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CLASSES Many senior organizations in Montgomery County regularly or occasionally offer iPad and/or other computer education programs. l
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ASBURY METHODIST VILLAGE Gaithersburg 301-755-3030 jeannenorth@sbcglobal.net asburymethodistvillage.org
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DAMASCUS SENIOR CENTER 240-777-6995
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GAITHERSBURG UPCOUNTY SENIOR CENTER 301-258-6380 gaithersburgmd.gov
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LIVE AND LEARN BETHESDA 301-740-6150 info@liveandlearn bethesda.org liveandlearnbethesda.org/ 2013-catalog
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OASIS Westfield Montgomery at Macy’s Home Store, Bethesda 301-469-4960 oasisnet.org/Washington
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ROCKVILLE SENIOR CENTER 240-314-8800 rockvillemd.gov/ seniorcenter Gazette SENIORS | July 2013
TABLETS BY ARLENE KARIDIS
R
ay Greene has been working on computers since 1976; he began on a monster-sized mainframe, back when he was a pharmacist at the National Institutes of Health. Over the years, he has watched the machines get smaller and smaller—and a lot smarter. “They were just dumb terminals back in the day. But they have amazing applications now,” said the retired Brookeville resident, who really began playing around with the technoln personal ogy in the 1980s, when desktop computers became available. He kept playing once the smaller laptops ops rolled out, and now he hass a 7 3/4inch tablet called an Android, a product made byy Google. Apple’s iPad is another er popular tablet on the market. Greene uses the tiny com—from playputer for everything—from ing Scrabble with his mother over the Internet from m across the 920s basemiles to looking up 1920s ing out at ball trivia while hanging Holiday Park Multi-service ervice Seon. nior Center inWheaton. ffered Holiday Park offered a presentation in May nfor both iPad and Android users. Greene was in attendance— along with about 100 others seniors— carrying his tablet. t. rd In fact, about a third ad of the participants had similar devices already ady in hand, accordingg to oliSonia Leon-Reig, Holiday Park’s volunteer eer r. and class coordinator.
“Many people who come to the senior center are drawn to the technology because they have limited mobility; they like the idea of a device they can carry from room to room at home or take out,” said Leon-Reig. The presentation was an introduction to tablets, covering how they work and what applications they come with and generally what the user can buy. “It can be a challenge to master, but our members want to learn. They like the portability feature, and that it keeps them busy and connected—whether to
make movies, stay in touch with their friends and family, shop online, or take a class online,” said Leon-Reig. The presentation’s popularity has Holiday Park’s staff thinking about facilitating another one, she said. Asbury Methodist Village regularly offers computer courses exclusively on Apple products. The iPad class is among the most sought-after courses in the series of classes that meet weekly for four weeks, according to resident Jeanne North, administrator of Apple Corps, the on-campus club.
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HOLIDAY PARK MULTISERVICE SENIOR CENTER, WHEATON 240-777-4999 sonia.leon-reig@ montgomerycountymd.gov holidaypark.us
where to learn about
TINY COMPUTERS. HUGE POTENTIAL.