Computer purchasing question

[trinityvixen]

Nevermind that test I should be taking the slow day at work to study for! I have computer purchasing questions.

The customer for whom I would be looking to buy a computer is looking for something cheap. Emphasis on cheap. We're talking netbook cheap, here. She is nervous about spending too much money in this economy, saw my netbook, and loved it. I should say she loved the idea of it--how portable and basic it is, for her needs are basic and she does not need bells, whistles, or other such gee-gaws. She wants something purposefully discreet. Not because she plans on doing surreptitious computing but...well, okay, she's planning on doing surreptitious computing. She has to because otherwise her kids might see it and want to take it over from her as they have done the family computers. The less attention the machine draws to itself, the better.

Personally, I'm not sure that a netbook is what she should have. She's older and slightly heavy, and I'm worried that a combination of tiny screen and tiny keys would make it frustrating to use. Better to spend maybe $100 more and get something even 13-14" range with a nearly-100%-sized keyboard. I know some netbooks have 92%-sized keyboards, and those would be fine, but I do still worry about the screen. I'm sure I can find something still relatively portable with a larger screen.

So, here's my question. Two of them, really. One: am I right that a netbook is probably wrong for her? And, two, if I am, where would I go about getting a decent laptop for less than $500?

One option I have found is this coupon for some Dells. They're all, like, four years behind the curve, though. Seriously, my 2006 Dell that I bought (at like four times this price, damn it), had some of these specs. But, like I said, I'm not so sure that that would be terrible for what she needs. It just grates on me because a netbook has better specs, it's just the size that's a problem. Damn it.

Help, tech-savvy friends?

Comments

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure an adorably small computer is sufficiently unobtrusive. I feel like every time I go somewhere with Squeak, he gets noticed. A slightly larger computer might be less noteworthy. (I'm just envisioning her kids seeing the netbook, declaring it's the cutest thing ever and doesn't it so conveniently fit in my purse/backpack, and that's the last she sees of the darned thing.)

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I have fears in a similar direction, I do confess. Beyond my fear that she will face complications in using it. Which is why, despite the antiquated nature of the computers at the link I threw up there, I was tempted. They look like extremely boring, decidedly-middle-of-the-road laptops--neither powerful enough nor portable enough to tempt anyone inordinately.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

You could always do something like this:

http://www.macofalltrades.com/Apple_ICD_2_0GHz_13_3_MacBook_White_p/macbook7.htm

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Nice suggestion, but I think a Mac is right out. Too flashy, too trendy. It would be reappropriated by the kids who've made all this necessary in the first place.

[gryphonrose.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. :)

Still, a refurbished machine might be the way to go. You can probably pick up a one- or two-year-old model for reasonably cheap.

[sols-light.livejournal.com]

Macs can play less games which might be part of the problem. The again, steam for Macs does exist now so that's not the statement it used to be.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

Silly question: What are her kids stealing the computer to do? Surf the web? Play games? Write angsty poetry?

It seems to me the key here is to get a computer--possibly and older, crappier one, that can _only_ do the things mom wants, and not what they kids want. Or as close to that as possible. Something that'll groan to a crawl if you try to view a flash video, perhaps.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Apparently, the kids complain all the time about how she uses the computer, so god knows what they're doing. I'm taking this to mean one of two things: 1) she's inadvertantly changing settings that they are veeeeeery particular about, and/or 2) she's not being careful enough with what she does on the internet and might be exposing them to viruses. I rather doubt it's the latter, seeing as there's hardly anything she'd do with it that she's going to make it a Trojan horse or anything. I have to guess that they're just being dicks about it. I love her to pieces; her kids I would happily drop off a cliff most days. Okay, they're not that bad, but they're pretty bad. Like, spoiled-rotten-Italian-mamma's-boys bad, which they are.

I am sure their use of the computer is multimedia-heavy, so something with almost no multimedia support is probably just fine. I don't want to restrict her too much, to have her unable to watch YouTube should she so choose, or maybe listen to music. But something like what you suggested, yes.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

Holy shit, I've never met these kids, and I just want to whack them all upside the head. What kind of kid won't let their mother use her own damn computer?

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

My mother is basically her kids' second mother, and she's like, "If these were my kids? I'd have murdered them ages ago." This woman is my second mother, and I adore her and would never, ever treat her, much less my own mother, with the mix of entitlement and brattiness they do. I hate to say it, though: she does bring some of it on herself. She's an Italian mother. Her boys, much as she wants to kill them, she attends to their every whim, it seems like.

As such, they're used to being able to shout at her with, like, no consequences. Doesn't surprise me they'd do it over the computer, too.

[jethrien.livejournal.com]

If you ever see me doing this with my kids, hit me upside the head. Print this out and show it to me if I try to yell at you for it. Future Me, stop being stupid.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

Actually, another thought: How old are the kids? Are they old enough that they could be embarassed by a "mom" computer, decorated with goofy decals and rhinestones?

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I don't know how tasteful they are or not. I also am not sure which of her four boys is the one giving her so much shit. One of them is a style-conscious type who would distance himself from anything rhinestone-y. But the rest? Probably wouldn't give a shit. I also don't get the sense that they're taking the computer anywhere, just that they're taking it away from her when she wants to use it and yelling at her for how she does use it.

(Did I mention I want to drop them off cliffs? I did?)

Part of what I'll do for her is set her up with passwords for, like, everything to assist in keeping them out. Here's hoping that doesn't also keep her out...

[bigscary.livejournal.com]

As a larger poorly sighted person I say netbook.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

See, I'm a perfect-visioned, smaller-handed person, and I don't find that netbooks are the best for typing on, long-term. But if her needs are e-mail and YouTube, she's probably not writing War and Peace. I'll see what she thinks.

[moonlightalice.livejournal.com]

I think a netbook is still the right choice. She's not going to need any of the benefits of a larger computer. If you want a bigger netbook, go for a 12" one (the size of old-school laptops!):

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-Seashell-1201PN-PU17-SL-12-1-Inch-Netbook/dp/B003QR1TAO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1286305910&sr=8-3

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

That's a good point about the 12". I was sorta thinking netbook = 10" or smaller, and I didn't think about those. I've gone ahead and e-mailed her specifically about that model. $425 before taxes is pretty good, but I don't know if that's as cheap as she'd like. I'll see. But thanks for the find!

[moonlightalice.livejournal.com]

It's a little pricier than other netbooks, but has a full-size keyboard and a big screen. A "real" laptop wouldn't be much cheaper anyway. Good luck!

[slothshaman.livejournal.com]

I'm a big guy, with big hands and I wear glasses. I still think a netbook is the way to go for her, and you can set it up to lock out the little shits if they try to steal it from her.

Personally, I say smack the SHIT outta the little creeps if they try to steal her computer, but hey, I'm not her.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I'm beginning to reconsider. I'll see what looks best for her. Honestly, the choice may come down to price. If $300 is a sticking point (what she knows is about what I paid for my netbook), then it's got to be a netbook.