Desktop PC for parents

[andyfraser]

Yes, you are talking utter gobbledegook

It's a shame because so many people would benefit from one of the alternatives to Windows. Most of them are free!

 

[swee'pea99]

Yes, you are talking utter gobbledegook

Indeed. When people start saying things like Linux, forget it. They are a religious cult. They eat babies. But you have had good advice above:

Get Piriform CCleaner here:- http://www.piriform.com/ccleaner/download
and install and run and it will clear up all the crap - never failed me.

Then get :- http://www.piriform.com/defraggler
and install and run that and it will defragment the drive

Just click on those links, download the programs, install them, then run them. Then see how the thing behaves. You will quite likely find it's fine. You should do this occasionally on any computer. Just to keep it fit. They are free, and very intuitive.

 

[cyberknight]

Not sure if anyones mentioned this lot?
http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/?gclid=CL2Fhfq1ycQCFSrlwgod90QAhQ
Bought my last pc from there, it is a good 8 years old now and still going strong in my sons room .

 

[andyfraser]

When people start saying things like Linux, forget it. They are a religious cult. They eat babies.

How very dare you! I spend more time using my Chromebook then my Windows PC than I do with Linux.

PS Yes, I'm aware Chrome OS is based on Linux.

 

[jamin100]

Apologies not read the whole thread but have a look at tier1online.com

They sell refurbished systems that also come with warranty and you'll get more for your money than buying new.
I buy around 100 desktops / laptops from these guys every year and the grade a refurbs and like brand new!

 

[vickster]

Apologies not read the whole thread but have a look at tier1online.com

They sell refurbished systems that also come with warranty and you'll get more for your money than buying new.
I buy around 100 desktops / laptops from these guys every year and the grade a refurbs and like brand new!

Thanks, the problem is I have no idea what is a good spec beyond ram and HD size. Think brother will get from John Lewis they'll prefer to pay an extra hundred quid for new and peace of mind with the longer warranty and easy to get sorted if needed

 

[mybike]

My parents are looking to replace their aging and recalcitrant laptop. They never move it around, so are thinking they'll get more bang for their buck with a desktop. Just used for Internet and email, solitaire, perhaps a bit of word processing! They have a tablet but are struggling a bit (need further lessons from the daughter), so want a computer too. It needs to have wireless Internet as the router is far away

I've identified these few within their £400 max budget, closer to £300 preferred

http://www.staples.co.uk/desktop-co...e=300300666&Effort_Code=WW&Find_Number=426300

http://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=G9B21EA&opt=ABU&sel=PCDT

http://store.hp.com/UKStore/Merch/Product.aspx?id=L0V45EA&opt=ABU&sel=PCDT

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/comput...5-all-in-one-pc-white-10010961-pdt.html#cat-0

They don't need touch screen or any such nonsense. And frankly they'll never use 4gb of memory. They have Virgin fibre optic 20mb odd wifi

Any feedback appreciated

I use an HP mini tower, it is really great now I've taken Win8 off it & installed Linux Mint*. It came with wifi capability tho I use cable 'cos it's quicker. My wife & daughter have Lenovo laptops which seem to lose screws remarkably regularly.

*OK, I don't like Win8 but bear in mind that it is designed to make use of a touch screen. Or you might want to wait until Win10 is out, especially since they don't get on with the tablet.

Having read through the thread, here's some thoughts.

Since eyesight can be a problem it might be a good idea to get a desktop, with a bigger screen.

Linux Mint is more like Windows XP than Windows 8 is.

It is very important to get:
a: antivirus - use MS own, simple to run. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-GB/windows/security-essentials-download
b: backup - I used Carbonite: www.carbonite.com

If you aren't lugging it around it is pointless having a laptop. Again, cabled connection is faster than wifi.

Unless you are saving lots of large files you don't need a big hard drive.

It's as easy to install Libre Office as it is MS Office (and no harder to install Linux Mint)

Knowing how to use a computer well is useful just as knowing how to ride a bike well is.

 

[vickster]

They aren't getting a touch screen laptop and they can't really wait as their laptop seems quite poorly