Looking for a good computer for my mom

[Fhistleb]

I just finished building a good gaming computer, but I want to either make a good cheap computer for my mom or just find a good laptop or netbook. Can any of you give me any build specs? This is just for basic computer purposes i.e. Internet browsing, minor gaming such as bejeweled.

Thanks in advanced

 

[Blain]

Buy a refurbed IBM/Lenovo or Dell off ebay...
Pentium 4 2.8GHz (or faster), 1GB of memory (not much more needed), 40-160GB HD, Windows XP.
Buy from a vendor that has thousands of transactions and a rating of at least 99%

These make great "Mom Boxes". :thumbsup::laugh:

 

[VirtualLarry]

You can't really beat the combo of a G31 mobo and an E5200 at the low-end, unless you feel like going AMD, then choose whatever the cheapest dual-core CPU is and a DDR2-capable 785G mobo.

Intel build:
Intel E5200 - $67
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819116072

Gigabyte G31 mobo - $53
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128357

Onboard video, onboard LAN, onboard sound

AMD build:
AMD Athlon II X2 240 - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819103688

GIGABYTE GA-MA785GM-US2H - $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128394

Better onboard video (plays older 3D games, and Blu-Ray, as well as DVD), onboard LAN, onboard sound

Hmm, AMD build is actually more expensive. Oh well, the onboard video is better.

Unfortunately, DDR2 RAM prices have been rising. Corsair 2x2GB DDR2-800 kit was $62 at Newegg last week, now $75.

 

[M0RPH]

HP Mini refurb $239

 

[Blain]

You can't beat a sub-$125 shipped
P4 3GHz refurb off ebay, from a rock solid vendor. 😛

 

[ther00kie16]

Those don't tend to come with monitors though. So a $400 dell desktop w/ 20" lcd, $350 15" laptop or sub-$200 netbook (for really light tasks) would be a better buy

 

[DaveSimmons]

Circuit City online has an MSI ( A5000-026US ) dual-core celeron 1.8 GHz laptop with 15" screen, 3 GB RAM, Windows 7 and a 3-year warranty for $399.

That's faster than a netbook with a modern OS, plenty of RAM, a big screen, better keyboard. It even has HDMI.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

Most parents I know get annoyed with P4 slowness. Dell/outlet is the way to go - $600 laptop - done. DELL support and 1 year upgradable warranty.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: ChaiBabbaChai
Most parents I know get annoyed with P4 slowness.

Their P4 rigs are slow at "Internet browsing, minor gaming such as bejeweled."?
Is so, they're infected or have some hardware related problems.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: ChaiBabbaChai
Most parents I know get annoyed with P4 slowness.

Their P4 rigs are slow at "Internet browsing, minor gaming such as bejeweled."?
Is so, they're infected or have some hardware related problems.

Haha, nah... it's because they totally throw a wrench in the cogs of the software environment. Additionally, it's when opening attachments (iTunes, Office, Illustrator) - that kind of thing - and usually they have the minimum amount of RAM as well as a slow HDD (and only 1, hence the pagefile rapes the actual task at hand) if they bought a Celeron or other low-end system. It just turns into rats nest of performance. Like, my girl's parent's P4 system, when you shut it down, you see about 5 forced close boxes. I bought them 4 times the amount of RAM that had come installed and it helped to not have 512MB of RAM 😛