COMMENT
Like most corporate smart cookies, the mobile operators and handset floggers have woken up to the fact that there's an aging population with not inconsiderable spending power on the horizon. And, like most corporates, smart or otherwise, they're flailing about in an effort to work out how best to siphon off all this spare cash.
Vodafone is one of the first in the UK to take the baby boomers seriously in mobile terms. Vodafone's token effort is the - wait for it - Simple, a device meant to be - yes, you've guessed it - simple. It's a Harry Big Button phone, looks-wise. Remember the electronics boom of the 80s, when the crappiest of hardware came in Playschool primary colours with buttons so sticky you might give yourself a hernia switching them on? That's the inspiration for the Simple, it would seem - all big keys and nursemaid voice-and-text-only-for-you, granny.
And I'm sure there's a section of the ageing population that expects that sort of lowest common denominator services - but I expect that people capable of setting up their own Freeview boxes and working iPods will soon view the likes of the Simple phone as the technological equivalent of Crosssroads - "It was kind of fun for a while but how long did you realistically expect us to put up with this tat?"
Of course, the idea of the Simple phone is not to be sniffed at. Big buttons and large text are handy.
But, as with most mobile trends, it's worth taking a look at Japan for some inspiration. Japan has its own Simple trend, with a handset range called Raku Raku from operator NTT DoCoMo. (Try saying the name again once or twice, it will give you the same satisfaction as twisting bubble wrap til it haemorrhages). It's gone down very well, so I hear.
Yes, it's got that whole big-button thing but it's also got a lot more. For one thing, it slows speech down to 70 per cent of its normal speed to help the hard of hearing. It's also got a pedometer and a panic button - that's the kind of convergence that might make a lot more sense to people. Other similar devices also sport extra loud speakers or a magnifying glass.
I can't help wondering either if FMC couldn't play a part here - if an elderly person had a single device to keep on them at all times, there's always going to be some way of communicating with someone close at hand, whether at home or down the shops, and one bill to worry about.
But surely, while no one would dispute the utility of a panic alarm or similar, not all the elderly are infirm. What about a bit of entertainment? Because, in short, there isn't an awful lot aimed at oldies.
But I suspect that might yet be the operators' masterstroke. Who wants to be labelled old? Not even the old folk themselves. Slapping 'for elderly users' on something makes it as appealing as a full colostomy bag, even for those who should identify with the label.
I suspect older users want what younger users want, at base - access to radio, a spot of web browsing and so on. They may prefer The Archers to Tim Westwood, but the transport mechanism remains the same.
Am I overestimating the silver surfers? I don't think so. After a couple of weeks teaching the vagaries of Windows to my technophobic mother - who last dallied with PCs when WordStar was high-tech and screens came in any colour as long as it was green - she has now mastered the art of eBay to a worrying degree, doubtless offloading all her unwanted crap to another silver surfer. I don't doubt she'd be using i-mode, mobile email and video downloads on her phone if someone showed her how to. (Of course you couldn't use those terms, but if you told her she could get Gardeners' World updates and Antiques Roadshow on the go, she'd be up for it).
I would wager my mother spends more time and money online per year than I do and for that reason, I really hope nobody ever comes up with a better proposition for the young at heart, old in body mobile user than the Simple - I'm not sure mum's pension could cope with the upturn in ecommerce. Sorry mum. Sorry eBay.
Comments
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1. Bob Machin
I wonder if there isn't still a market for a super-simple communications device aimed at anyone who just wants to browse and send email - always on, simple screen, pre-loaded browser, email client, virus and anti-spam software, everything networked. My own dear old mum could easily get the hang of an email address and would pick up on urls fast enough, but would never get the vagaries of even the most basic PC - booting up and logging on, rebooting, desktops, apps etc. ..
Amstrad tried something like this a few years ago but as far as I know it was a flop. Lots of things are enjoying a second life on the back of pervasive broadband - maybe the time is right to give this another go.
2. Gail Purvis
Could you persuade the likes of Nokia to print a proper manual for things like the N73? I mean, I'd like to know what all the buttons are for - not to have to guess my way round a device that after all has two cameras (and is the only reason I gave my great Communicator ( lousy pics)to a friend. He is learning how to use it with an alacrity no-body but me would believe!
I can cope with the tiny print (but I wish they'd leave me the power to up it by 2 points). I don't even mind that they've abandoned their traditional 'quick' way of doing things to one that takes twice as long by having too many options. Its the lack of basic information that gets me mad. It says I can opt for high quality pictures and to change the camera settings..but I've been through every setting imaginable and cannot find where it is. Silver surfers are happy to RTBM! Could the supplier's like Nokia please provide one with the details!
3. anonymous
As a silver surfer myself (aged 62), I know what I want - clear, properly indexed instruction manuals with each gadget. I bought an iPod Photo when they were still a hot item but, although I had music up & running within a day or two it took me almost a year to get to grips with the Photo part (which was why I'd initially bought it). Similarly, I've just got a new (to me) mobile, a Sony Ericsson K800i which included 3 instruction books - none of which told me what sort of memory stick it required or how to set up a Bluetooth connection to my PC (although Bluetooth has been one of the big selling points for these phones) & which took a lot of searching before I could find out how to turn off predictive texting. Originally an Orange phone, it has now been unlocked & uses my 02 SIM. However, all WAP stuff still tries to connect to Orange - which I think can be overcome by a download from the sony ericsson site - but it took me 2 days to find this out. I think most of us silver surfers can deal with technology quite happily but we'd like it documented clearly & precisely.
4. Keith Stewart
What an interesting article with useful and relevant comments. I have a domain name silversurfersonline.com which I registered for just the reason that Jo Best and the readers comments addressed. Being a silver surfer myself, but luckily computer literate for more years than I care to remind myself, I believe that the general public in the form of the younger genertions came to exactly the same conclusion that Jo alludes to i.e., that silver surfers can't get to grips with the digital age. This is a mistake, but as Gail Purvis and anonymous silver surfer say what is needed is clear and concise instructions in simple language for the hardware to get digitally literate, yet does not go into too much detail, just lets them know what and when to do something to achieve the required result.
Secondly what they need is a comprehensive list of vetted Web sites where they can get free and unbiased information on a whole gamut of questions that range from computer or mobile phone advise, health to holidays, finance, ancestry, gardening and fashion to name just a few.
Thirdly they want to be entertained and this means in every possible way from relevant articles, cinema and theatre and fun sites as well as meeting people with similar interests.
Fourthly they want to communicate with family and friends, which is one of the overriding factors in getting any hardware in the first place.
Lastly, but by no means least they might even want to have a bit of fun, just like the younger generations, by meeting people of the opposite or, dare we say it, same sex with a view having a new romance!
In which order you put the priorities will depend on the individual, but the younger generations may be surprised at the results.
I hope to have http://www.silversurfersonline.com by the end of the year and it will aim to address the needs of anyone over 40!
5. anonymous
I am sorry but I think Jo is very arrogant in her approach to the article but not as arrogant as the service providers or manufacturers
I was developing and using bleeding edge technology before Jo was even born and I still am.
Many people of all ages struggle with technology many people don't. It's not a question of age, if manufacturers etc concentrated on usability and not flashy looks or hundreds of useless features people wouldn't struggle in understanding these devices.
Let's be revolutionary and ask people what they want before telling them what they can have!
6. anonymous
I have to agree with anonymous. I work in the returns department for an online mobile technology retailer and i don't believe age has anything to do with it.
If the manufacturers made their devices easier to use and understand then I can guarentee I wouldn't have as much work to do.
7. anonymous
I think you may have touched a vital point here. Aside from making Simple products, if the Vodaphones of this world could provide a service that teaches silver surfers how to operate and how to use a lot of the stuff that is out there - you're right - the demand from the older generation would explode. How about the recruitment of tech savvy students to teach silver surfers one on one as a nice little earner for the summer hols?
8. misceng
Gail Purvis is describing part of what I suffer. Though I have been computing for about 40 years I still find that new programs and devices say "you can" and then fail to say "how to". I find Microsoft a great offender. Trying to see what is on the screen and then changing to reading glasses to find what the manual says or more often fails to say does not make a good experience.
9. Simon Curry
Only just a silver surfer in my early 50's but I'm amazed its taken this long for the networks to realise what we don't want. I'm always amused to find most of my engineering colleagues - especially the "silver haired" group stick with their Nokia 6310i - in my view one of the last great phones from Nokia. As for convergence no thank you I don't want to surf on my phone the display is too small - my laptop & 3G card are soo much better. I don't want the radio, none of the phones have a good DAB receiver as for TV, I'll stick to my big LCD ta.
10. Alan Hill
I can assure you that the only mobile phone (or cordless) my mother-in-law would use is one with a dial on it. Does anyone do one yet?
11. Ned Ludd
I agree...... Listen Jo..... I'm 43 and I have to say that a mobile phone is a mobile phone and though it's nice if it takes pictures as well...... the primary function is that it works well as a mobile phone...... If that means big buttons or a big display then that is fine by me...... I have no interest in connecting to the internet with my mobile phone....... I have all that provided for with my computer.... So while I accept that 'Other People' may wish to have the gimicky side of things as a pose or even a 'must have' it frankly tends to be complicated for a lot of us...... I'm happy to master say music on my PC, you know edit and such, but I can't say that it would be of much interest to do it on my phone yeh get meh? Keep it simple providers/manufactures it is not just kids,techno freaks early adopters that use mobiles and it is only a phone after all at the end of the day.....you'd be better off sorting out the fact that mobile phones might be mobile but the signal often is not ;)