my crazy aunt called me at work today and wants me to help her pick out a laptop. i have no idea how she's paying for this seeing as how she doesn't have a job and lives with my 84 year old grandma, but that's a story for another day...

she needs a cheap laptop that she can surf and store pictures on. NO NETBOOKS, they're too tiny for her. she has 3 grandkids and will be buying a digital camera too, so that's something i need suggestions for. and a photo printer.

is refurbished a good way to go? i don't know her budget; i asked and she had no idea what this stuff costs nowadays. it needs to be CHEAP though. i'm thinking < $500. where else should i look for a laptop? walmart? how's this http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acer/13339230 ?

if anyone has suggestions for a camera, it probably needs to have a dock b/c she got all bent out of shape when i mentioned a usb cable or card reader. it needs to be automatic and dumbass proof.

2/11/2010 4:03:41 PM

asus, a small margin more, but you get the best laptop reliability on the market, better reliability than apple, no tax, free shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834220693

buy a canon sd1200 is
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16830120329

you've got to get her off the dock idea, the only cameras i know of with docks are HP, Kodak, and Samsung and they are HORRIBLE cameras.

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 4:13 PM. Reason : .]

2/11/2010 4:13:20 PM

yeah, i HATE docks. we've had a couple here at work and it's awful. i think if i can actually show her how you plug the usb into the camera, she would be fine, as long as it automatically pops up and asks her to upload pics...


and thanks for the links.

anything that i could take her to the store to get? since i don't know where she's getting money, and if she's getting it it's probably cash, she probably doesn't have a credit/debit card...and there is NO WAY in hell i will buy it and have her pay me back. i'd never get the money.

[Edited on February 11, 2010 at 4:24 PM. Reason : ]

2/11/2010 4:16:50 PM

best buy sells asus' but of course at a premium

2/11/2010 5:45:13 PM

my casio exilim came with a dock and its been my favorite camera

best buy has a laptop on sale right now for <$500, no idea what the specs are

2/11/2010 6:28:15 PM

They have a $400 w/tax eMachine at Walmart (was the $200 Black Friday special) that should work out. Got it for my mother-in-law, who has minimal needs. Only drawback, no dial-up modem built into it.
http://www.walmart.com/ip/eMachines-na-160GB-eME627-5297/12347222

Less than $500 with a dock is going to be tough with a laptop. You could get the desktop, giant monitor, printer, camera, and spare goodies for under $500. I know it's not you, but really find out why a laptop instead of desktop.

2/11/2010 6:38:44 PM

Thanks! No the laptop just needs to be under 500. The rest needs to be cheap too though.

2/11/2010 9:20:59 PM