Dear Aunt TUAW: Help me support my mother-in-law's iPad

Dear Aunt TUAW,

I currently provide remote support for my mother-in-law's 15 year old PC, frequently using TeamViewer to watch what she is doing rather than try to decipher garbled descriptions of what the screen is showing.

This Xmas we are planning to buy her an iPad and so I wonder if there is an equivalent program that will allow me to continue supporting her and retain my sanity.

Your loving nephew,

Dave A

Dear Dave,

There are similar apps, but they aren't remote and only offered on jailbroken systems -- not a good match to your MIL's needs.

On the other hand, most cats can operate an iPad. I'm pretty sure your MIL is smarter than a cat.

Hugs,

Auntie T.

Dear Auntie,

My MIL is smarter than a cat but most cats do not insist that she is incapable of learning something new ;-). We shall see.

Love,

Dave

Dear Dave,

You cannot solve relationship problems with technology.

Your devoted,

Auntie

Auntie,

Indeed, although the iPad has broken through my wife's resistance on the subject, I now have to ask permission to use it. Just hoping it does the same with MIL.

Hugs,

Dave

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Dear Aunt TUAW, I currently provide remote support for my mother-in-law's 15 year old PC, frequently using TeamViewer to watch what she...

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Tali

The other more ghetto fabulous solution is to use Facetime and have your mother activate the front facing camera on the iPad 2 and exit to the home screen once you are connected and hold the iPad facing the mirror. I haven't tried this myself so I don't know how effective it will actually be. Doing Facetime with an iPod or iPhone would probably be better but if you only have the iPad 2, the mirror option might work.

November 23 2011 at 4:49 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Rob Cook

I taught my wife's 83 year old grand father how to use an iPad in 4 hours, when we left he was making Facetime calls to his son in another state. It's a matter of the person, if your MIL wants to learn how to use the iPad she will, if she's resistant then your screwed and nothing you do will help.

Honestly if you need the capability of remoting into her iPad it's probably not the device for her.

November 23 2011 at 4:02 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to Rob Cook's comment

Dave61

I am strongly hoping that remote viewing is unnecessary but just trying to be prepared.

Dave, the OP

November 24 2011 at 1:26 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

squishybrain

Although Join.me is nice, this won't help Dave with his problem. Dave wants to view his MIL's iPad screen from his compputer. Join.me only allows you to view a computer's screen from an iPad (or other device). It is not currently possible to remotely view an iPad without jailbreaking.

November 23 2011 at 11:31 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Use join.me! It's amazing.

November 23 2011 at 11:04 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

2 replies to FV's comment