[SOLVED] Recommend PC for Grandma!

[Muckster]

Hi, I'm trying to find a PC for Grandma. She will only use it for streaming online (1080 at the most) video from Netflix and Amazon, Youtube, general browsing, and email. That's it. She will never upgrade and will probably keep using this PC for many years to come, so quality parts are important. Giving her tech support over the phone is something I want very much to avoid. Windows 10 and the less bloatware the better. Full towers are fine, but medium or smaller form factors are preferred.

#1. I'd prefer a pre-built PC, but I'm having a hard time finding a good list that doesn't include gaming or other functions I don't need. Again, if I go pre-built, manufacturer should have a good reputation with decent components. As mentioned, giving Grandma tech support over the phone is a known nightmare.

#2. If I must, then I'll build my own which I've done many times, although I'm not up to date on the latest tech or, rather, the best bang for buck when it comes to creating a basic PC like this one.

Price? Just whatever it takes to do the job as cheaply as possible. Thanks for your advice, links, builds.. etc.

 

[Obakasama]

Hm... for those needs have you considered a tablet which can cast to a TV? Might be the easier option?

 

[DMAN999]

I would suggest a Firestick 4k or Roku stick for Amazon Prime and Netflix and a decent tablet for email and web browsing.
I just got my aunt (who is in her late 60's) a New 128 GB iPad and a Firestick 4k for those exact same purposes and she loves them.

 

[geofelt]

Check newegg for refurb lenovo tiny units.
Here is one for $130:
https://www.newegg.com/lenovo-thinkcentre-m81/p/1VK-0003-18N03
It has a 250gb ssd which is the key to quickness, 8gb of ram and includes windows.

If you are inclined to do some work yourself, you can buy one with minimal ram and a HDD to upgrade yourself.
I did this for a grandkids pc and it worked just fine. Quick too.

You can look on ebay for similar refurb units.
I think they came off lease from businesses.

 

[geofelt]

Check newegg for refurb lenovo tiny units.
Here is one for $130:
https://www.newegg.com/lenovo-thinkcentre-m81/p/1VK-0003-18N03
It has a 250gb ssd which is the key to quickness, 8gb of ram and includes windows.

If you are inclined to do some work yourself, you can buy one with minimal ram and a HDD to upgrade yourself.
I did this for a grandkids pc and it worked just fine. Quick too.

You can look on ebay for similar refurb units.
I think they came off lease from businesses.

If you ever need to do some work on it, it is small enough to mail.

 

[King_V]

Click on the spoilers part of my sig, and look at The Micro Machine.

A Windows license will add to the cost, and these days, a 256GB or even 512GB SSD would be the way to go. Keep in mind if you decide to change the RAM, it will require laptop RAM. Also, I think the new 3000GE Athlon is usually the same price or cheaper than the old 200GE that I used. Still, browsing the web, watching videos, and doing email, even The Micro Machine is more than enough to handle it.

It has an external power brick, and the PC itself is slightly larger than an ATX power supply.

This, of course, assumes you're going to build it. Though the A300W kit pretty much has everything except for the SSD, CPU, and RAM (you also have to install the wifi card and antennas, but they're included).

 

[g-unit1111]

I think a small form factor set box like an NUC or a Compute Stick would work just fine in this case, and there's no need to build or maintain them.

NUC: https://www.newegg.com/intel-boxnuc8i3beh1/p/N82E16856102213?Description=intel nuc&cm_re=intel_nuc--56-102-213--Product&quicklink=true

Compute Stick: https://www.newegg.com/intel-blkstk2m364cc/p/N82E16856102154?Description=intel compute stick&cm_re=intel_compute_stick--56-102-154--Product&quicklink=true

Either one you'll have to add a monitor and a Windows license, and that would still run you a total of about $600 if you do something like this:

PCPartPicker Part List

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM 64-bit ($99.99 @ B&H)
Monitor: Dell SE2717H 27.0" 1920x1080 75 Hz Monitor ($156.00 @ Amazon)
Keyboard: Logitech MK520 Wireless Ergonomic Keyboard With Laser Mouse ($39.99 @ Best Buy)
Total: $295.98
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2020-01-29 14:54 EST-0500