Anyone recommend a pc for parents?

infoslob

infoslob

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Jul 13, 2011
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My dad never whipped me with a belt growing up, but I think I'd rather endure a few welts with a belt than to talk to him every day about his slow computer (his Dell is ancient) and him buying a new one.

My experience is simple, Apple, but that's out of the question - too expensive. Besides he says he doesn't want to relearn how to use everything. (This is just the start of what I'm dealing with - he calls his Yahoo preferences his "programming" and is deathly afraid of it being disrupted by a new computer.)

So I'm basically pointing him towards entry-level Dell and fielding the same questions over and over. Props to mom - she doesn't give a shit.

Does anyone have experience computer shopping for clueless parents? Is a basic Dell package the way to go here ($220-250 8GB Ram / 500 GM hard drive) or is there some out there preferable?
 


Any intel based PC will be OK, if possible get at least an i3 and if you can, get a hybrid drive or an SSD. Buying a PC with an HDD now is like buying a car with 10 bags of cement in the trunk.

If he just browses the net, might by worth looking at chromeboxes? They are cheap all in one "pcs" with a small SSD, and everything runs out of chrome. Dont dismiss it, they are surprisingly good (imo)
 
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infoslob said:
My dad never whipped me with a belt growing up, but I think I'd rather endure a few welts with a belt than to talk to him every day about his slow computer (his Dell is ancient) and him buying a new one.

My experience is simple, Apple, but that's out of the question - too expensive. Besides he says he doesn't want to relearn how to use everything. (This is just the start of what I'm dealing with - he calls his Yahoo preferences his "programming" and is deathly afraid of it being disrupted by a new computer.)

So I'm basically pointing him towards entry-level Dell and fielding the same questions over and over. Props to mom - she doesn't give a shit.

Does anyone have experience computer shopping for clueless parents? Is a basic Dell package the way to go here ($220-250 8GB Ram / 500 GM hard drive) or is there some out there preferable?
Click to expand...

I've arranged two different Dells over the years for my girlfriend's parents. They have decent customer support, and they'll send a technician to your house if it breaks, thereby alleviating you of such responsibilities. So that is what I would do in your case, though $220-250 isn't much of a budget. What is that? A dual core Celeron? Minimal graphics capabilities? Meh. I always advocate spending a bit more to get a better user experience and a longer lifespan out of the product. What's he got for a monitor as well? I think in both cases the gf's parents spent about $800, plus a 24" monitor with their most recent purchase. They were hesitant at first, but they couldn't be happier. Her dad loves it.

edit: What AdamC said, definitely try to get something with a good brand of SSD in it (Intel, Samsung, etc.). That alone will be a vast improvement on his computing experience.
 
Here's what I'd do.

Tell him its gonna be about $600. Then take his $600 and go out and buy a $25 case and a $200 SSD. Put all his parts in the new case, clone is drive onto the SSD and pocket the $375.
 
When my parents needed new computer's, I built them myself and purposely over-specced them with i5s, SSDs and 8GB of ram. My theory was, when they get full of toolbars and various bloatware and scumware, the pc has the capacity to plough on uninterrupted.

I've had no complaints in a year or so and I have cleaned them and found them swamped with crap.
 
Over building a computer is the way to go, when I build a computer for my grandparents they wanted to spend about $800 and my grandpa likes POWER, power of any sort, and that computer is lasting and will handle the tool bars and extreme bejeweled matches.
 
cheshire said:
Here's what I'd do.

Tell him its gonna be about $600. Then take his $600 and go out and buy a $25 case and a $200 SSD. Put all his parts in the new case, clone is drive onto the SSD and pocket the $375.
Click to expand...

I'll assume you're joking, but if you're not, that's a pretty fucked thing to do to your parents.
 
Have you considered the idea of an iPad? It will eliminate you getting hassled everyday. It will have more power than try will ever need + portability.
 
I will be getting mine on Chromebooks as soon as possible. Only problem is no Skype
 
-God- said:
My theory was, when they get full of toolbars and various bloatware and scumware, the pc has the capacity to plough on uninterrupted.
Click to expand...

i can't count the number of times i've gone to mom's house because "it won't do anything anymore" only to find every fucking toolbar ever invented on her browser.

me: "mom, quit clicking on that retarded shit."
mom: "meh. shut the fuck up and fix it, i wiped your ass when you were a baby."

and so it goes.
 
iPad or Chromebook, depending on what he needs to do would be my suggestion.

If you're on a Mac, nothing is more fun than having your workflow interrupted by your parents ringing in for an unscheduled Facetime call in the middle of your day, that's for sure.
 
Any windows based pc is good. Fact of the matter is if they like to click on email links then they will get infected with viruses. If they are basic users you may want to give them reduced rights accounts.
 
Hasn't anyone ever heard of antivirus software around here? Put Kaspersky on their machine, and PrevX if you want extensive malware protection, and say bye bye to useless toolbars and viruses. The $20 a year for each of the subscriptions means you won't have to clean their computer out every 6 months.
 
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