They've got an 7 or 8 year old HP AMD based PC that is unbearably slow and was underpowered when it was new. Budget is about $500. They pretty much just check email, facebook, watch videos, and do photo editing.

I switched to Apple 11 years ago, so everything I knew about PCs is at least 10 years out of date, and particularly how much things should cost and the differences in current CPUs.

This looks like it should probably fit the bill:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220496

Pentium G3220 (3.00 GHz) 1TB HDD, 8GB RAM for $319

but Then there's this one that has a Core i5 4460 (3.2 GHz) 12 GB RAM and 2 TB HDD for $200 more:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883220694

I have no idea how much different the Core i5 is vs the G3220. 4 more Gigs of RAM and double the HDD doesn't hurt, but that's not $200 worth of improvement to me. so the questions is how much of a difference that CPU is gonna make?


What i'd really like is not having to go through this again in 3 or 4 years, so hence why i'm entertaining the more expensive option.

I have a 2008 iMac that still effortlessly handles web browsing, 1080p video, etc. just fine, and if my parents were at all comfortable with OSX, I'd just get them a Mac and i'd probably never hear about a problem again, but I don't think it'll be in their best interest to have to learn a new OS at this point...

alternately I could just build one, but I'm not sure that i'd save much money building a budget PC.

[Edited on September 14, 2015 at 1:02 PM. Reason : .]

9/14/2015 1:00:50 PM

Get them a laptop. They'll think it's awesome they can check email in the kitchen.

9/14/2015 3:00:53 PM

i3 chromebook/chromebox

get them each one

9/14/2015 3:45:22 PM

If you're looking for longevity, don't get a Pentium-series. They can handle everything that they'd need to do right now, sure, but you're skating close to the same "underpowered when it was new" scenario. An extra $200 to go from there to an i5, add 4 GB RAM, and double the HDD space sounds agreeable to me. The way I see it you're buying another couple years of non-obsolescence for that money, and for a total investment of $520, it sounds like a solid bargain to me.

I will say the laptop could be a good option too. Two years ago my mom asked me if she should get an iPad...after discussing things with her, we decided a lightweight laptop would fit the bill better since she already knew Windows. Went with a midrange i3 ultrabook (ran around $800 I think) and she loves the thing. Dad hates it, but that's because he's got big hands and his small motor control is getting unsteady as he gets older, so he sticks to the desktop with its full-size keyboard/mouse.

9/15/2015 2:04:01 AM

[Edited on September 15, 2015 at 2:04 AM. Reason : WTF double post post]

9/15/2015 2:04:01 AM

Quote :

" big hands and his small motor control is getting unsteady as he gets older"

yeah, this is exactly why a laptop isn't going to be ideal. Dad's 74, and while in fantastic health for his age, is going to struggle with the smaller scale of a laptop, otherwise that would be the ideal solution.

they have an iPad, but my dad doesn't care for it, and my mom mostly uses it, as she hates using computers.

Quote :

" An extra $200 to go from there to an i5, add 4 GB RAM, and double the HDD space sounds agreeable to me. The way I see it you're buying another couple years of non-obsolescence for that money, and for a total investment of $520, it sounds like a solid bargain to me."

Thanks, that's very helpful and exactly the type of response I was looking for

9/16/2015 3:03:15 PM

https://www.groupon.com/deals/gg-asus-chromebox-1?utm_campaign=1029&utm_medium=afl&utm_source=GPN&tsToken=US_AFF_0_1029_1327_0&sid=fa5e32dc697e11e5b1541a1ac0f42bba0000

10/2/2015 11:30:37 PM

I don't know what your timeframe is, but I usually wait for a coupon from Dell's Outlet site. A 40% off sale just ended last night, and 50% off are fairly common too, on already cheap prices.

My last order from them, January 2015:

Quote :

"$333 - Dell Latitude E6430 8GB RAM 256GB HDD Cosmetic Grade B 1x Core i5 (i5-3320M) 2.60 GHz - SSD, 1600X900 display, backlit keyboard, 64-bit win 7 pro $172 - Dell Latitude E6220 8GB RAM 320GB HDD Cosmetic Grade B 1x Core i5 (i5-2520M) 2.50 GHz - 64-bit win 7 pro $225 - Dell Precision T3500 6GB RAM 80GB HDD Cosmetic Grade A 1x Xeon Quad Core (W3520) 2.66 GHz - 64-bit win 7 pro"

You seem to already know this, but make sure you get Windows 7

[Edited on October 3, 2015 at 9:30 AM. Reason : https://www.facebook.com/DellOutlet?fref=ts]

10/3/2015 9:23:15 AM

this is pretty decent: http://bensbargains.com/bargain/dell-inspiron-3000-small-desktop-4th-gen-core-i5-quad-pc-449-at-dell-128286/

10/5/2015 1:08:26 PM

Quote :

"I have a 2008 iMac that still effortlessly handles web browsing, 1080p video, etc. just fine, and if my parents were at all comfortable with OSX, I'd just get them a Mac and i'd probably never hear about a problem again, but I don't think it'll be in their best interest to have to learn a new OS at this point..."

Is it out of the question to toss an SSD in there (I believe you can on the 2008 iMac) and just throw Windows on it via Boot camp? Would save you some money if you've already got the iMac lying around...

10/5/2015 2:28:13 PM

^^ that one looks like a winner


^ that would be an option, but the iMac is now my daughter's computer

10/6/2015 9:45:08 AM

http://bensbargains.com/bargain/48-off-sitewide-at-dell-financial-services-154751/

10/7/2015 5:20:34 PM

Is this a good one? I haven't bought a laptop in a while.

http://dellrefurbished.com/product/systems/laptops/cat61199/dell-latitude-e6520-8gb-ram-320gb-hdd/si6782475

10/8/2015 9:42:46 AM

Thanks for the heads up, synapse

got one of these for the parents:
http://dellrefurbished.com/product/systems/laptops/cat61199/dell-precision-m4600-8gb-ram-320gb-hdd/si6777869

at ~$350 after taxes/shipping, you can't beat that

10/8/2015 10:00:09 AM

Got my 74 year old dad a Macbook Air and he's raved about it how great it is compared to his Windows machine.

10/8/2015 10:10:23 AM

Yeah after my dad (who is now 70 but was also a software developer) got an iPad he stopped using his PC for the most part. He raves about it. However after getting my mom a Macbook Pro (she's still a working freelance photographer) she said it was horrible and ditched it to go back to windows. I think it's really just what you're used to and comfortable with.

It's great though your 74 year old dad made that switch and it worked for him.

10/8/2015 10:59:39 AM