Looking for a pc or laptop for my mom

[Inquisitive Builder]

Hey guys,

My mom's wanting a new computer to replace her old Pentium 4 based one she's using now. She mostly uses it for writting emails and viewing blogs and youtube videos, but it's starting to go slow enough to make even doing that a pain!

I'm considering this Laptop, but I cannot seem to find any specs for the CPU, which is concerning:
http://shopping.hp.com/en_US/home-office/-/products/Laptops/HP-Pavilion/E8Y79AV?HP-Pavilion-10-TouchSmart-10z-e000-Notebook-PC-ENERGY-STAR-

Can anyone find me those specs, or even a good deal for her? She's open to both desktops and laptops, but I think something mobile would be helpful for her. I'm looking for something under $400, but I'd hate to get her one that goes even slower than her current one! 😛

All help will be appreciated 😀

 

[IDontUnderstand]

Will she be under Wi-Fi coverage for most of her time?
If so, I highly highly recommend Chromebook.
They are very cheap, fast, and exactly meant for people that only surf and watch some videos.

 

[Inquisitive Builder]

Will she be under Wi-Fi coverage for most of her time?
If so, I highly highly recommend Chromebook.
They are very cheap, fast, and exactly meant for people that only surf and watch some videos.

I considered a Chromebook, as that seems the most cost effective, but I don't think she would feel comfortable using cloud storage only, as she is even more concerned about privacy than I am and the wifi only works in half of her house since she needs to get a relay eventually.

How good is a chromebook without using the cloud storage? The main reason I was looking elsewhere for her was because I think she wants something that is self-contained and works fine on its own.

 

[FractalDesignCore]

I say get a Chromebook or a Microsoft Sureface RT tablet.

 

[Inquisitive Builder]

Oh, and does anyone know how this laptop stacks up? It's on sale at Newegg.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834313649&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL031814&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL031814-_-EMC-031814-Index-_-LaptopsNotebooks-_-34313649-L04A

 

[Inquisitive Builder]

I say get a Chromebook or a Microsoft Sureface RT tablet.

Nah, touchscreens annoy her to the point that when someone gave her an iPad she went back to using her old pc instead, so a traditional laptop or desktop setup is a MUST.

 

[IDontUnderstand]

If she isn't planning on storing a lot of videos or pictures, you will still have like a few GB of spaces for regular usage. It can also be used offline for documents editing and such. Chromebook is fast because of its optimization for its hardware, since there are only so many models of Chromebook out there. In addition, there will not be driver compatibility issue, updating 24/7 and etc.

If you want suggestions for regular laptop, I would go with Intel processor since she doesn't play games (I assume).
This is a pretty cool 2 in 1 by ASUS http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/productID.288728700?WT.mc_id=mer_amazon&mr:trackingCode=16FEBE9E-0D46-E311-8DCD-B8CA3A5D9DDA&mr:referralID=NA Super long lasting battery, light (can be a tablet for even lighter purpose), flash storage for super fast boot up.
Downside is that it's Windows RT, not a lot of internal storage.

Update: the ASUS one comes with keyboard if that makes it better.
Here is a link to the same one if you prefer Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Transformer-T100TA-C1-GR-10-1-Inch-Detachable-Touchscreen/dp/B00FFJ0HUE/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1391747526&sr=1-1

 

[RazerZ]

Try to go one for an i3. That A4 will do fine however, definitely faster than a pentium iv lol

 

[IDontUnderstand]

Here are some that is at least i3 and around $400.

Acer Aspire E1-572-6870 (i5-4200U) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314150
Acer E1-572P-6468 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834314282
DELL Inspiron i15RV-1435BLK http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834300380

 

[Inquisitive Builder]

Hey guys, sorry to revive an old thread, but I just saw that Microsoft is giving old XP users $100 off select products, and I was wanting your opinions since this may be a great opportunity for her:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/categoryID.67770000/offerID.42494569909?ClickID=buudsqd1unzluzy1ldf6666fnqzessvnyqqv

That $599 ([strike]not[/strike] (meant NOW 😛) $499) Acer laptop looks pretty good to my inexperienced eyes, as it's the cheapest product on there and looks pretty good for the price with a 2.6 ghz processor, but I'm wanting your opinions:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Acer-Aspire-V5-473P-6459-Touchscreen-Laptop/productID.295782900
My main concern is that it's Windows 8.1 not 7, and it doesn't have a network port so she can't go online if she's out of Wifi range.

Thanks for any help, I really value the input since I'm new to PC picking 😛

 

[IDontUnderstand]

According to http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Acer-Aspire-V5-473P-6459-Touchscreen-Laptop/productID.295782900
Ports
1 USB 3.0 with charge • 2 USB 2.0 • HDMI • Acer Converter port • Headphone output/Microphone input combo • RJ-45 (10/100/1000)

Sure, go for it.

 

[RazerZ]

Hey guys, sorry to revive an old thread, but I just saw that Microsoft is giving old XP users $100 off select products, and I was wanting your opinions since this may be a great opportunity for her:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/cat/categoryID.67770000/offerID.42494569909?ClickID=buudsqd1unzluzy1ldf6666fnqzessvnyqqv

That $599 (not $499) Acer laptop looks pretty good to my inexperienced eyes, as it's the cheapest product on there and looks pretty good for the price with a 2.6 ghz processor, but I'm wanting your opinions:
http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Acer-Aspire-V5-473P-6459-Touchscreen-Laptop/productID.295782900
My main concern is that it's Windows 8.1 not 7, and it doesn't have a network port so she can't go online if she's out of Wifi range.

Thanks for any help, I really value the input since I'm new to PC picking 😛

Looks good

 

[Inquisitive Builder]

Oh, I just got a email newsletter from Newegg showing off this Windows 7 laptop (which is actually a plus since she hates touch screens). How's this one look compared with that other one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=34-256-821&nm_mc=EMCPB-032014&cm_mmc=EMCPB-032014-_-PB-_-Item-_-34-256-821&et_cid=6345&et_rid=3608662

I also found this one, which looks a lot like a windows 8 version:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=34-312-829&nm_mc=EMCPB-032014&cm_mmc=EMCPB-032014-_-PB-_-Item-_-34-312-829&et_cid=6345&et_rid=3608662

How they look? There's so many specs I'm having trouble deciding 😛

 

[IDontUnderstand]

I'm not being mean or insulting, I'm speaking from experience. When buying for anything, anything in general. Always just decide one with a given time period and just go with it, because you will never stop finding more interesting deals and discounts. It's just like whether I should want to buy the RAM for my build, because I might find another one on discount tomorrow or on another website. Again, I'm not trying to hurt anyone, I'm just trying to say that it's always good to decide and purchase and not let the matter sit on your head for days.

I would go with the Acer one.