Testimonial: So Far, So Good!
Categories: Reviews and Testimonials
I set up the Presto printing mailbox for my 83 year old mother this week. We have a large family scattered all over the country (9 brothers and sisters plus 13 nieces and nephews).
Naturally it's great for my mother to be receiving letters and pictures from everyone. Honestly, though, this is just really convenient for the rest of the family. Let's face it. Darn few people write letters anymore (unfortunately), but most of us think nothing of popping off a quick email. This way the family can send mom a note on the fly. I think this will make it a lot easier for us all to keep in touch with her. So far a number of siblings have sent notes, which is wonderful for my mom.
Buying Process:
I ended up lucking out on a great deal with this. I wish I had realized at the time just how great it was. I would have bought a few more (and ebayed any I didn't end up using!). I got mine for $30 at buy.com on the day after Thanksgiving. Haven't seen a deal like that since then.
Account Setup:
The online setup was pretty easy. The only challenge I had was that the web site was acting up the day I tried to sign up, so it took a while before the server was back up. When I tried to call in to do it over the phone, their voicemail box was full. Once that was sorted out, the sign up process was fast and easy.
Physical Setup:
My mom only has one phone outlet in her house (1920's bungalow), so I ended up buying a wireless jack to use so I could work around that limitation. The account manager features on the website have been very easy to work and I have added a number of names to the approved email sender list. I had to take off tape that was securing the unit, but that was all well marked. I plugged it in the wall and plugged in the phone cord, put in the paper and ink and Voila! Very easy.
In our case, we take turns staying with my mom, so one of us is generally there to put in the paper or ink. My mother likely couldn't handle that (she's not only elderly but struggles with parkinsons and arthritis as well as being computer-phobic), even though it is very easy.
Overall Thoughts:
I'm really glad I am trying this. I'll try to remember to report back in a few weeks to update you on how we are liking it.
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An update after having used it for 10 months...
My brothers and sisters thought this whole Presto thing was a silly idea when I first told them about it. They were sure it would be too complicated for our technology-phobic mother and they didn't see the sense in it. They changed their minds right quick once it was actually in.
My mother LOVES receiving the messages and photos. They are a highlight of her day and she reads and re-reads them over and over. Unfortunately her physical/mental condition means that she has few joys left in life, but this is certainly one of the big ones. My nieces and nephews have been pretty good about sending grandma emails and pictures, so it has definitely helped with their communication. My brothers and sisters that live farther away make a particular effort to try to send something at least once or twice a week, so there tends to be something just about every day for her, some days multiple emails.
We have a caregiver there during the day (and the family covers the nights), so we are able to check the paper, etc. Honestly, it would be too much for my mother, but she is at about a two year old's mental/physical skills level now, so I wouldn't use her necessarily as a gauge for whether your elderly individual would be able to manage it or not. It really is very easy to refill for anyone with an average amount of dexterity and mental capability (I'd say equal to a five year old and up).
In the ten months we have had it, we have experienced very few problems. One was when the ink cartridge ran out (I don't sign in often enough to realize it had run out). Once that was taken care of, voila it worked fine, but we did learn that emails are only kept in the system for two weeks (good to know in general) if they aren't printed out on schedule.
I forget what the other problem was, but as I recall, a complete reboot of the system did the trick to fix it. So, I would say it has been very reliable.
I will also note that I was on the phone one time when it broke in to try to dial out and that was really annoying. It made those fax modem type dialing sounds and tried three times before giving up. This may have been fixed since it happened (maybe it was in September?), but I am not sure. However, I have the machine set up to only dial out once a day, so it's a very minor quibble.
I'm coming up for renewal on the contract this December and I definitely plan to renew it as my Christmas gift for my mother. In fact, I might even get one for my husband's grandfather too, since my husband's father lives in the area and could check up on him.