Help me buy my mom a computer.
March 14, 2011 6:01 PM Subscribe
First-time computer user seeks laptop! Help me buy my mother a PC with webcam in the sub-$800 range.
My mother, in her late fifties, is looking to buy a laptop, preferably with Windows 7. She has minimal computer experience and will use it mostly for Skype, email, and general browsing. So far, we know she wants an integrated webcam and 4GB of RAM. She would prefer something with a larger screen -- she really liked the 17.5" screen on an HP we were looking at. Netbooks are not an option. We are planning to visit Best Buy tomorrow -- which brands should we be considering? Price range is sub-$800.
My mother, in her late fifties, is looking to buy a laptop, preferably with Windows 7. She has minimal computer experience and will use it mostly for Skype, email, and general browsing. So far, we know she wants an integrated webcam and 4GB of RAM. She would prefer something with a larger screen -- she really liked the 17.5" screen on an HP we were looking at. Netbooks are not an option. We are planning to visit Best Buy tomorrow -- which brands should we be considering? Price range is sub-$800.
My roommate could not be more in love with her 17" Toshiba and even I'm kind of jealous. My boyfriend (who is a computer person) has said he is impressed enough with it that he is going to look at them for his next machine too.
posted by magnetsphere at 6:30 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by magnetsphere at 6:30 PM on March 14, 2011
Big screens mean heavy units. If she wants to be mobile with it, consider going smaller.
posted by bprater at 6:33 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by bprater at 6:33 PM on March 14, 2011
Maybe the Sony Vaio EC series? I think it fits all of your requirements: $749.99, 17.3", webcam, & Windows 7. I have a Vaio & really enjoy it, although it's true that a computer that size is really not that mobile.
posted by sea change at 6:49 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by sea change at 6:49 PM on March 14, 2011
Response by poster: She's not very interested in mobility.
posted by Judith Butlerian Jihad at 6:51 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by Judith Butlerian Jihad at 6:51 PM on March 14, 2011
The Acer Aspire machines are good value for money, have quite nice screens, and come with minimal bloatware. Asus is good too.
I have had no faith in HP/Compaq's build quality for many years now, unfortunately (shakes fist at Carly Fiorina). Toshiba laptops, in my experience, are a pain in the arse to get inside of, so they will be expensive to fix if anything breaks. A lot of people like Sony laptops - I object enough to Sony's history of shonky dealings that I will have nothing to do with their products. Lenovo still makes solid, reliable hardware.
Whatever machine you get will come with some kind of limited-time antivirus licence from one of the big commercial AV vendors (probably Norton or McAfee). First thing you want to do is download the installer for Panda Cloud Antivirus, then uninstall the supplied commercial AV completely via Programs and Features, then run the Cloud Antivirus installer. You'll get at least a 10% performance boost (more accurately, lack of drag).
posted by flabdablet at 7:26 PM on March 14, 2011
I have had no faith in HP/Compaq's build quality for many years now, unfortunately (shakes fist at Carly Fiorina). Toshiba laptops, in my experience, are a pain in the arse to get inside of, so they will be expensive to fix if anything breaks. A lot of people like Sony laptops - I object enough to Sony's history of shonky dealings that I will have nothing to do with their products. Lenovo still makes solid, reliable hardware.
Whatever machine you get will come with some kind of limited-time antivirus licence from one of the big commercial AV vendors (probably Norton or McAfee). First thing you want to do is download the installer for Panda Cloud Antivirus, then uninstall the supplied commercial AV completely via Programs and Features, then run the Cloud Antivirus installer. You'll get at least a 10% performance boost (more accurately, lack of drag).
posted by flabdablet at 7:26 PM on March 14, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks so much for the advice on antivirus, flabdablet. I've been using a Mac for several years, so I'm relatively out of touch with the world of PC antivirus software. I used to use Spybot SD and Ad-Aware for anti-spyware software -- any recommendations?
posted by Judith Butlerian Jihad at 7:37 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by Judith Butlerian Jihad at 7:37 PM on March 14, 2011
Judith, in terms of antivirus software, it's hard to go wrong with using all three of:
- Microsoft Security Essentials (free!)
- Malwarebytes Anti-malware (free!)
- Superantispyware (free!)
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 7:44 PM on March 14, 2011
- Microsoft Security Essentials (free!)
- Malwarebytes Anti-malware (free!)
- Superantispyware (free!)
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 7:44 PM on March 14, 2011
If you're willing to be a bit flexible you can get two laptops for $800. Here's a $400 Acer with some (6 is a bit low) good reviews on NewEgg. Only things are it's got 3GB RAM and a 15.6" screen and you won't be winning any speed awards. Honestly IMO, these days a first-time computer users doesn't need an $800 laptop. Your Mommage May Vary.
posted by BeerFilter at 7:47 PM on March 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by BeerFilter at 7:47 PM on March 14, 2011 [1 favorite]
I purchased an Acer Aspire (model 5552-5898) in Feb. and am happy with it so far. I paid around $475 all said and done, incl. tax.
FWIW, I use AVG and SuperAntiSpyware for protection. Both are free, although (of course) you can get more automated versions if you're willing to pay for them.
posted by see_change at 7:49 PM on March 14, 2011
FWIW, I use AVG and SuperAntiSpyware for protection. Both are free, although (of course) you can get more automated versions if you're willing to pay for them.
posted by see_change at 7:49 PM on March 14, 2011
Response by poster: I'm tempted to stay away from Acer specifically for the speed problems -- her major frustration using other computers has been slowness, so she's hoping for something relatively quick.
posted by Judith Butlerian Jihad at 8:10 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by Judith Butlerian Jihad at 8:10 PM on March 14, 2011
Spybot Search & Destroy still works fine. Malware Bytes Anti-Malware is also very useful for the occasional Cleanup in Aisle 7 event. I have never found a need to use SuperAntiSpyware. Microsoft Security Essentials I'm not fond of; I've seen it make school computers behave weird and flakey.
If you install Firefox for web browsing and Thunderbird for email, install the Adblock Plus extension into both of those, and subscribe both Adblock installations to the EasyPrivacy+EasyList filter subscription, I don't believe running anything beyond Cloud Antivirus in the background is going to give you security improvements worth the performance hit.
posted by flabdablet at 8:10 PM on March 14, 2011
If you install Firefox for web browsing and Thunderbird for email, install the Adblock Plus extension into both of those, and subscribe both Adblock installations to the EasyPrivacy+EasyList filter subscription, I don't believe running anything beyond Cloud Antivirus in the background is going to give you security improvements worth the performance hit.
posted by flabdablet at 8:10 PM on March 14, 2011
Speed across laptop manufacturers is much of a muchness; they all make slow cheap ones and fast expensive ones. Your $800 budget will get you a reasonably quick machine from just about any manufacturer.
posted by flabdablet at 8:11 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by flabdablet at 8:11 PM on March 14, 2011
Not sure what your time frame is, but the Mrs. was selected to beta test the Google Chrome netbook, and likes it so far. I believe they will be out soon. Bear in mind that it doesn't have a hard drive, but if you set her up for Google accounts, she'll be pretty much taken care of for her needs. Retail price point is supposed to be around $300-$400.
posted by Gilbert at 8:33 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by Gilbert at 8:33 PM on March 14, 2011
I'm looking right now too and saw this HP 17.3", 2.4 GHz, 4GB ram laptop for $469.99 ($519.99-$50 rebate) at Office Depot. Credit goes to fatwallet.com. Here is the link to the $50 rebate info.
posted by DB Cooper at 10:04 PM on March 14, 2011
posted by DB Cooper at 10:04 PM on March 14, 2011
I have an Acer I purchased six months ago, and I'm just not thrilled with the build quality.
Two of the rubber feet have come off, there's a creaky looseness at the top left corner of the screen, and one key has been loose since day one.
And the trackpad is an ALPS, which is terrible at multitouch. And the screen is noticeably brighter at the bottom, darker at the top, and occasionally gets too bright too read (power fluctuation in the backlight?)
I was really excited to buy it, but at this point, I think it's my last Acer. (And that I'll be buying a new laptop a lot sooner than I'd planned.)
Except for the keyboard (which sucked) my Asus was just better.
posted by orthogonality at 3:31 AM on March 15, 2011
Two of the rubber feet have come off, there's a creaky looseness at the top left corner of the screen, and one key has been loose since day one.
And the trackpad is an ALPS, which is terrible at multitouch. And the screen is noticeably brighter at the bottom, darker at the top, and occasionally gets too bright too read (power fluctuation in the backlight?)
I was really excited to buy it, but at this point, I think it's my last Acer. (And that I'll be buying a new laptop a lot sooner than I'd planned.)
Except for the keyboard (which sucked) my Asus was just better.
posted by orthogonality at 3:31 AM on March 15, 2011
I think you're going about this the right way by going to Best Buy and similar stores first before buying. Mainly you'll want her to get some "hands-on" experience with the different display models available to get a feel for what works both aesthetically and functionally. I'll often recommend going to the local computer stores first before buying any long term computer equipment (I mean, would you buy a car before test driving it?). From there you don't necessarily have to buy at the store. You could alternatively explore the prices at online stores to see how they compare. I think Best Buy also has an online price matching policy for exact models.
From there, once you have it, making it as stable as possible is the way to go. The first thing I'll do for relative's PCs is make sure their normal login account is set to normal user privileges (non-admin). I then create another account they can use for "runas" that is an administrator. What typically happens on Windows 7 is, if it needs elevated rights, it'll ask for the password of the last administrator account used. (This helps prevent a plethora of malware from even getting started).
Along with that, I'd recommend the following free packages to help keep things running smoothly:
Avira Anti-Virus (There's also Microsoft Security Essentials, AVG, Avast!, Immunet, and Panda Cloud. However Avira has had some of the best detection rates for awhile now)
Secunia PSI (Windows Updates for everything else. This will help close the vulnerability gap that 3rd party products, like Adobe Reader etc, usually present.)
Web of Trust (A community driven site advisor. Excellent for warning you of malicious search results before you click on them)
Aside from that, definitely show her the iPads that Best Buy should have on display. They might not have the screen size she's looking for, but they are very easy devices to use and should cover email, browsing, skype, etc.
posted by samsara at 5:50 AM on March 15, 2011
From there, once you have it, making it as stable as possible is the way to go. The first thing I'll do for relative's PCs is make sure their normal login account is set to normal user privileges (non-admin). I then create another account they can use for "runas" that is an administrator. What typically happens on Windows 7 is, if it needs elevated rights, it'll ask for the password of the last administrator account used. (This helps prevent a plethora of malware from even getting started).
Along with that, I'd recommend the following free packages to help keep things running smoothly:
Avira Anti-Virus (There's also Microsoft Security Essentials, AVG, Avast!, Immunet, and Panda Cloud. However Avira has had some of the best detection rates for awhile now)
Secunia PSI (Windows Updates for everything else. This will help close the vulnerability gap that 3rd party products, like Adobe Reader etc, usually present.)
Web of Trust (A community driven site advisor. Excellent for warning you of malicious search results before you click on them)
Aside from that, definitely show her the iPads that Best Buy should have on display. They might not have the screen size she's looking for, but they are very easy devices to use and should cover email, browsing, skype, etc.
posted by samsara at 5:50 AM on March 15, 2011
(PS. Oh also, if you're looking for stability and quality products. Asus and Lenovo are your top rated laptop manufacturers)
posted by samsara at 5:51 AM on March 15, 2011
posted by samsara at 5:51 AM on March 15, 2011
Convince her to buy a mac she will thankyou later. I use a windows desktop all the time but I would never buy a pc laptop. Spend a bit more and get the best. They last longer and resell phenomenally. I sold my 5 year old powerbook g4 last year for 500 and the only reason I sold it is because it would not play hulu well.
posted by bravowhiskey at 12:24 PM on March 15, 2011
posted by bravowhiskey at 12:24 PM on March 15, 2011
More anecdota: my 11 year old Dell laptop plays Hulu about as well as anything I'd buy today for $500. But it was a $6000 machine at the time.
posted by flabdablet at 6:54 PM on March 15, 2011
posted by flabdablet at 6:54 PM on March 15, 2011
Response by poster: Thanks all for your advice! We went ahead and bought her an HP G62 -- I got her set up with it (installing new antivirus software and Firefox, deleting bloatware, etc.) and she loves it. That said, I was astonished at how much bloatware comes with HPs, but it wasn't any trouble to uninstall. Thanks again!
posted by Judith Butlerian Jihad at 8:40 PM on March 15, 2011
posted by Judith Butlerian Jihad at 8:40 PM on March 15, 2011
I don't know about the G62 specifically, but based on my experience with other HP/Compaq laptops you might want to have a good look at how its ventilation works. Several HP models draw their cooling air from underneath, and if you ignore the fact that a "laptop" is now officially a "notebook" and actually sit them on your lap, it's easy to block the intake and induce overheating.
Same thing can happen if you sit them on a tabletop with a place mat or tablecloth underneath - the cloth can easily get sucked upward and block the intake. This can drive you nuts trying to figure out, because when you find the thing freezing with roaring fans and pick it up to see what's blocked the intake, nothing ever is.
Give your optical drive a good workout early was well, so that if it's going to fail it does so before the warranty runs out. HP tends to put fairly flimsy drives in its laptops, and their service life appears to be fairly carefully matched to the warranty period.
Also, get the wireless card replaced at the first sign of any wireless flakiness. Once that starts it gets progressively worse, and trying to fix it by updating drivers can waste enough time that your warranty runs out before you figure out it's actually failing hardware.
posted by flabdablet at 10:38 PM on March 15, 2011
Same thing can happen if you sit them on a tabletop with a place mat or tablecloth underneath - the cloth can easily get sucked upward and block the intake. This can drive you nuts trying to figure out, because when you find the thing freezing with roaring fans and pick it up to see what's blocked the intake, nothing ever is.
Give your optical drive a good workout early was well, so that if it's going to fail it does so before the warranty runs out. HP tends to put fairly flimsy drives in its laptops, and their service life appears to be fairly carefully matched to the warranty period.
Also, get the wireless card replaced at the first sign of any wireless flakiness. Once that starts it gets progressively worse, and trying to fix it by updating drivers can waste enough time that your warranty runs out before you figure out it's actually failing hardware.
posted by flabdablet at 10:38 PM on March 15, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lantius at 6:10 PM on March 14, 2011