Parent-proofing the PC

So, that time of the year has swung around again, and it is time to tweak the parental PCs to ensure they are running smoothly and malware free, at least for another year. Last year I gave my parents the old Dell Mini 9. Unfortunately, they found it a little too fiddly for daily use and were squinting at the screen all the time. As the demands they place on their PC is minimal (web browsing, flash video and video chatting) I didn't need to get them anything too complicated and settled on a Dell Mini 12 with a 6 cell battery. This gives them the slim profile of the Dell Mini 9, but with a spacious keyboard and screen. Naturally, before giving it too them, I tweaked it a bit so they would be able to use it, hopefully free of further intervention on my part, for the forseeable future.

Step 1: Reinstall the OS
You never really know where these second hand PCs have come from, or what nefarious software has been preinstalled, so my first step is always to reinstall the OS. In this case it was also an upgrade, from Windows Vista to Windows 7. Being well attuned to Windows XP, my parents will find Windows 7 a bit of a jump, but should be able to acclimatize themselves to the change. Linux distros are a definite no-no.

I also split the HDD into an OS and a storage partition should a reinstall or OS change ever be necessary, and point all programs (Live Messenger, mail client, web browser) which may potentially save anything they download to that partition. This is where they will save all the photos I send them as well as those hundreds of crappy powerpoint slideshows their friends send them.

Step 2: Install Microsoft Security Essentials
Lightweight, runs in the background, updates automatically and free, this is, as its name suggests, an absolute essential.

Step 3: Install Google Chrome
Also lightweight and simple to use, but especially important for its sandboxing of flash and the fact that it too autoupdates. Plus it now seems to support virtually all websites and definitely the fancy new HTML5 ones. I also install AdBlock to minimize the chance they actually click on one of those random pop-ups.

Step 4: Install LogMeIn
If, heaven forbid, the parents do manage to screw up the PC, some form of remote desktop is needed. This isn't used too frequently, but it does help be troubleshoot software issues in person from two continents away. Sure beats long drawn out phone conversations where neither of us is entirely sure what the other is saying.

Step 5: Create a standard user account and a guest account
A rule of thumb is to only give administrator access to admins, which is why a standard user account is needed as it locks down the system so my parents can't randomly install things. A guest account is needed as well for whenever an aunt, uncle, cousin or nephew pops round and wants to play. That way they can do what they like without wrecking my hard work or screwing up my parents' settings.

Fennec browser and Origami Experience running on Windows Mobile!

I apologise for the somewhat misleading title of this post, because, sadly, it is not true in the strictest sense of the word. However, at the same time it is not entirely false either. I get bored very easily by my devices, and rather than buy a whole new one every time I want a bit of eye candy, I try to explore different ways of trying out another user interface. UIs involving touch are the subject du jour, but neither are particularly new.

For instance, in Microsoft's initial, but now sadly dead, vision of the UMPC there was a UI designed to be finger friendly on relatively small screens. It was called Origami Experience. Sadly, Microsoft in their infinite wisdom decided that it could not be downloaded as a separate overlay of Windows XP. No, they wanted it to be exclusive to the new generation of UMPCs. Thankfully, an enterprising young woman called Neotechni decided to take matters into her own hands and came up with a clone called Mobile Home. She details it in the Origami Project forum.

I downloaded it, and it is indeed feature complete and runs beautifully, but having installed it, I can't make full use of the functionality as I do not have a touch screen desktop. That is where the magic of remote desktop on my HTC Universal comes in. By firing up a remote session, I can use the touch screen on my PDA to really try out the UI. So far I love it! It sure beats the traditional start button-cascading menu-task bar paradigm on such a small device.

Using the same technique I can actually get Fennec, Mozilla's new mobile browser, to run on my HTC Universal too. Fennec builds run on XP but not Windows Mobile at the moment, but by "putting it onto" my phone via RDP I can try it out is it is meant to be. I have to say that being an alpha build most of the functionality is sadly limited, but I do like the screen sliding paradigm of browing and tabs.

I have also used my old tablet Windows 98 Fujitsu LT in this way to try out both Mobile Home and Fennec, and have to say that there is a great novelty value in seeing an entirely different user interface on this prehistoric device.

One more top tip, if you are using Firefox, even remotely, on a touch screen device, then I strongly recommend the Grab and Drag add-on. It makes surfing the web that much easier.

Edit: I added a video of RDP in action on the HTC Universal showing Mobile Home, Firefox and Fennec.