His current one (about 6 or 7 years old) is on its last leg... OK, he's 91, and just needs a basic computer: stuff like solitaire, facebook, e-mail...and perhaps a few word docs here and there. We want to spend the least amount possible on a simple system. I saw one of these Chromeooks for $199, but wasn't sure if it's the answer, or not. http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/devices/chromebooks.html#ac-c7 Any other thoughts or recommendations out there? Thanks in advance.
I got an Asus for $500 with a touch screen and windows 8. Very simple to navigate. I love this thing. Not sure if that's too spendy though.
Have you considered a tablet? For cheap laptops you dont need to know to much, the $350-$500 set ups at bestbuy or wherever will be more than he needs. I havent looked into chromebooks but google usually makes good stuff.
Heh, my Mom is all worried about the finances of the matter. She thinks he's "just fine" with the laptop he has....even though it takes about 5-10 minutes (or more) to fully start up. I've told him to just keep it on all day and not shut down every time he's done using it for that moment. Anyway, I'm planning to just buy one for him, but she'd have a fit if i paid $500-$600. So, I thought going as inexpensive as possible, may do the trick. This one appears to be the ticket....starts quickly, has all he needs in terms of an operating system. http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-XE303...TF8&qid=1361671769&sr=1-1&keywords=chromebook
Chromebook only has a browser, you can't really run apps on it like with other operating systems. I think you might be better off getting him as cheap a tablet as you can find. It'll browse the web, do his email, play games, etc.
He's a keyboard guy. 91 years old with Neuropathy in his fingers. In fact, I may end up purchasing a separate keyboard for him.
Your dad is too old to be looking at porn on the internet. Take the laptop away from him. That Chromebook has a very small screen. Fry's has some very nice laptops on sale for between $250-$398 this weekend. http://www.frys.com/template/onad/product_navigation/?site=sa:TOP_BANNER:Spot1 Why not pick your dad up in your ghey little Prius and the two of you go out to Fry's and go laptop shopping. If you need to tell him you have a $200 giftcard from a rebate you have to spend before it expires. Tell your mom that you know a guy who will pay $100 for your dad's old laptop so the new laptop will be practically free. (Make sure you get the extended warranty, lol) Anyway, my dad and I have had some great shopping adventures at Fry's over the years. A few of the times we've also snuck in a movie at Bridgeport Village on the Imax screen. (Mom isn't a scifi fan, lol) Take your dad laptop shopping, let him pick out what he wants.
http://www.frys.com/ads/computer-tablets-notebooks-accessories The $267 one has a keyboard, big screen, but isn't super modern. At least it runs Windows 8, tho.
Sorry about your dad. I think you should stick with a laptop instead of a tablet or chromebook and Fry's has pretty good deals.
Did want to share that he just turned 91 last Sunday. Unfortunately, he has Neuropathy in both feet and is now reduced to his big easy chair....just getting up a few times per day to eat, or go to the bathroom with his walker or a wheelchair. He fell a couple of weeks ago and severely strained his clavicle. He's on the mend, though. his mind is still sharp, so us kids are all blessed to still be able to enjoy quality time with him and my Mom (89)....who, btw, just celebrated their 68th year of marriage.
And let that be a severe, yet confirming, lesson to you. Hopefully, not to the degree of butt hurtness, though. Carry on my wayward son.
Keep an eye on him. A friend of mine recently passed away - he was ~80 and really frail. He had fallen and bruised the right side of his face severely. Then he fell again and he died of complications of the fall (head injury).
Actually, it really is. Once a year, my sisters, parents, and I get together for a special celebration. We used to take a day trip somewhere. Unfortunately, though, those days are gone. We now have a top-shelf meal at the folks. Nonetheless, it's always a fun time that we never take for granted.
As old as he is, and as willing as he's been to put up with a pc that takes 7 minutes to boot, it ain't about the specs or the brand or the price. It's about making the transition easy and simple for him. Less important than what model you get is making sure his bookmarks, programs etc all get transferred across so that he experiences as little problems with the transition as possible. This is a massive window to his outside world, so take the time to make sure he's happy with how everything works. Even something as simple as not not allowing his arthritic finger to click the icon he's used to on the upper right corner of his desktop that links to his favorite asian tranny porn site could be crushing. Give him that, and you give him the universe. Whether you spend $150 on a chrome book or $2500 on a mac.
