Email Machines for Seniors

Though a computer may at first glance seem a complicated way to create a simple e-mail device, it provides a very simple, very cost-effective solution to creating a device dedicated only to e-mail.

We'll explain how an old junker can be transformed into a simple, single-function device and then walk you through the available e-mail only machines.

PawPawMail is our e-mail solution (which is pictured at right). We think it is the easiest e-mail available anywhere, and we designed it specifically for seniors, with large buttons and a clear typeface. If you haven't already, look around the site!

Also see why it makes a fantastic setup for an email-only machine, with virtually nothing to learn, in an interface that can be assisted by a loved one, both simplifying email and keeping an important senior in better touch with his or her friends and family.

Finally, though, if PawPawMail isn't for you, we'll give you an overview of some of the alternatives: e-mail devices and e-mail appliances currently in use by seniors.

The quick version (see below for Mac, more details):

1. Create a Windows shortcut by right-clicking on the desktop, selecting "New", then selecting "Shortcut"
2. Type the location of the item: (include the quotation marks!)
   "c:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe" -k "http://pawpawmail.com/mail/user.html#auto=y"
   That's all on one line, "c:\...." -k "htt..." (just copy/paste it from above)
3. It will ask for a shortcut name. Use "PawPawMail" (no quotes)
4. That's it. You now have a shortcut on your desktop that launches PawPawMail in full-screen ("kiosk") mode.
5. Have your computer boot directly into PawPawMail by dragging that shortcut into your Startup folder. Open that folder by going to your Start menu, then Programs, then click the Startup folder, or navigate directly to:
   C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup [note: all one line].

Technically, you could do this in just one minute if all the steps are familiar. And if this all sounds like gobbledygook, remember: this is the hardest part (suggestion: get a child to do it; it's in their blood). Finally, remember that we're here to walk you through it on our help line -- where you'll talk to an actual human.

Instructions here are the quick version for PCs running Windows 98 or later. See our detailed instructions for making an e-mail-only device from any computer in minutes (coming later this week) for more specifics on both Windows and Macintosh (Mac).

Of course, we'd prefer that you use PawPawMail -- we think it's a great, cheap, accessible e-mail solution (read more!). But if we can't convince you to give your computer a quick make-over, there are still some good solutions for you. Note that we're not affiliated with these; we mention them for your convenience.

Many "e-mail only" devices have come and gone. The most popular in the early 2000s was the "MailStation", sold by Earthlink. [read more about Mailstation on Wikipedia]. It is still available in small lots via eBay and the like, but it is no longer carried by either Earthlink (its reseller) or Cidco (its manufacturer).

Only one similar device exists in active production today: the MailBug, by Landel. It accomplishes much the same goal -- it is a single-purpose machine created specifically for e-mail.

The MailBug provides an easy e-mail interface and connects via a built-in modem to a local dial-up number. You can purchase MailBug from the company itself or via vendors like Amazon. The MailBug may present some issues for seniors, however, as the screen and the font are relatively small for reading mail. The MailBug also does not display photo attachments.

A few companies have also created e-mail "gateways" -- services which translate e-mail into a simpler form.

A company called SunnyGram runs a service which prints all e-mails which come to a senior's e-mail address and sends them periodically through the U.S. Mail.

Two fax solutions are prominent: Celery, which uses an existing fax machine (or one you purchase) to receive printouts of e-mails (and allows handwritten responses to be faxed back), and Presto, which does the same thing through their own special-purpose color fax machine (purchase required).