[geargrrl]

here's the need. I'm shopping for a relative who has some disabilities due to a stroke, and will use it mainly for simple emailing and maybe some web surfing later on.

A laptop is what she wants because with mobility issues, being able to use the computer wherever, instead of being committed to a desktop, will be much better for her.

It's been suggested to get an Alienware or Dell, customize it, instead of buying in store. ( better warranty/real person tech help?)

My preference is for only useful software, and not all the crap they like to preload systems with. Also, we'll go wireless, so when she has to sit and wait anywhere ( which is a lot ) she can use wi-fi if it's available.

thoughts, monkeys? - thanks as always.

 

[binary visions]

The crap they preload the system with is inevitable. Spend an hour uninstalling it and run a registry cleanup utility like TuneUp Utilities afterwards and it'll be good to go.

If all she needs it for is simple needs, I would go with an inexpensive Dell Inspiron. Be aware of the weight of whichever model you pick up - you do not want a heavy laptop for her. Dell has a suprisingly good online, text based chat tech support. Vendor tech support should only be for hardware problems... if you mean she'll need "help" with the computer, her best bet is to find a good local tech support guy or a friend.

If she has some more money to spend, Lenovo Thinkpads are great computers, probably the most reliable laptop you can buy. HP is making some nice laptops, too - but Dell beats out just about everything if budget is the main focus.

Most laptops are coming with wireless cards now, you'd actually have to search to find one that didn't.

 

[geargrrl]

the budget situation is this. Her brother ( these are my inlaws) has about 2K he wants to put into this project. However, she cannot afford internet access due to limited income, so I want to work it that she gets at least a year or more prepaid, and then we can pick it up after that.

Tech support is a problem as she's in the SF area and we are in WA. She says she knows some local folks who can help her, I am hoping so.

bottom line, is that budget isn't really an issue.

So, dell wanting $159 to come over and set it up, including wireless, if there's no one to do it for her? ???

gg

 

[syadasti]

If you get a Dell, always call them to place the order - they'll give you a better deal if you ask for one on the phone. Dell business support is better than the consumer line, so consider a Latitude laptop instead of a Inspiron and buy it from the business division - you don't need to own a business to buy from the small business division.

A laptop is one of the few electronics items were an extended warranty is worthwhile.

Also refurbished units from Dell are great - mostly returned systems they can't legally sell as brand new (though some are scatch and dent, but are clear indicated and priced as such).

Goto http://www.delloutlet.com under "Business and Education" to check them out. You can call on the phone if you have a specific need, their inventory changes a lot...

This Latitude D620 Core 2 Duo system is pretty sweet for $839 before bargaining on the phone with them:

Latitude D620
(System Identifier: EEATC36C)

* Latitude D620 Notebook: Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (2.00GHz) 4M L2 Cache, 667Mhz Dual Core
* Genuine Windows XP Pro

System Price : $839.00

Operating System
Genuine Windows XP ProMemory
1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz (2 DIMMs)Hard Disk Drive
60 GB EIDE Hard Drive (7200 RPM)Video
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950Certified Refurbished
Certified RefurbishedBase
Latitude D620 Notebook: Intel Core 2 Duo T7200 (2.00GHz) 4M L2 Cache, 667Mhz Dual CoreMedia Bay
24X CD RW/DVD Combo DriveNetwork Interface Card
3945 802.11a/g Wireless Mini CardNoteBook Screen
14.1 inch WXGA Notebook Screen

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnlineSales/topics/global.aspx/arb/online/en/InventoryDetails?systemId=EEATC36C&~lt=popup&c=us&l=en&s=dfb&cs=28

 

[LordOpie]

my only comment is that ANY new computer sold today will be more than powerful enough for any use she will ask of it.

So don't let processor speed type things be an issue. And they ALL come wireless nowadays.

Is she in a chair? If so, I say dedicate some of the budget to a functional, flexible, rotatable mounted computer holder. Something that locks the computer in place... you wouldn't want some scumbag to be able to just grab and run with it.

$2k can buy a lot, so I say a $1k computer with the rest dedicated to service, mounting, support... including an open service contract. Like a gift card to Geek Squad @ Best Buy or similar so she can call without worries.

Great idea for your relative

 

[geargrrl]

Wow, some great ideas here. Especially geek squad contract or similar. She's got good mobility, uses a walker mostly, chair when she's tired. She was a very good typist "before" so I'm hoping that skill will come back with practice. Mostly her vision is somewhat poor, but nothing that large fonts won't fix, and she is really slow.

Looking at laptops, yes I see that even the lower end still is huge amount of computer for basic purposes.

I'm more worried about things like her not knowing about spyware, erroneous software, phishing and all that. She's a great gal, but needs some training on those kinds of things.

The brother that lives out of the country is funding is so he can email/skype with her, and we ( I am) doing the legwork.

gg

 

[binary visions]

I wouldn't worry quite so much about spyware. Windows Defender integrates almost invisibly with Windows, updates itself automatically, software upgrades are handled through Windows Update like everything else. It's free from Microsoft's website.

Virus scanners will do the same thing - easy automatic updates.

Phishing is a tough one, but it boils down to a simple lesson: never click links in email. If you think it might be legit, open the website yourself (manually) and log in.

 

[geargrrl]

what do you guys think of this, Dell Inspiron 130 are 25% off right now
reg $1026, now $769

http://www.dell.com/content/products/features.aspx/featured_basnb?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs

also, what is the mobile broadband feature and why or why not would one want it?

 

[CHepler]

My Dell desktop bit the dust last week. I went to BestBuy and came home with an HP 9035nr laptop, wireless router, and a high speed connection. I'm in the recliner as I type, didn't know how cool this wireless stuff could be. I had been planning to upgrade. If it wasn't for the hard drive thing on the other system I'd almost be glad it had happened.
Oh yeah as I've stated before, I'm not an expert so I had the Geeksquad come out and check out the old system and setup all the new. Good move on my part.

 

[syadasti]

The refurbished I linked above is a much better deal even without calling them on the phone vs. the Inspiron - if you call them I think they'll be pretty similar in price and then its a no-brainer:

-Dual core high end CPU
-Comes with XP Pro instead of home (probably doesn't matter for her)
-Faster 7200RPM HDD (slow hard drives are major bottleneck on laptop)
-Better integrated graphics (950 vs. 900)
-Proven D620 chassis
-Better wireless chipset (Intel vs. cheaper Dell Taiwan knock-off chipset)
-6 cell vs. 4 cell battery (longer battery life)
-US phone technical support for Latitude business products vs. India for consumer Inspiron products

I'm not sure if the refurb latitude comes with 1 or 3 year warranty - when you order you can always upgrade to 3 years and its definitely worth it with a laptop. You can get a on-site warranty and/or Completecare (covers accidental damage like dropping). The phone sales guy should know the the details about the warranties.

 

[Quo Fan]

Unless you have more than 5 people on a network, don't spend the money for XP Pro. The only difference is the number of people that can be on a network at the same time.

Mobile broadband is a wireless high speed connection.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

If you get a Dell, always call them to place the order - they'll give you a better deal if you ask for one on the phone. Dell business support is better than the consumer line, so consider a Latitude laptop instead of a Inspiron and buy it from the business division - you don't need to own a business to buy from the small business division.

If you do that, and they find out you are not a business, they will put you in the consumer help queue.

 

[syadasti]

If you do that, and they find out you are not a business, they will put you in the consumer help queue.

Just tell them its for a new small business and make up a name, they won't check into it. I've bought things for my personal usage outside of work through the business division with no problems.

Also Dell Outlet sells their business Latitude models under the home/home office store, so it doesn't matter regardless. I'm pretty sure all Latitude notebooks are supported by the business division - you can check with your Dell outlet operator if you don't want to order as a new small business.

 

[geargrrl]

Mobile broadband is a wireless high speed connection.

sorry to be so dense, but is this a piece of hardware that you have to have to be on wireless, or is it an option that you'd get to improve/increase your wireless capability?

we own two small businesses, no problem there.

 

[LordOpie]

not dense.

I'm not certain myself, but I'm pretty sure that 'mobile broadband' is a dedicated internet connection using cell phone technology. You have to pay for the use.

Wireless, in general, is built-in and can connect to any open wireless network for free. It's designated by "802.11a", "802.11b" "...g"

 

[Kihaji]

To be absolutely honest, if I was in your situation I would look on ebay for an Ibook, G4 if possible or even a clam shell one would do. I say this for a couple of reasons:

The wireless on Macs is easiest to use in my experience. I "just works".

The maintenance on OS X is significantly less than that of Windows. Not to mention the lower risk of virii and spyware.

The accessibility tools on OS X are incredibly superior to Windows. From speach tools(text readers) to various built in tools, it cannot be beat out of the box.

The quality of hardware on Apple is quite good.

The downsides are that if something does go wrong, it can get a bit expensive. And if your relative is used to Windows they may be a bit reluctant or inable to adapt.

 

[syadasti]

The wireless on Macs is easiest to use in my experience. I "just works".

There is virtually no difference in ease of wireless networking, especially if you are using the built in Windows SP2 wireless client. In fact I've dealt with third party routers that would connect fine to Windows PCs but required a request on my part for the OEM to update their firmware due to OSX's WPA2-PSK not working properly and another were I was just screwed because the OEM doesn't update their firmware often if at all rather early in the product lifecycle.

I encountered this OSX problem on two different brands of routers - Trendnet (WPA2-PSK mode would not connect on OSX clients- required waiting months for a firmware update) and Dlink's Verizon FiOS router (WPA2-PSK would connect but performance on OSX was extremely poor - had to use WPA-PSK instead (inferior encryption, software base so more overhead in network performance). Reality - it doesn't just work - its a computer and it has bugs just like any other.

The maintenance on OS X is significantly less than that of Windows. Not to mention the lower risk of virii and spyware.

A new OSX Tiger machine requires more megabytes of patches downloaded out of the box vs. a new WinXP SP2 machine - I've setup and patched both many times in the past few months.

There certainly is less malware on OSX though.

The accessibility tools on OS X are incredibly superior to Windows. From speach tools(text readers) to various built in tools, it cannot be beat out of the box.

They both have these tools out of the box and these were improved for SP2 (I have no idea about Vista, since I didn't check them in the beta). It doesn't really matter because there are superior third party applications the user is use to.

The quality of hardware on Apple is quite good.

They are equally as good/bad. Laptops are especially bad:

All Laptops Break. Period.

This Consumer Reports chart ranks how quickly different laptops need repair. As you can see, Apple is in the middle, with Sony as the most reliable and Gateway the least. Surprisingly, on average, 17% of Apple laptops require serious repair. Suck on that, fanboys!

The downsides are that if something does go wrong, it can get a bit expensive. And if your relative is used to Windows they may be a bit reluctant or inable to adapt.

A laptop is one of the few items you should buy the extended warranty plans.

You last line is most important, most users don't like change unless they are comfortable using computers, that matters most above all. Also important/legacy applications are a sticking point in many cases.

 

[geargrrl]

Ack, I am on the verge of being completely overwhelmed.

Macs - are out as I'm a Windows person, and the various folks who will be helping her with it are Windows persons. She ran Windows in her previous life, also. I'm in WA and she's in CA, so KISS is the goal ( but thanks for the idea, anyway)

Some of the links we've been looking at here are 14" screens, and we'll want a 15.5.

gg

 

[syadasti]

If you are looking for a somewhat decent notebook at a lower pricepoint, a large screen is going to be hard to get without giving up a lot of mobility - can your relative deal with the extra weight?

Its easy to decrease the resolution, use larger fonts, and/or switch to one of those visual impaired Windows themes if your screen isn't quite as big.

 

[geargrrl]

we spent a couple of hours the other day trying out different sizes/screens and a 15.5 is her preference, and as I stated before money is not really an issue here.

 

[syadasti]

Dell page seems to change a lot, but I found this great deal (its best to call them (they can also add Office to the notebook if you want that). Its a great deal if you are going to be doing most of the support vs. her calling Dell instead (make sure you buy a 3 year onsite and possibly a Completecare warranty regardless):

Inspiron 6400 / E1505
(System Identifier: 09R0YY6C)

* Inspiron 6400/E1505 Notebook: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7200 (4MB Cache/2.00GHz/667MHz FSB)
* Genuine Windows XP Media Center 2005

System Price : $769.00

Operating System
Genuine Windows XP Media Center 2005
Memory
1 GB DDR2 SDRAM 533MHz (2 DIMMs)
Hard Disk Drive
120 GB EIDE Hard Drive (5400 RPM)
Video
Intel Integrated Graphics Media Accelerator 950
Software Upgrade
McAfee Security Center with VirusScan, Firewall, Spyware Removal, 15-months
Certified Refurbished
Certified Refurbished
Base Inspiron 6400/E1505 Notebook: Intel Core 2 Duo processor T7200 (4MB Cache/2.00GHz/667MHz FSB)
Media Bay
8X DVD +/- RW w/dbl layer write capability
Network Interface Card
Intel Pro Wireless 3945
NoteBook Screen
15.4 WXGA Notebook Screen Display with TrueLife

Software
Adobe Acrobat 6.0 Reader
Power DVD Software
Music Match 10.1 Software
Software
Support Software
Image Restore Software
Microsoft Works 8.5
AOL ISP Software
MEDIADIRECT Two Software
Operating System CD
DVD Software
Resource CD
Windows Media Player
AOL 9.0 ISP Software
Misc
Keyboard On Notebook
Hinge Cover
Shipping Material
Processor Label
6 Cell Primary Battery
Processor Label
AOL Software Documentation
Processor Label
65W Adapter
Shipping Material

 

[geargrrl]

is that one of the ones 20-25% off right now? I had been looking at the Inspiron B130 but the screen was wrong. I'll check again, I've been to the Dell site so many times my eyes area getting buggy.

(and thanks everyone for helping me out with this!!!!)

 

[syadasti]

No thats a E1505, its a better laptop and it has better specs in these regards: 15.4" LCD, Core 2 Duo CPU, 6-cell battery, 950 integrated video, 120 GB, and Intel Wireless chipset.

PC World Review
Cnet Review

 

[geargrrl]

sydastri, I'm trying to duplicate the one you spec'd out on the Dell site, which one did you start with?


edit again - frustrated, can't seem to find that one on the outlet, is there a way to search by system identifier number?

 

[syadasti]

sydastri, I'm trying to duplicate the one you spec'd out on the Dell site, which one did you start with?

That's a refurbished unit from Dell Outlet.

I linked to the laptop in my post above and if you call them on the phone they just need the system identifier posted above to locate it.

Our company has bought many dozen systems this way, we've had very good experience buying this way, you aren't really losing out on anything except a lighter wallet (same warranty options when you buy etc...).

Often they are returned orders and they can't legally sell them as brand new.

 

[LordOpie]

stop being overwhelmed and listen closely...

for your SIL, this is no different than us telling people to find a good bike shop and let them help the newbie buy and service the bike.

Any computer you buy will be good enough so stop worrying about that.

Shop for post-sales service.

 

[geargrrl]

LO and others, what are your thoughts on post sales service? If I lived there, no problem,
but here's the challenge, or my concern with any sort of phone based tech support. She has a speech impediment, speaks slowly and her enunciation can be a bit garbled once in a while. No problem for me or others that take the time to listen ( it's not that bad) but she has told me that when she makes phone calls to your typical customer service deal for whatever, two of three things usually happen. One, they think she's retarded, Two, they think it's a crank call or she's drunk, and Three, they hang up on her.

So, I'm thinking get her set up, (Geek Squad was a great idea for that) and then ????

gg

 

[binary visions]

Can she type well, or at least decently?

Dell has a great online, text-based support application which means she doesn't have to talk to anyone, and also doesn't have to work her way through the heavy Indian accent.

HP has a good one too, IIRC.

The absolute best way (in my opinion) for someone like this to get support is to find someone locally who knows their stuff and is willing to take a little cash in exchange for answering her questions and stuff. That would do well for basic helpdesk-type issues, while the HP or Dell chat application would be fine for solving actual problems with the computer.

Barring that, find a local support place (Geek Squad or wherever), call them, explain the situation and ask if they have any suggestions to see that she gets proper service.

 

[syadasti]

I'll second the chat based help systems from Dell and HP. Both work well and in some cases faster than phone support since you don't have to wait on hold.

Some chat support systems even have remote assistance to fix computer problems.