helping family buy 2 laptops and one desktop!

bigben2wardpitt

Senior member
May 29, 2005
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I am looking at Dell, HP, and Apple. If i had my way they would all be getting macs, but my dad (who is overseeing two of the purchases) isn't so sure about that.

I have him more on the mac for the grandma because she will strictly be doing JUST internet and microsoft word. .. and btw this grandma is only in her 60's so she isn't ancient
:D

For the sister, she's in college and wants this laptop to last her through college (two more years) and longer. She is in love with the HP's, but will also be looking at Dells

the stepmom, its wide open--she wants lightweight and good looking so I am looking at... Sony--which i am not so sure about....

So other than figuring this out im wondering if i should go the online customization route or look at circuitcity and bestbuy and all their deals.

also i am thinking along the lines of around $1000 for each laptop, but the spending limit for the stepmom is more flexible. The sister we want to keep under $1200 or 1300

So i am looking at core 2 duo for all of them because thats the newest technology (maybe not for the desktop), at least a gig of ram, and probably at least a 80 gb HD for all of them, the stepmom and grandma not needing as much as the sister.

15 inch screen will probably be good (may have to make changes if anyone gets a mac). I want these computer portable but the 15 inch screen is pretty much a must have.

Right now my top suggestion for the sister are these:

http://circuitcity.com/ssm/HP-Pavilion-...atOid/-12963/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

or the step up

http://circuitcity.com/ssm/HP-Pavilion-...atOid/-12963/rpem/ccd/productDetail.do

for the grandma i would LIKE to get her an Imac but if that doesnt work out a cheaper alternative would be somewhere in the 400-600 range for a desktop PC-- this would suit her plenty well--from HP (customized or on circuitcity) or Dell probably

So, any insight on this? where i should be looking to buy a computer online other than official websites, what companies to look at, maybe specific models?


-try to keep your "they should defiantly get macbooks" statements out because i already know that and i am trying to push that as much as i can :D
 

Smokey0066

Senior member
Oct 9, 1999
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I've seen my fair share of laptops. I would suggest looking at IBM thinkpads. I've settled on thinkpad T series for my family and will not look elsewhere.

I too went through purchasing 2 laptops for my lil sis through college. The first was a dell which eventually fell apart (plastic hinges broke). At the end of her 2nd year I got her a thinkpad T42. Regardless of what the rest of the family gets, you want a thinkpad for you sister. WHY? because they are rugged and built tough just as a student or business professional needs them to be. Your sister will probably toss her notebook into her book bag with the rest of her stuff on a daily basis; that laptop will go with her to classes/studying/coffee joints/friends places etc.. It WILL get used and probably abused but with the metal hinges and metal frame it will stand up to the abuse. Thinkpads are a bit spendy but if i would have gotten 1 instead of 2 laptops think how much I would've saved. BTW the dell was fully loaded and close to 2k; the thinkpad was under 1500. I will say one thing though; the thinkpads are lacking in the multimedia/extra features department but i think its a small price to pay for such a durable laptop.

and just to list a few of the brands of laptops i've used:
IBM, Sony, Toshiba, Dell, Dell Clones, Compaq

And for myself, I have a T43 for personal use and i just got T60 for work, upgraded froma T42.

Good luck
 

pkme2

Diamond Member
Sep 30, 2005
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I've used Dell laptops for a longtime and most of my clients and students continue to use them.

The prices of the Inspirons with Dell discount coupons, make them too good of a deal to pass up.

You can get $999.00 laptops less $250 and higher end versions with 30% discounts.
Duo core laptops with solid upgrades are definitely the only way to go.

You can pay more, but you really you can't get better deals than a Dell.
All things being equal, what you pay and what you get should be the deciding factor.
 

bigben2wardpitt

Senior member
May 29, 2005
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Originally posted by: pkme2
I've used Dell laptops for a longtime and most of my clients and students continue to use them.

The prices of the Inspirons with Dell discount coupons, make them too good of a deal to pass up.

You can get $999.00 laptops less $250 and higher end versions with 30% discounts.
Duo core laptops with solid upgrades are definitely the only way to go.

You can pay more, but you really you can't get better deals than a Dell.
All things being equal, what you pay and what you get should be the deciding factor.
see i would usually agree with you but right now the dell deals and coupons are pretty lame

EDIT: 25 percent off for anytinh over $999 or $1199, just customized a e1505 and got 384 bucks off, so this is defiantly the winner for the stepmom because at that house we are a dell family. With the sister, getting her to buy a dell is going to take some talking to from the father. for the grandma, still up in the air, either a dell like this or the circuitcity laptops which ccan come in a package with a printer, router, case, two of which she will need.

 

bigben2wardpitt

Senior member
May 29, 2005
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ok correction, so the grandma wants a DESKTOP computer. Now i was looking at HP and Dell, and only their more expensive models have core 2 duo processors. The less expensive ones have AMD x2 in them, how fast is AMD? I really don't think i should be spending 900-1k on a desktop computer for this woman, she simply doesn't need it, so are these AMD processors plenty fast?

MAJOR EDITS TO FIRST POST BY THE WAY..
 

pkme2

Diamond Member
Sep 30, 2005
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AMD X2 is ideal for Grandma. AMD X2 is plenty fast enough, a Corvette as compared to a Ferrari. Both are fast, though the C2D is the Ultimate gamers CPU. Your grandma has all the speed she will ever need.
C2D is for gamers whose requirements necessitate the need for speed for those complex games..
 

40sTheme

Golden Member
Sep 24, 2006
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Well, if you want the laptops to never break no matter what you do to them, get IBM Thinkpads. Seriously, Google 'Legends of the ThinkPad' (I think that's what it was called). I'm not a laptop guy, though, so that's all I have to say.
 

bigben2wardpitt

Senior member
May 29, 2005
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Originally posted by: 40sTheme
Well, if you want the laptops to never break no matter what you do to them, get IBM Thinkpads. Seriously, Google 'Legends of the ThinkPad' (I think that's what it was called). I'm not a laptop guy, though, so that's all I have to say.

yea well if everything was about performance and toughness, this would be a bit of a different purchase, but women, sadly, get what they want, even if it isn't for the better. My mother is the only smart one with an amazing laptop that looks pretty good but is a beast performer.