// LAPTOP SET UP FOR PARENTS
A laptop set up ready to use for your elderly parent
Buying a laptop for an older mum or dad is a kind idea — right up until the set-up defeats everyone. We take that part away. Choose a refurbished Dell from £510 or send us the laptop you’ve bought, and we’ll hand it back ready to use: large clear text, email, video calls, the printer and security all sorted, with 30 days of remote support included. Rated 4.9 on Google.
- ● Refurbished Dell from £510
- ● 30 days’ remote support
- ● Family-run, 4.9-star rated
/01 — WHAT YOU GET
A laptop set up ready to use for your elderly parent
Yes — we set up a laptop so it arrives ready to use for your elderly parent, with large, easy-to-read text, email, video calling, the printer and security all handled before it reaches them. You can buy one of our refurbished business-grade Dell laptops from £510, or post or drop off a laptop you’ve already bought and we’ll set that up instead.
The idea is simple: your mum or dad switches it on, sees big clear icons, clicks the one thing they want — email, a video call, the web — and it just works. No half-finished set-up, no nag screens, no clutter to wade through.
Every new computer we set up includes 30 days of remote support, so if anything puzzles them in the first few weeks a friendly voice can take a look without another trip. A typical hand-over includes:
- Text, icons and the mouse pointer enlarged for older eyes
- Email set up and tested, with contacts carried across
- WhatsApp or video calling ready for the family
- The printer connected and a test page printed
- Antivirus, updates and a strong password all sorted
- Trial clutter removed and useful shortcuts pinned where they’ll find them
/02 — THE LAPTOP ITSELF
Buy one from us, or send us the one you’ve chosen
You have two easy routes. The first is to let us supply the machine: our refurbished business-grade Dell laptops start at £510, they’re Dell Latitude business models built to last, and they reach your parent already set up and checked over. For most older users a refurbished Dell is more than powerful enough for email, browsing and video calls — and it keeps the cost sensible.
The second route is to buy the laptop yourself — perhaps as a surprise — and hand it to us to configure. Whether it’s brand new in the box or something from the high street, we’ll take it from sealed carton to ready-to-use. If you’re still deciding, our guide on how to choose a laptop walks through screen size, weight and battery life without the jargon.
A quick word on the operating system: we set up Windows laptops, and we can help with Android phones and tablets too. We’re Windows and Android specialists, so if you were thinking of an Apple Mac or iPad we’re not the right fit — we’ll say so honestly rather than take on something we don’t specialise in.
/03 — SET UP SIMPLY
Large text, email, video calls, printer and security — all handled
The whole point is that nothing is left for your parent to figure out. On the display, we increase the on-screen text size (Settings > Accessibility > Text size) and, where it helps, scale everything up so menus and buttons are comfortably large. We enlarge the mouse pointer and can switch on the built-in Magnifier for anyone who likes to zoom in on the odd small detail. Our Windows accessibility guide covers these in plain English.
For staying in touch, we set up their email and test that a message sends and arrives, then we set up video calling. The WhatsApp desktop app is a firm favourite, because the family are usually on it already and the bigger laptop screen beats squinting at a phone. See confident video calling for how we make it stress-free.
We also connect the printer and print a test page, install and check antivirus, make sure Windows updates are switched on so security fixes arrive quietly in the background, and set a strong password that’s written down somewhere safe. Then we strip out trial software and pointless pop-ups so the desktop stays calm and uncluttered.
/04 — 30 DAYS OF SUPPORT
30 days’ remote support with every set-up
Handing over a laptop is one thing; the first few weeks are when the little questions come up. That’s why every new computer we set up includes 30 days of remote support. If your parent gets stuck — a password won’t take, the printer sulks, an email won’t open — they, or you, can call us and we’ll pick it up remotely, usually the same day during our Monday-to-Friday hours.
Because so much is done remotely, you don’t have to be in the room. Many of our customers are the adult son or daughter organising things from another town, or even another country, while mum or dad simply gets on with using the laptop.
When the 30 days are up, you can leave it there — there’s no obligation at all. If you’d like the reassurance of ongoing help, our optional home support is £18.25 a month per computer, which keeps us a phone call away for whatever crops up. It’s entirely your choice, and there’s no pressure either way.
/05 — HOW IT WORKS
Remotely across the UK, or collection and home visits locally
Getting the laptop set up is easy wherever your parent lives. If they’re anywhere in the UK, we can do a great deal remotely — you buy the machine, we connect securely, set it up, and it’s ready when they open the lid. If it’s a laptop we’re supplying, it simply arrives already configured.
If they’re local to us in Bournemouth, Poole, Christchurch or the wider Dorset area, we can collect the laptop, set it up on the bench and drop it back, or come to the house and do it there so it’s configured around their actual desk, chair and broadband. We’re a family IT service and we treat your parents the way we’d want our own treated — patient, unhurried and never made to feel silly for asking.
To get started, get in touch or call us and tell us the situation: who it’s for, what they’d love to be able to do, and whether you’re buying the laptop or already have one. We’ll tell you honestly what’s involved and what it’ll cost before anything goes ahead. There’s no charge for the conversation, and our work is no-fix-no-fee.
/06 — WHY FAMILIES TRUST US
A gift that keeps working long after the wrapping’s gone
A laptop is a lovely thing to give an older parent, but only if it doesn’t become a source of frustration. We’ve been doing this since 1995 — family-run, based in Kinson, Bournemouth, and rated 4.9 stars on Google — so we know exactly which small touches turn a confusing box of tech into something an older person actually enjoys using.
We keep it plain-spoken. No jargon on the phone, no talking down, and a genuine willingness to explain the same thing twice if that helps. If you’d like a feel for our approach, our pages on computer help for elderly parents and IT support for retired users are a good place to look.
And to be straight with you about limits: we’re Windows and Android specialists, so we set up Windows laptops and Android phones and tablets, not Apple Macs, iPads or iPhones. We’ll never promise a fixed turnaround time we can’t honour either — we’ll simply tell you what’s realistic and, more often than not, sort remote jobs the same day.
// FREE · LEARN SOMETHING NEW
11 free, friendly online courses for beginners and older learners — computer basics, email, WhatsApp, staying safe online and more. Short plain-English lessons, a printable certificate at the end, and never a sign-up form.
FAMILY-RUN SINCE 1995 · ★ 4.9 ON GOOGLE · 200+ COMPUTERS UNDER OUR CARE · NO FIX, NO FEE · SAME-DAY REMOTE SUPPORT
// GOOD QUESTIONS
Frequently asked
Can you just set the whole thing up for me?
Yes — that’s exactly what this is. You don’t need to touch a single setting. Buy a laptop from us or send us one you’ve chosen, tell us what your parent would like to do with it, and we’ll hand it back ready to switch on and use. Every set-up includes 30 days of remote support, so we’re still there if a question comes up.
Do you supply the laptop, or set up one I’ve bought?
Either works. We sell refurbished business-grade Dell laptops from £510, set up and checked over before they reach your parent. Or you can buy a laptop yourself — new or otherwise — and we’ll configure that instead. If you’re unsure which to pick, our guide to choosing a laptop and our refurbished Dell range are a good place to start.
How much does it cost?
A refurbished Dell laptop starts at £510, and every new computer set-up includes 30 days of remote support. If you’d like us to set up a laptop you already own, we’ll quote for that based on what’s involved — just tell us what you need. Optional ongoing home support afterwards is £18.25 a month per computer, but that’s entirely up to you.
Can you make the text and icons bigger for my parent’s eyesight?
Absolutely. We increase the on-screen text size, scale up menus and buttons where it helps, and enlarge the mouse pointer so it’s easy to follow. We can switch on the built-in Windows Magnifier too. The aim is a screen that’s comfortable to read from the moment they open the lid, without them having to change a thing.
Will they be able to video call the family?
Yes. We usually set up the WhatsApp desktop app, because most families are already using it and the laptop’s larger screen is far kinder than a phone. We link it to their account, test a call, and make sure the camera and microphone work. If you’d rather use something else the family already uses, just tell us and we’ll set that up instead.
Can you set up an Apple Mac, iPad or iPhone?
No — and we’d rather be honest about that. We’re Windows and Android specialists, so we set up Windows laptops and Android phones and tablets, and we do those really well. We don’t work on Apple Macs, iPads or iPhones. If that’s what you need, we’ll happily say so up front rather than take on something outside our expertise.
What happens if something goes wrong after you’ve set it up?
You’re covered. Every set-up includes 30 days of remote support, so if the printer plays up or a password won’t take, we connect securely and sort it — usually the same day during our Monday-to-Friday hours. Our work is also no-fix-no-fee, so if we can’t put something right, you don’t pay for it.
My parent doesn’t live in Dorset — can you still help?
Yes. Most of what we do is remote, so we can set up and support a laptop for a parent anywhere in the UK while you organise it from wherever you are. If they’re local to Bournemouth, Poole or Christchurch we can also collect the laptop or visit the house, but distance is no barrier to getting them up and running.
Will you set up their email and move their contacts across?
Yes. We set up their email account, send and receive a test message to be sure it works, and carry over contacts where we can so familiar names are already there. If they’re moving from an old computer, we can bring across photos and documents too, so nothing important gets left behind.
Give a laptop that just works
Tell us who it’s for and we’ll set up a laptop ready to use — large text, email, video calls and security all handled, with 30 days’ support included.
01202 775566 · help@365techies.co.uk · MON–FRI 9AM–5PM