If someone is older than you, he was born before earlier than you. If someone is elder he is older than you, and you should respect him. Don't say he is elder than you. Just say he's elder. You can say Melaminefree's computer is older than Arwa's, but "mine is elder than yours' doesn't make sense.

I think it's possible that the word, "elder" is, if you excuse the pun, older. As MMF and kdf1990 said, older is just who was born first, I for example have a brother who is not the same age as me, he's older. He IS THE elder. The elder of the two. The eldest. And also the oldest. Elder has a ring of importance or responsibility to it, listen to your elders (that's me heheh).........(jesus don't listen to me hehehehe). So "old/older/oldest" is purely connected to age in years, days, minutes whatever. But "elder/eldest/elders" have undertones of respectability to them. It's probably historical man, something to with whoever was the oldest boy in the house became, "THE ELDEST" and had to guide the younger ones. Once upon a time, people used to actually look up to people and respect them. Elders, are people who have knowledge, life experience, and they are supposed to give valuable information and guidance, comfort, wisdom. You couldn't say, "The Olders".........just wouldn't work. Oldest = numbers of age Eldest/elders = the oldest but with a position of responsibility or old people in a community who give guidance.

Two examples: Hey kid, you better obey your elders. I am older than my sister.

Google mentioned many things and that confused me. Thank you, Eliot, my elder friend:)

"Elder" not only refers to age, but to someone who is more experienced or wiser. "Older" just refers to age. I'm surprised Google doesn't mention this. The term "elder brother" is dated, because nowadays we don't automatically ascribe superiority to "older" people. So it's a kind of cultural thing, really.