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Setting up email on Vista for a 97yo grandmother

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From: Richard Boardman
Date: May 1, 2007 7:00PM

Has anyone had experience configuring MS Vista for older users? In
particular I'm wondering if anyone has tips for setting up email
access in "kiosk" mode, so that my gran can't inadvertently minimize
the window, lock the screen, or prompt any other of the zillion
potentially confusing things that PCs like to do.

I'm aware of the MS Accessibility tutorials, and Alan Cantor's
excellent guide for setting up PCs for older users.
- MS: http://www.microsoft.com/enable/products/windowsvista/
- Alan's site: http://www.cantoraccess.com/keyboard.htm

However, I think I have to go further and lock down the PC in some
kind of kiosk mode. Anyone got any tips? I'm hoping to setup Firefox
or IE in kiosk mode, hardcoded for Gmail as a first step.

Thoughts?

Some background: Later this week I am going to setup a PC for my 97yo
Grandmother. She is an absolute uperstarm and has been using an
Amstrad Emailer for several years and has become a capable emailer
(she was a secretary for 50 years so typing is no challenge!).
- Amstrad Emailer: http://www.amstrad.com/products/emailers/index.html

My family has decided to try an upgrade since the Emailer has a tiny
keyboard and screen, and does not handle photos well. The risk is that
a PC is much more complex and needs to be as locked down as possible.
Although she's fine at typing, I don't think she'll be up to window
management. She lives alone so there will be no local support (-;

Many thanks,

Rick
--
Richard Boardman <EMAIL REMOVED>
Senior User Experience Researcher, Google