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Looking for a pc or laptop for my mom

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  • Laptops
  • Computers
  • Systems
Last response: in Systems
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March 19, 2014 11:42:19 AM

Hey guys,

My mom's wanting a new computer to replace her old Pentium 4 based one she's using now. She mostly uses it for writting emails and viewing blogs and youtube videos, but it's starting to go slow enough to make even doing that a pain!

I'm considering this Laptop, but I cannot seem to find any specs for the CPU, which is concerning:
http://shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Lap...

Can anyone find me those specs, or even a good deal for her? She's open to both desktops and laptops, but I think something mobile would be helpful for her. I'm looking for something under $400, but I'd hate to get her one that goes even slower than her current one! :p 

All help will be appreciated :D 

More about : laptop mom

a b D Laptop
March 19, 2014 11:57:29 AM

Will she be under Wi-Fi coverage for most of her time?
If so, I highly highly recommend Chromebook.
They are very cheap, fast, and exactly meant for people that only surf and watch some videos.
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March 19, 2014 4:48:29 PM

IDontUnderstand said:
Will she be under Wi-Fi coverage for most of her time?
If so, I highly highly recommend Chromebook.
They are very cheap, fast, and exactly meant for people that only surf and watch some videos.


I considered a Chromebook, as that seems the most cost effective, but I don't think she would feel comfortable using cloud storage only, as she is even more concerned about privacy than I am and the wifi only works in half of her house since she needs to get a relay eventually.

How good is a chromebook without using the cloud storage? The main reason I was looking elsewhere for her was because I think she wants something that is self-contained and works fine on its own.
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March 19, 2014 4:50:48 PM

I say get a Chromebook or a Microsoft Sureface RT tablet.
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March 19, 2014 4:55:43 PM

FractalDesignCore said:
I say get a Chromebook or a Microsoft Sureface RT tablet.


Nah, touchscreens annoy her to the point that when someone gave her an iPad she went back to using her old pc instead, so a traditional laptop or desktop setup is a MUST.
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a b D Laptop
March 19, 2014 4:56:02 PM

If she isn't planning on storing a lot of videos or pictures, you will still have like a few GB of spaces for regular usage. It can also be used offline for documents editing and such. Chromebook is fast because of its optimization for its hardware, since there are only so many models of Chromebook out there. In addition, there will not be driver compatibility issue, updating 24/7 and etc.

If you want suggestions for regular laptop, I would go with Intel processor since she doesn't play games (I assume).
This is a pretty cool 2 in 1 by ASUS http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/pro... Super long lasting battery, light (can be a tablet for even lighter purpose), flash storage for super fast boot up.
Downside is that it's Windows RT, not a lot of internal storage.

Update: the ASUS one comes with keyboard if that makes it better.
Here is a link to the same one if you prefer Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-T100TA-C1-GR-10-1-Inc...
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a b D Laptop
March 19, 2014 5:08:41 PM

Try to go one for an i3. That A4 will do fine however, definitely faster than a pentium iv lol
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March 24, 2014 1:21:48 PM

Hey guys, sorry to revive an old thread, but I just saw that Microsoft is giving old XP users $100 off select products, and I was wanting your opinions since this may be a great opportunity for her:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/cat...

That $599 (not (meant NOW :p ) $499) Acer laptop looks pretty good to my inexperienced eyes, as it's the cheapest product on there and looks pretty good for the price with a 2.6 ghz processor, but I'm wanting your opinions:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Ace...
My main concern is that it's Windows 8.1 not 7, and it doesn't have a network port so she can't go online if she's out of Wifi range.

Thanks for any help, I really value the input since I'm new to PC picking :p 
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a b D Laptop
March 24, 2014 3:11:19 PM

Inquisitive Builder said:
Hey guys, sorry to revive an old thread, but I just saw that Microsoft is giving old XP users $100 off select products, and I was wanting your opinions since this may be a great opportunity for her:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/cat...

That $599 (not $499) Acer laptop looks pretty good to my inexperienced eyes, as it's the cheapest product on there and looks pretty good for the price with a 2.6 ghz processor, but I'm wanting your opinions:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Ace...
My main concern is that it's Windows 8.1 not 7, and it doesn't have a network port so she can't go online if she's out of Wifi range.

Thanks for any help, I really value the input since I'm new to PC picking :p 


Looks good
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a b D Laptop
March 25, 2014 4:40:11 PM

I'm not being mean or insulting, I'm speaking from experience. When buying for anything, anything in general. Always just decide one with a given time period and just go with it, because you will never stop finding more interesting deals and discounts. It's just like whether I should want to buy the RAM for my build, because I might find another one on discount tomorrow or on another website. Again, I'm not trying to hurt anyone, I'm just trying to say that it's always good to decide and purchase and not let the matter sit on your head for days.

I would go with the Acer one.
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