Author Topic: MP3 Player for 93 Year Old Nana  (Read 3643 times)

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Offline delilahmused

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MP3 Player for 93 Year Old Nana
« on: September 09, 2011, 02:12:14 PM »
My Nana loves to read but her eyesight is poor. Her idea of modern technology is her television remote control. I don't want anything too complicated or else she won't use it. We've tried to get her to use a computer but she doesn't want to at all. I just want something I can put an audio Bible, a few audio books, a little music (greatest hits of the 30's & 40's or something) and a few pictures of her grandchildren, great grand children and great great grandchildren. I'd like a large screen. She can see photos we send just fine so I think she'd be able to see pictures on one of the larger screens. I'm thinking a touch screen because of her arthritis and it usually has little pictures of what the button is for (she can see shapes better than words). In case she hates the crap out of it I don't want to spend anymore than $100 on it. There are plenty of classic audio books online for free so I'm not too concerned about the cost of books. Any suggestions?

Cindie
"If God built me a ladder to heaven, I would climb it and elbow drop the world."
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"I am a very good shot. I have hunted for every kind of animal. But I would never kill an animal during mating season."
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Offline CG6468

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Re: MP3 Player for 93 Year Old Nana
« Reply #1 on: September 09, 2011, 02:28:40 PM »
My Nana loves to read but her eyesight is poor. Her idea of modern technology is her television remote control. I don't want anything too complicated or else she won't use it. We've tried to get her to use a computer but she doesn't want to at all. I just want something I can put an audio Bible, a few audio books, a little music (greatest hits of the 30's & 40's or something) and a few pictures of her grandchildren, great grand children and great great grandchildren. I'd like a large screen. She can see photos we send just fine so I think she'd be able to see pictures on one of the larger screens. I'm thinking a touch screen because of her arthritis and it usually has little pictures of what the button is for (she can see shapes better than words). In case she hates the crap out of it I don't want to spend anymore than $100 on it. There are plenty of classic audio books online for free so I'm not too concerned about the cost of books. Any suggestions?

Cindie

If the radio has a USB connection, put everything on a ZIP drive. I have almost 2000 songs on a USB ZIP drive to use in my truck. Plug it in and away you go.
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Offline zeitgeist

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Re: MP3 Player for 93 Year Old Nana
« Reply #2 on: September 09, 2011, 02:36:35 PM »
My Nana loves to read but her eyesight is poor. Her idea of modern technology is her television remote control. I don't want anything too complicated or else she won't use it. We've tried to get her to use a computer but she doesn't want to at all. I just want something I can put an audio Bible, a few audio books, a little music (greatest hits of the 30's & 40's or something) and a few pictures of her grandchildren, great grand children and great great grandchildren. I'd like a large screen. She can see photos we send just fine so I think she'd be able to see pictures on one of the larger screens. I'm thinking a touch screen because of her arthritis and it usually has little pictures of what the button is for (she can see shapes better than words). In case she hates the crap out of it I don't want to spend anymore than $100 on it. There are plenty of classic audio books online for free so I'm not too concerned about the cost of books. Any suggestions?

Cindie

I have had great luck with Sansa MP3 players for just this application.  You will probably want to find one that takes a AAA battery as opposed to the ones that are USB rechargable (unless Nana is a computer geek).  We use rechargable AAA's in those.  

 A couple gig should be fine for audio books, heck you can get all of Atlas Shrugged on a 2 gig no sweat.  I have a couple of cheap 'Clip' models that I also use for listening to FM radio while walking the beagle ( light and easy to use) they are USB rechargable and give about 6 hours on a charge.  

Also you may want to look into a better pair of earbuds, I also have a small pair of external Sony speaker that work ok with the Clips but they are not world beaters if you need extra amplification.

I also used them on sound checks when I worked in event staging.  :whatever:


Take a look at these:

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Delectronics&field-keywords=sansa++aaa+battery&x=21&y=18


ETA:

For pictures of the grandkids and the like I got a portable DVD player that supported JPG.  It had a 7" screen I use to burn email pictures to the DVDs.  ( it was never a real big hit....)

« Last Edit: September 09, 2011, 02:40:59 PM by zeitgeist »
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Offline delilahmused

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Re: MP3 Player for 93 Year Old Nana
« Reply #3 on: September 09, 2011, 03:35:37 PM »
Never thought of a portable dvd player for pictures! I'll look at the Sansa. Thanks guys!

Cindie
"If God built me a ladder to heaven, I would climb it and elbow drop the world."
Mick Foley

"I am a very good shot. I have hunted for every kind of animal. But I would never kill an animal during mating season."
Hedy Lamarr

"I'm just like any modern woman trying to have it all. Loving husband, a family. It's just, I wish I had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade."
Morticia Addams

Offline zeitgeist

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Re: MP3 Player for 93 Year Old Nana
« Reply #4 on: September 09, 2011, 03:44:02 PM »
Never thought of a portable dvd player for pictures! I'll look at the Sansa. Thanks guys!

Cindie

Make sure it is JPG compatable.  The one I got had a rechargable battery and played CD/RW and JPG.  I may still have it upstairs ( aunt passed last year at 92).  It was great for the nursing home to show email photos from away relatives but she couldn't handle the technology on her own.


The smaller MP3s are good for audio books that are downloadable from most decent local libraries for free just like regular books.  Download to the computer then x-fer to the player ( where they don't expire like they do on the comuter btw).


ETA:  You might like to look at an electronic picture frame as well.  They usually use a flash disk to store the pictures on.  Our local BJ's discount store often has them for short money ($70-90 range for 7" or better)
« Last Edit: September 09, 2011, 03:46:41 PM by zeitgeist »
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Offline thundley4

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Re: MP3 Player for 93 Year Old Nana
« Reply #5 on: September 09, 2011, 06:59:40 PM »
I have had great luck with Sansa MP3 players for just this application.  You will probably want to find one that takes a AAA battery as opposed to the ones that are USB rechargable (unless Nana is a computer geek).  We use rechargable AAA's in those. 


I have a Sansa Fuse mp3/video/audio book player, but I also have a wall charger for it. 

Offline delilahmused

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Re: MP3 Player for 93 Year Old Nana
« Reply #6 on: September 11, 2011, 05:23:53 PM »
The Sansa looks good but it's too bad the DVD players couldn't do audio books. Didn't know the books wouldn't expire if you downloaded them to a player. I'll have to remember that! I put audio books on my iphone all the time.

Cindie
"If God built me a ladder to heaven, I would climb it and elbow drop the world."
Mick Foley

"I am a very good shot. I have hunted for every kind of animal. But I would never kill an animal during mating season."
Hedy Lamarr

"I'm just like any modern woman trying to have it all. Loving husband, a family. It's just, I wish I had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade."
Morticia Addams

Offline Thor

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Re: MP3 Player for 93 Year Old Nana
« Reply #7 on: September 19, 2011, 04:28:49 AM »
The Sansa looks good but it's too bad the DVD players couldn't do audio books. Didn't know the books wouldn't expire if you downloaded them to a player. I'll have to remember that! I put audio books on my iphone all the time.

Cindie

There are some dvd players that will do cd audio or mp3s. Convert the audio book to one of those formats and you'd be good to go.
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