Computer help!

[cadlakmike1]

So I want to buy my Mom a laptop for Christmas, but I will be the first to admit I don't know much about them. I don't want to walk into bestbuy with the word sucker across my forehead. This computer will be used exclusively for email and bumming around on the internet, so I don't need anything fancy. I don't want to spend a lot of money on features that will never be used, but I also don't want to get her a piece of junk.

I know she likes windows, so I want to stay with that. What sort of questions should I ask? What do I want? I know asking about brands will probably get about 50 different answers, but is there anything you can recommend? I was going to look at Costco and bestbuy, but is there anywhere else I should check out? Any good deals going on right now? I sort of wanted to buy it from a brick and mortar location so if she had a problem she could return there for service, but if that isn't the right way to go about it let me know.

 

[OldHippieChick]

Sams club has a great price on the extended warrantys - about a third what a electronics store would charge and there is NO pressure. They also have respectable deals this time of year.... I hate best buy - they force their employees to sell you those warrantys and there's to much pressure - they must have sales quotas. The prob lately is that PCs come with so much addware you almost have to have them cleaned up by a pro before you can use them. DO NOT attempt to remove adware on your own. Hard lesson learned. Make mom a backup disk before you give it to her..... keep it for her. Throw in some disks to download pics on so she doesn't get bogged down from storing to much on the computer.

 

[cadlakmike1]

I really appreciate the quick response, that's good to know. One of the reasons I was thinking about Costco is that everything they sell automatically comes with an extended warranty, and I think they're prices are comparable to Samsclub. Wherever I get it from I definitely want to get a warranty, I normally don't buy those, but I really want this to be hassle free for her, and if a problem arises I want her to be able to have it taken care of fast and easily. I just figure it would be easier for her to deal with a store instead of trying to deal with a manufacturer's warranty. That's why I was planning on getting it from a brick and mortar instead of online. I wouldn't even know where to look online(other than ebay), and if I got it online would it be a lot cheaper? And how would there service work?(That last question wasn't necessarily just directed at OldHippieChick, it was for anyone reading this)

 

[2Dog]

:heart: you are a sweet son...

 

[cadlakmike1]

Aww, thank you. I have a really good mother, she and I are very close. We've always been very open and honest with each other, she knows all about my drug use(even when my drug use didn't used to be just pot). She has never judged me and always accepted the decisions I've made, even if they aren't the same one's she would make. We live close to eachother now, and I see her at least a few times a week! I worry about her though, there's a real good chance I may be moving in out of state January for work.

That's what gave me the idea of getting her a new laptop. She currently has a desk top, but it's old and slow and sort of junkie. I figure if I get her a computer she likes, and promise to e-mail regularly and send lots of pictures, it will make things easier for her.

 

[2Dog]

I want to have a son like you. or a daughter what a blessing.

 

[OldHippieChick]

Well you could do a search on line for an HP or whatever brand you pick authorized repair/dealer in your area but I have a feeling you first need to read the fine print on the extended warranty. You are going to have two different warranties, the factory one for a year that comes with the purchase and the extended warranty which MIGHT be a extension of the factory warranty and might be an outside source.... If you do have to send it in - you must have the original box so keep it. Looks like the warranty service is your number one priority so I'd ask those details first and see what fits your bill. Don't use Cosco but I hear good things about them.

 

[ArtVandolay]

Hey, Mike! Christmas shopping already? Me, too!

If your mom is like mine, all she does is email and online shopping. I'm a big fan of Dell laptops. They make an Inspiron Mini - it has a beautiful 10 inch screen, it runs winblows XP home - MS best OS to date IMO, and built in wireless networking. All for a couple of hundred bucks. Have a look, if you like, PM me and I'll tell you what I know about them and how to get the best price. I bought my mom one last month

 

[Marsrover1]

try tigerdirect.com mike very good deals wide selection fast shipping i use them alot u can reserch and buy from home no pressure, you might look into an HP mini lap top very powerfull inexpensive not alot of crap loaded on there that u dont want or need

 

[HippyInEngland]

Hello Cad

Let's get down to personal needs.

Will the Lappy be used often/daily?

Will your Mom collect pictures and play games?

Will your Mom be a surfer or just use it to 'Get online and communicate'

eace:

 

[PUFF MONKEY]

if you can find a computer retail/wholesale buisness in your area, it'll be your best bet for a reliable, afforable laptop. i build PC's on the side and always get the best deals and best parts from stores like these...first off, stay away from: HP,DELL,compaq,viao and any brand best buy sells. i recently built my mother a media PC for $200...look for MSI notebooks, they are very reliable and have perfect customer support..something breaks, they send you a new one no questions asked. if you wanna buy parts and assemble yourself, i can write a small tutorial for you...it's very easy..

 

[daddyo]

hxxp://www.cyberpowerpc.com/

i bought my gamer here. and plan on getting the next one here as well.
very happy with price and product.

 

[Sampson]

Great gift man!

Ok heres some help for you.

First is, what makes you pick a laptop over a desktop? If its for portablility then go with laptop, otherwise a desktop is better in the long run because you can aways upgrade any part, while a laptop you can't really upgrade to much.

Next thing is, what would she be using this computer for? Will it be just internet surfing and email, or is there going be work stuff involved, pictures, music, etc. Find out all that and post, that will help you with knowing what memory/hard drive your going want.

Another thing is brand. Your going here alot of opinions with this issue. To be honest, I personally would look at HP and ASUS. I am not a Dell person at all, I've owned 1 desktop from there which was a problem since day 1, my sister has a laptop from them with same issue, and my moms dell laptop is the same way. So from 3 out of 3 computers I had them all bad and will never go back. HP I love, there products are great and they last (we currently have a brand new HP desktop and god is it so fast and quiet! and slick) Also I love Asus. I am actaully typing this up on my Asus laptop. Asus has a great warranty on products, and there products are good. Asus actaully started off just by making mother boards and they still do but they decided to build there own computers now (well for awhile now techincally)

Do not go by size for laptops. That is one thing to consider big time with a laptop. And when I mean size I am meaning on who THIN it is. There starting to make more and more thing laptops, and a thing to remember with these thin laptops are, the thinner they are, the smaller the components are, which mean 1 it'll cost more to fix if it breaks or 2 it wont last as long.

Find out what she'll be using it for and either PM me or post it and I can get you going. Do you have any preference on software of XP/Vista/Windows 7? Let me know that as well. Also inform budget and if online shopping is a option or is it just going be Bestbuy.

 

[SPEARCHUCKER]

try tigerdirect.com mike very good deals wide selection fast shipping i use them alot u can reserch and buy from home no pressure, you might look into an HP mini lap top very powerfull inexpensive not alot of crap loaded on there that u dont want or need

I like that one. The those mini laptops are the way to go now if your not doing much with it.
No downside to them cept the small screen really. And still you can plug them into an HDTVs. So that annuls that basically.

 

[smokeytheherb]

I like that one. The those mini laptops are the way to go now if your not doing much with it.
No downside to them cept the small screen really. And still you can plug them into an HDTVs. So that annuls that basically.

I'm pretty sure Netbooks don't have CD-Drives though which can be a problem for a lot of people. If you are looking for a good place to buy a laptop online then check out: hxxp://www.newegg.com

What kind of budget are you on?? I would recommend atleast 4GB of ram if possible for any laptop with Windows Vista or 7 and I'm guessing you have an idea of how much hard drive space she might need. I can't really help you with any certain brands but if you use Newegg you can read some reviews or just search reviews online. Hope this helps you out a little.

 

[Locked]

This is a pretty good deal right now....hxxp://www.staples.com/office/supplies/StaplesProductDisplay?storeId=10001&jspStoreDir=Staples&AID=10422268&partNumber=828336&cm_mmc=CJ-_-404255-_-404255-_-10422268&PID=404255&catalogId=10051&langId=-1

Free shipping... I look around all the time for deals...I will post up some more a lil later....