computers, broadband, and social networking

These are tough times to sell products. Period. But before being ossified into a state of discouragement, it's good to know that the baby boomer market segment is not tapped out yet as the attached two studies make clear.

I guess it's an idea whose time has come.

So: older users are heading for their computers -- but how to make it easier for them to do so?

Seniors do their best to live and stay well. If you live in Florida and go to a concert at 4:00 pm on a Friday, it's not surprising to be surrounded by seniors in their 80's and beyond, dressed up and slowly climbing the steep stairs up to the balcony. These concertgoers likely live in their own homes, drive their own cars, and enjoy concerts and perhaps a nice meal in a restaurant afterward.

Demos dazzle when done right. And a CES/Silvers Summit demo of HP's TouchSmart 'all-in-one' computer (available for the past year) demo'd as an appealing product for boomers and seniors -- starting at $1299.99 on HP's store. Although, the experience of owning one may still benefit from a Geek Squad-like visit for setting it up -- for those who get dizzy when faced with a box full of components.

It's been a long couple of days. So many vendors, so little brain capacity left. But let's get right down to the point. Silvers Summit is the first time CES has ever had a day-long track allocated to discussions and presentations about technology and aging.

It's both a given and a strong conviction: Caregivers worry about the cost of technology to help seniors age in their own homes.  And in fact, so does everyone else.  Vendors and experts think or talk about the potential for all technology (or a vendor-specific technology) to be more affordable if it is to be adopted. Again and again, I hear the issue of 'who will pay' for technology to help seniors remain in their own home. And I detect a hope (and a bias) towards insurance reimbursment that will be government-directed and will lower the cost of care. I don't believe it -- and even more emphatically, I know that caregivers (aka the baby boomer children of those who are aging) can afford to pay.

I want to believe. It's a great idea to prevent businesses with sketchy or even criminal backgrounds from defrauding or harming seniors.