@@cassiuscartlandAre you the new ‘x’? I see you everywhere, in replies.
Seniors would probably rather buy an iPad as it is simpler to use.
Hi, just an edit.
I love the feedback that many people are giving. I still stand with my opinion but I love everybody's ideas.
Yea, and it would easier to get help and support for an iPad. Probably would last longer too.
That’s what I told my dad to do after he retired and moved to Florida. He doesn’t need anything beyond a basic web browser and a few other things that he can get as dedicated apps instead of websites.
Works just as well as him having a dedicated computer but cheaper and still does more than he needs.
Knowing my seniors, they'd rather walk to buy newspapers than screw around with turning on a computer.
I use and iPad to watch this video and the captions turned on automatically, I think we have something.
@@xEqualsRandom apple has options to bump the text size in the os for bad visibility
I'd "build" them a better system for half the price. No touchscreen though. If they want a touchscreen an iPad is a waaay better and cheaper option.
I'm a senior (68) and even I'd build a better system for half the price. And I do agree with the iPad comment. It worked out way better for my older, non-computer literate brother and his wife.
half? the hardware is 89 dollars tops
My mom loves her ipad.. but at 78 she isn't exactly computer illeterate.. in the sense that she has no trouble using a typical Windows pc, and getting basic issues with software and connectivity solved, and if not, whom to call and what to ask them... but she totally can't be bothered to figure out the specs of a PC if she wants a new one. Just an actually honest attempt to sell a decent computer without either going overboard on 'gaming related' stuff, or it being an overpriced scam would do fine for her, and many people in her position.
There also are services for people like her which cost around 15 euro or so a month, gets someone to take a look every so often for security related issues, help picking a new computer etc, and a helpdesk specialized in working with those who did not grow up with all this technology existing. Much better to spend money on that than on an overpriced piece of junk like this.
Half ? the the whole cpu with a larger 320gb hard drive would cost around 97 dollars. And a 21.5 inch touch screen monitor from acer would cost around 282 dollars. Thats a total $379.
Or if you have the $1300, just buy a 24" iMac M1 which is 2708 % faster than this piece of crap (Yes, I actually compared the imac m1 processor to the celeron)
Ah yes the Intel Celery.
Should I get a Intel core icarrot for this because it might be needed to be upgraded from the celery / Intel core islow?
I like the AMD Raisin.
Yeah, I think the premium price reflects the support. There is a group of down trodden support agents that take abuse from seniors that forgot their password. When my Mom first started talking about getting one, I wasn't sure but, I am not in the same state or town as she so I appreciated the support feature. She is not a big computer person so, just having something that allows her to throw or receive an email is pretty comforting to her. I have never seen her unit, so I appreciate your review. She likes it and the support staff has been very good to her.
Thing is nobody would need their help were it not for this trash OS
@@KaitouKaiju Pretty sure my Mom would need support no matter what OS was there.
They’d probably be better off just making it a Os instead of selling these shitboxes. But they’re probably making a lot of cash ripping people off.
The quotes are always so uplifting.
"Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened."
"Live like there really is no tomorrow."
"Good morning is better than the alternative."
"Any day above ground is just procrastination."
Hey, thanks for the automated response. I've always seen something in the WOW! that most folk nowadays never would if their life depended solely on that wonder device.
For $1,300 I would just buy a 24” M1 iMac.
Yeah honestly that's the part that chafes me. $1300 for this piece of crap is a rip-off, and THAT is the part seniors should be offended by, not that it's a computer with training wheels.
That’s what i was thinking…. A Mac would do a hell lot more for that kind of money…. (Plus you’d have the real thing this was copying) it’s like that meme “mom can we get (insert product here) mom : we have that at home….. thing at home…..
Plus, MacOS has a simple UI mode for tech illiterate people.
EDIT: Looks like this mode was removed not long ago. Oh well.
$1,300 with the Apple tax gets you 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD.
The Wow computer is a NIGHTMARISH rip-off.
@@benanderson89 it does? I should show my sister that on my Mac… she just wants a computer that’s easy to use and gets out of her way (she’s a college prof and hates windows)
you know the computer is terrible when it cost 1300 and you are impressed that it has multi touch.
Damn. I can't believe they made that GUI on top of Tiny Core. That's quite impressive, but still not $1300 impressive
My grandmother actually had a Telikin Touch and when it was passed down to me, I HATED it for its frustrating (resistive) touch screen, even after installing Windows 7 on it. She BARELY used it at all because it was obnoxiously cumbersome, not to mention that her health was taking a turn for the worst by the time she picked up that fragile, fragile mouse. The kickstand also CRACKED while adjusting my workstation.
I was able to salvage that 320GB hard drive (probably SATA) after punching the $850 ripoff and shattering its digitizer.
This is an extra reason the Wii did well, a decade ago I always would see a Wii in any retirement home and retirement homes are a big market (because it had easy to access sports and light activity games though I suppose a PSW or nurse could help them with the menus if they had trouble). Nowadays the Wii's have stopped working and administrators have been throwing them out, so I don't see them as often.
This thing looks dangerously easy to knock over.
Don’t worry, the grandkids won’t be allowed to touch it
@@Seth_Arvila They'll install all the viruses (proceeds to click on all the pop-ups).
@@Seth_Arvila Yeah, that'll work.
Pretty much inherent danger of the aio form factor
That was their intention!
Call me a snowflake, but I resent the representation of Seniors as being non tech savvy. Remember we grew up and learned tech through the early days of computers and the interweb, and many of us have kept up with the changes as time has sped by. I wouldn't own one of these if you gave it to me, but I do plan on picking up a Raspberry Pi 4 for myself for Christmas.
“Senior citizen” is and not very useful since it’s just based on age and age is just a number.
Here are some relevant senior citizens who surely don’t want this product: Tim Berners-Lee, Bill Gates, & Larry Ellison, to name a few.
What products like this SHOULD be framed as is accessibility devices for people with difficulties related to visual, motor, or cognitive abilities, regardless of age.
I'm sure Not All Old People, but I've spent too many hours showing my grandma where the Internet is to entirely discount this as a useful shorthand
Capitalism cultivates demographics as exploitable, and the consumer becomes the commodity.
Ok
@@justins8802 products like this are scams. This product is a scam.
Get them an Android Tablet for $250 and you can make it equally as large (interface) and make it the way you want. Put a custom launcher and you're all set.
$1300 for a Linux PC with specs from 1998.
Buy them iPad or iMac for the same price
My grandpa bought a cheap Samsung phone and he even learnt by himself how to download the songs from his time on RUclips.
I got my Nana, who is 85, a standard iPad for $330 as well as a $150 keyboard and it is perfect for her. She’s been using an iPhone for a decade now so, it felt familiar and she easily and instantly knew how to use it and she’s been extremely happy with it and I’m happy with it because I know it will come with 5 to 7 years of software support at the least and will just work for what she needs. She’s become extremely tech savvy for someone in their mid 80s that she now uses an iPhone 14 Pro, her iPad, wears an Apple Watch SERIES 7 and we recently got her a Google NEST doorbell cam and a 7in NEST HUB display to use in her kitchen as an intercom and security display for said security camera as well as a way to listen to music and I just gave her a Chromecast that she now streams her content with. All of this tech, excluding her iPhone, was much cheaper and much more easy to use and with many more features and power than this piece of scammy e-waste…
stereo should atleast be stereo if your going to make that claim selling it as a computer feature I am just saying
I had somebody hire me to set one of these up for him, and it was the single biggest nightmare of my life. Hardware failures, bad operating system, shit settings, all sorts of problems. I hated it.
My dad is 83 and has no problems with his PC. He's still crankier than hell. He would be really cranky if he saw a link for the Huffington Post on his homepage.
My dad is 60 and uses a 2nd gen i3 SFF PC he got from ebay for $55 and it suits his needs just fine, aka buying stuff off ebay, autozone, rock auto, checking emails, and watching youtube.
I didn't know they still used a crank.😹😹😹
Smart dad
"DAMN HUFFY PUFFY POST?!"
Now we need a teardown!!!
The best senior computer is honestly just whatever they’re already familiar with. I got my step mom a Surface with Steam and a few table top games, and she loves it.
can confirm. my grandmothers vaio laptop with windows 7 bit the dust so we got her a chromebook. the ui is juuuuuust close enough to windows 7 that she doesnt mind using it
Surface is bad, get an ipad, mac or a pc
$1300 for a school chromebook and a mediocre at best software suite. Nice.
Meanwhile my 80 year old grandmother has a computer that is linked up to her sewing machine. She downloads patterns and embroids them into the clothes she makes.
"That must be why we're not shippin’ Windows 98 yet." I burst out laughing. Thank you, Ken.
I think an IPad would be a better buy for a senior than this.
@@nnnnnn3647 my stepmother uses one all the time. I think my dad should either get an iPad for himself or a laptop.
The 15-year-old Core 2 Duo laptop I slapped Linux in to give to my 80-year-old father has more power than that thing, and it definitely didn't cost me $1,300, and isn't stuck on an interface that looks like 2006 called and wants its airport ticket kiosk back.
14:39 he doesn’t really like cox . . . 😔😔😔
I'm 68 1/2 yrs old, I was looking at the WOW site. 1)the system is way underpowered, 2) the OS is Tiny Core Linux which is Open Source OS using GNU Operating System. so they did not pay much for the OS. just setting up the WOW Graphic Interface which is simple. like you said they did not want to pay MS for an OEM license for Windows. if they did use Windows, I bet it would have been either "XP or Windows 7". LOL. I enjoy your videos and get a laugh about them. I worked for DEC & Wang Labs in the late 70s & 80s, I was working on Hard drives (RP06 & RP07s) that were the Size of Washing Machines (10 platters that were 14" dia & 19 r/w heads & 1 Servo head), The computers were PDP 11/34A, 11/55, 11/70s... & the VAX 780, & VAX 11/750 on the DEC side & VS60 & VS90 on the Wang Labs side plus the CDC disk drives that like DEC were rebadged CDC Drives.
U look incredible as a senior citizen lol
Get off my lawn
Where does your lawn end ?
@@Blizz6311 It doesn't.
@@ComputerClan "OH MARTHA!" lol
@@ComputerClanJeez, Mr. Wilson
What products like this SHOULD be framed as is accessibility devices for people with difficulties related to visual, motor, or cognitive abilities, regardless of age.
They should also be high quality and not scams.
Font too small for accessibility.
This looks exactly like a Philips CDi system or a Kiosk computer from the 90’s. :)
Or a PhotoPlay terminal
I kept expecting the cast of "Friends" to show up and walk us through its features, like in those old Windows 95 ads.
Many of today's grandparents have used computers at work. I was once a Certified Information Systems Auditor and I'm almost 70. I've built a couple PCs, etc. The assumption that "seniors" can't handle computers is getting to be a more and more outdated concept.
the tearing is due to linux not having support for older graphics driver. Ik this as both my parents have nearly £1000 laptops from around 2010 maybe. Both of them had good nvidia graphics drivers for their time and didnt tear on windows 10
So how old are seniors in this day and age? I’m 59 and would never consider this piece of seniorware 😂
Same here. For this thing, I think the definition of senior needs to be about 95.
@@stevenemert837 exactly
hahaha! Seniorware!! 😂😂
Yeah, it's a ludicrous generalisation. The purpose could have been expressed without the "comedy" agist bullshit, and the shortcomings gone into.
About 65.
My grandparents got one of these well over a decade ago and to my surprise, the thing is still chugging along to this day. My grandfather passed away in April of this year, but he used this thing constantly. The computer comes with 24x7 support and they have been usually very helpful, friendly, and easy to reach.
When I first found out they'd bought it, I was support worried they'd been scammed. But the weird, janky OS and UI really is great for seniors that aren't used to using tech. It's design sensibilities are freaking alien to anyone that is even remotely familiar with tech... but there actually is a method to the janky madness.
It ain't fast, it ain't pretty, but if you need something to allow an elderly family member to do basic web stuff and photo management... it's not bad. You're not paying for the quality of the tech, as much as the UI and support that comes with it. It's a niche product, but in that niche... you could do a LOT worse.
Ok that makes a lot more of sense, since tablets with iOS or Android weren't as popular back then and everyone on the internet were still using computers. Great insights!
@@Locomamonk Yeah I actually tried getting them a couple different tablets but they just couldn't get the hang of them. Can't explain why, but my grandparents just kinda seemed to get this things UI, even when the simplicity of the tablets eluded them.
It wouldn't be my choice in pc, but my 91 and 93yo grandparents do almost everything they need on it.
Is it the same configuration as your grandfather's?
@@ZhoRZh37 Nah, theirs is pretty old. It's roughly similar looking and has a touch screen... but pretty sure the specs on it are way way way older.
It seems elderly people need an all encompassing UI that has words rather than symbols with categories that includes every single action they will ever practically need.
So rather than learn to use menus like [File] [Open] [New] etc. They need [Save this photo] [Write a new letter] all as seperate commands on the same screen under one category etc ..
It's not that they can't learn the usual menu system, it's that this way is a lot easier for them. They, more than any other age group wants to get the job done, ie photo saved, email sent, rather than learn to use the machine.
Hey, Im over 50 (grand dad age), not sure I wont be playing the odd game of Quake 19 in 2035, when Id be 65, its really quite possible! Maybe not against 13 year old twitch monkies, but still. I guess this kit needs to be prefixed with, for seniors with no tech use background at all. Surely most seniors today could get by with an ipad? Also, better for use on lap, when watching TV etc.
More seriously, I have realised this year, that its quite possible that Ill be 60+ when Fallout 5 is released. Come on Bethesda, Im sure you can make more than one game at a time?!
TLDR; I agree.
Almost all of my Senior customers get by great in Windows or Mac. They then have their Android or Apple smartphone, and they undoubtedly have smart TVs at home. They play anything from just Solitaire to RedDead2, and Flight Sims. It's rare they need help as they are quite used to just figuring it out on their own. Save for a very FEW who just can't, at all, you are almost always better off just showing them how to do that one thing they can't quite get, than having our expectations so low as to believe they are incapable.
@@DennisCrouse Yep, the seniors of today, were the late middle aged of the 90s. They were using tech, just as we are now, ok it was pre iPhone and iPad etc. But those devices made using tech a LOT easier. So current seniors should be a spread of the tech super literate, all the way to those who have no clue, and scan still scrape by on a tablet and mobile.
Im surprised at 50 that I still have the reflexes to do ok in games like Fallout, without using VATS. But sure, Im not fool enough to pit myself against a 13 year old in reflex based games. For this reason, I dont tend to game online at all anymore. BTW, I do have a small claim to fame. I worked on a Bitmap Brothers game, Z, from 93-95, and we used to test play it after work. Its an action strategy game, and I used to win most games. I do wonder how I would do now...
The WOW computer seems to be easier for that grandpa who saw the prompt "App installed, close the window to continue" and he closed the window... that's in the house and that... didn't work... since HE NEEDED TO CLOSE THE ACTUAL PROGRAM WINDOW TO CONTINUE AND HE DIDN'T KNOW SO THEY BOUGHT HIM A WOW COMPUTER TO MAKE THINGS EASIER... WHEN IN REALITY, HE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MINESWEEPER WORKED
SPAM COMMENT BOTS ARE NOT ALLOWED
The biggest issue I have with this machine (although I'm no senior), is that the text appears tiny. What's the point of a custom UI if you don't make the text large?
That UI is hardly "simplified." There's no visual hierarchy at all. If I was a computer novice I would have no idea where to get started. Nevermind if I was visually impaired.
My grandparents got one of these and never learned how to use it. I assumed it was only a 100 dollar machine judging from the build quality. When I heard 1300 dollars my jaw dropped. My grandparents bought a 1300 dollar device and basically used it as a paperweight🤦♂️
I suspect this thing won't be on the market very long before Apple sues them to oblivion!
I seriously doubt Tim Cook would be alive to sue them, because he'd be dying laughing, as the Apple IIc would play Lemonade Stand a lot better than the WOW (Way Overpriced Window) does.
fun fact: the video chat app is actually based on skype, meaning the other person doesnt actually have to have a WOW! Computer
Instead of just hoarding it in a corner to have a 1300$ stylus for your iphone, donate it to an old folks home for a right off. Edit, I take it back, just throw it in the corner.
They must’ve stopped supporting that WOW computer if there’s no more games for it
WOW is NOW I guess 😅
I would have loved to see the browser's useragent just to see what is was running under the hood
Im also curious if ctrl+alt+f2 would have given a tty, but idk if tinycore even supports that natively
This quickly started to turn into a "scam tech" video.
You've mocked "Senior Citizens" 27 times in 4 minutes. I'm going to be 71 in 2 weeks........That plants me directly in the #seniorcitizen category. One more knock and I'll be sending a 25 pound box of USED adult diapers to your home. 😳 #respectyourelders :)
this is meh looks like a piece of crap better off for senior citizens to buy an IMAC much better quality and useablity. I can see apple sueing them for major copyright due to the form factor its so identical.
Imagine the "speed" of this with an HDMI and VGA monitor hooked up to it.
I wonder if it would even extend the display, or just clone it.
If you do another video on this, I would love to see a tear down, and spot that amazing high-quality stereo speaker.
Probably clone it….
Honestly tearing might just be up to not implementing a good compositor, since it seems like they're running their own WM on top of GTK. I'd be curious to get into a terminal and see what all is running.
I don't think it's using GTK as he said the OS on this thing is based on Tiny Core Linux which uses BusyBox and FLTK, but regardless same, and how much ram usage the whole thing is using as base Tiny Core can run on a single core CPU with less than 300MB of RAM.
Looks like a homebrew version of IceWM in a way. Kinda like Puppylinux when it first came around.
I bought one of these at a rummage sale--for $5. I finally figured out how to blow away the lousy OS and installed a useful Linux distro. I need to add memory to improve performance, but really it's not much more than a cheap/bottom-end laptop in an all-in-one case. It's a monumental rip-off of gullible customers.
I'm only 58 and I found this to be a very condescending review. "What grampa needs" etc... We're not children. And don't forget that many of us were pioneers in computing. The review excelled when it dealt with quality and accessibility issues. You've done better work. And I'll keep subscribing. Party on, Ken.
32GB flash, 2 GB RAM, a quad-core Celeron and a Linux-based OS. Oh, my sides. A very big $80 phone that you can't make phone calls with. Total ripoff.
I suspect that a large part of the "video performance" issue is that they are not running a desktop compositor with OpenGL support. If you try to run a graphical Linux UI without OpenGL desktop composition, it tears and is laggy.
I am viewing this video without a compositing environment, and videos won't lag.
@@rootbrian4815 Video playback isn't usually affected, it's the window drawing. Try moving a window around the screen. Without a compositor it is up to the application to implement vsync to prevent tearing of window updates. When you drag a window around the screen the window manager is redrawing it, but without vsync it tears. If your window doesn't tear when you move it around the screen then the window manager is using vsync and probably OpenGL.
@@eformance The rendering usually freezes when the window is moved around (and instantly resumes when released). Yeah, not a composition thing. Then again, I keep video windows maximised to avoid such a problem.
I remember hearing about this brand from somewhere in the past. From memory, one of the main reasons why the computer costs so much isn't so much the hardware but rather a good portion of the cost goes to their tech support so the person can call in with any questions that may come up when using their products.
Still overpriced even with that.
since I bet they will be calling a lot, it makes a lot more sense
@@Locomamonk Why exactly? I was going to post a joke reply about it being because it's Linux, but why would they be calling more than the average call center gets called?
@@nikkiofthevalley because they are confused seniors.
@@free_gold4467
Also, there's no reliable way of troubleshooting if you lose the manual
My grandparents would be insulted if I gave this to them.
Where can i find a copy of the OS that these computers used? I would love to play with it in virtualbox... Also, i would love to see the inside of one of these...
As usual, comments are filled with ignorant opinions based on a lack of knowledge. Unlike 90 percent of these doofuses who never saw a Wow computer I had two of them and liked them. Generally good computers are not cheap but whatever I liked Wow and think it is fine.
It would be interesting to bring in an actual senior citizen and get their take on it.
It's a piece of crapware. I'm 70. There, done.
I’m 61 and this is junk for the utterly clueless.
I don't know why they chose Tiny Core out of all things - tiny core is very basic and depending on the ISO you get it has a lot of the drivers stripped down. I wonder if that has to do with the WiFi issue.
Would not surprise me one bit on the WiFi, and also the composting issues he was running into, but I have a feeling they went with Tiny Core because it uses so few system resources. It honestly could have worked had they actually put in the effort to add the proper WiFi driver to the kernel, and enable hardware compositing in the kernel as well.
@@CommodoreFan64 Ah yeah, it probably didnt have any GPU drivers either. Even though there probably isn't one anyway.
@@CommodoreFan64 they should've used ubuntu or debian IMO, those are very lightweight when combined with something like LXQT and use ~500mb RAM on idle.
@@yotoprules9361 No thanks on Ubuntu it's become a bloated mess not even worth touching. a Pure Debian base with the tweaks needed for the hardware would work, or something like Q4OS Trinity with all the drivers baked in which is based on debian with TDE(Trinity Desktop Environment) which is based on old school KDE before it went all fancy, and got bloated. I run the 32bit version on my ACER Aspire One ZG5 mini netbook and even with the Original HDD, an Intel Atom N270 @1.66Ghz and 1.5GB of DDR2 RAM(it's max) with 32bit Chromium Browser it's the only currently supported 32 bit Linux distro that will play YT videos at 480p on such low hardware resources. The only other OS that comes close is Haiku OS which has its own set of issues.
@@CommodoreFan64lubuntu runs on anything I've thrown it at, including my netbooks. (the 64bit ones) for the 32bit ones I use SparkyLinux which is based on debian and uses lxqt.
>Makes PC for senior citizens
>Puts an obscure Linux distro on it
Well it's lite distro. And I'm surprise it's on this device.
That part makes perfect sense actually. A developer can customize Linux completely to what might be useful for their customers, which they did. I remember that my grandmother had a pretty hard time understanding Windows XP back in the day.
However, it seems like the kernel hasn't been updated in ages, resulting in the poor performance. The specs are insanely bad anyway and the amount of seniors that don't know how to use an iPad, Windows MacOS or a simply distro like Mint or Ubuntu seems to be small nowadays.
Maybe 15 years ago this product would have made more sense, but it doesn't make any sense nowdays in it's current state. The price is just insane and seems like a scam at this point.
Tiny Core isn’t obscure, it’s one of the first results when searching ‘minimal linux distro’.
A quad core Celeron for 1300 bucks holy hell lol... I bet it isn't an SSD either let alone an NVMe boot drive (that boot time lol) For 1300$ that software better turn grandma into Steve Wozniak
Just get a surface laptop oldies get on RUclips with it an lookup how to use Windows vids, you just have to learn how to login to yur wifi and how to use Edge first and then get chrome or Firefox, and backup yur files to the cloud or get a usb stick and Dont wiggle it clean push in clean pull out, and use a password manager. And never do anything online unless yur protected by antivirus/Internet security software I would make that yur main action item after you get connected online. I've been using Windows pc's since 1997 every day, but for the last 7 years I favor android tablets, and phones.
Can you dump the OS partition so it's gonna be preserved?
Hopefully he'll just dump directly onto it and then put it in the tip.
Omg my grandfather bought one of these maybe 6 years ago. His first computer was a dell desktop computer, but it was time to replace it. He only started learning how to use a computer in 2005. We only visited him once a month so we weren’t always aware of all of his purchases. We definitely wouldn’t have let him buy this. For references he passed away at 93 2016. As far as we know he enjoyed the computer.
he enjoyed passing away? damn we should all be so lucky
@@ZCJKF13GDG4 edited. Lol
@@100Stratusfiedx
>Bought three years ago
>Passed away in 2016
Maybe it's because you edited it so now it says 8 days ago, but I'm confused lol.
Edit: oh wow, this video was posted 8 days ago. Wtf is up with your math? 😂
@@bjknngbhh lmao I made a typo. He probably bought in 2015 and passes away the following year. Sorry for the confusion
@@100Stratusfiedx You're good! 😂
Speaking strictly on the skeuomorphism of OSX: I loved it and I miss it a lot. Does that make me an old fuddy-duddy? lol
Good video though; I didn't even know this thing existed lol
I’m chill with the skeuomorphic design from a nostalgic perspective. : )
I second that. Everything looks too plain, flat and boring today. Don't even get me started on the UI clusterf*** Windows has become after 7.
@@ComputerClan It's not just the skeuomorphism for me though... I miss 3D buttons, and the general feeling of "depth." As far as general aesthetics go, I loved OSX Snow Leopard, and I *think* Lion was the last 3D version, right(?).
Funny enough though, I actually prefer the flattened UI on my phone, but don't like it on my desktop... I'm definitely an old fuddy-duddy LOL. I don't like it when they change the grocery store around either dammit, and stay off my lawn! :-P
For seniors Android or Apple tablets tend to work pretty well out of the box. These types of os's seem to have a low barrier to entry, and you can give them a case with keyboard and track pad and even a mouse if they wanna use it like a laptop. Honestly seniors aren't all that wrong about computers, they use them when they need them, and tablets have lowered the barrier to entry so much that it's a non issue now.
my 75 year old grandpa know how to use windows 10 and watch RUclips and other stuff and car website including my dad does that to but my grandpa use a computer he uses a hp 2019 computer with 1 tb of memory also he bought ram and upgrade also in 60's he work on those computers that fit in a big room I guess that its a IBM and learned error codes if remembers them my family will be millionaires but life is a downer sometime also you cool videos thank for reading
Like the new intro
Thank you : )
I'm a senior citizen and can use a computer just fine at 71 been using computers since 1978. Quite happy with Windows 11. Basically the WOW! computer is overpriced crap.
Yeah, really. Something like this maybe had a place 20 years ago but you'd be hard-pressed to find a 70-year-old in 2021 who has never used a computer.
Expectation: this will be overpriced condescending trash.
Reality: ... yep.
This is a great informational video that hopefully is viewed by someone buying a computer for their elders. They'll know not to buy this garbage. Nice work!
You should probably open that thing up, seams like an old laptop motherboard inside, also you should try to switch interface with CTRL+ALT+F# (might actually get you in to the terminal) that way you might actually be able to install real software and a real GUI.
Re: the design, I bet they didn't actually design it themselves, but just sourced it from China (along with the accessories) and slapped their own desktop environment on it.
Alibaba
I love you Ken, keep up the good work!
Um, this here "senior citizen" takes exception to this video. After 70 years of life and having worked in the IT world since the days of tape drives, disc packs, punch cards and mainframes. I have forgotten more than most of the younger generations will ever learn.. Be so kind as to stop with the BS regarding seniors as being computer illiterate. Thank you.
Then again, you're not an average senior citizen. Most of the ones I know have a very *very* basic knowledge of computers and could benefit from an easy-to-use interface (albeit with a much more capable machine). I don't think any offense was intended to anyone, but surely you acknowledge that not every senior citizen has your computer background, right? I mean, I've been messing around with computers since the early 80's. I'm 49 right now, but I have many friends who are my age who still know nothing about computers.
That was in no way a dig at you or anyone else in the senior community my friend. I believe what he was referring to is their marketing strategy. Kind of like the jitterbug from years back. Companies feel as though they appeal to our innate urge to cater to people we see as needing help or “out of touch” and that’s just not true. My grandparents who are just about to hit their 80’s are just as quick and intelligent as they were 50 years ago, and have had no problem learning how to use their computer, keeping in mind they didn’t buy a computer until 2013 or so. They also love their iPads. I think this whole thing is just supposed to be a grift, not even necessarily towards seniors themselves, but to well meaning if not misinformed younger people who think seniors can barely lift themselves off the toilet without help.
It must be depressing to see what Microsoft has become. I've only been using Windows since 1989 and I know I'm depressed.
@@soundguydon No offense taken, but it is very irritating to be generally classified as stupid because of age, if you get my drift? If you take the time to listen, you'll see.
@@soundguydon I'm 57. I know computers, and my geek friends still do. But if you were not a geek in the 80s you are generally clueless now. I talk to non geek friends, even my little brother and they know nothing. I have no idea how they function in 2021.
for the price of the wow computer grandma could get a beast of a gaming pc with a 1440p screen, gaming keyboard with giant letters and a great mouse.
I think the GPU of this Intel Celeron SoC is barely being used at all. Those performance and tearing issues are an indication of software rendering being used instead of hardware acceleration.
The UI of the device actually makes kinda sense as a seperate software product…
Well with it being Linux based, the UI is always a separate thing, and there are many to choose from, or make your own if you have the skills, as they did. Try one, and if you don't like it, install a different one, and uninstall the other, or install five different ones and pick one at boot... Modularity is a great thing. They took Linux and made it even more crippled than Windows just to make this thing! Well at least you can make Linux anything you want it to be unlike Windows or any Apple OS.
Android is Linux, so is 90% of the internet! Most cars and smart devices, telescopes, satellites every supercomputer, the particle accelerator at Firmi labs, and the Large Hedron Collider at Cern, whole power grids all over the world, industrial complexes infrastructure, the FBI, CIA, whole governments and where ever critical reliable and secure systems are needed, and then some all run on Linux, not Windows! Even Microsoft uses Linux extensively, and their programmers use it to make and test Windows!
Seniors will pay that in a heartbeat and say "I cannot believe it is so cheap!"
I love how she was explaining what a mouse was and how handy the can be! The mouse was invented around 40 years ago are older people that out of touch?
yes they are
This would have been a better video if you had offered up a cheaper more powerful alternative that was more bang for the buck. That probably would have helped out Folks interested in topic a little better.
This is a scam, good god. They take advantage of seniors who dont know better.