What's a good laptop for a computer newbie?

[MoonCat]

I'm thinking of getting my sister a laptop for Christmas.

Any recommendations for a machine for someone who's never used one before? Brand names that stand out as reliable and not too expensive?

She would use it mostly for writing (it's like an obsession in this house, what can I say) and websurfing; she's not tech savvy but not stupid either.

I want to keep it simple so she won't get discouraged or confused.

Just suppose you were getting one for your mom (assuming your mom is in her 50's).

[Food Lady]

Oh my goodness, I LOVE my chromebook. I have a laptop, but prefer my Acer chromebook by far. You can write on it with an app. You can store stuff on the book or in the cloud. It has youtube on the task bar. It can't get viruses; stuff can't be installed. It's 3 pounds, the size of a piece of notebook paper, and fits in my purse. It's better for me than a tablet because I hate touchscreen. It has 2 USB ports, and HDMI port, and a slot for an SD card. It boots up in 8 seconds. It's synced with my phone because my phone is an android. All I have to do is favorite a webpage on the CB and it's on the list on my phone. It was about $200 at Wally World, but I have seen bigger, more expensive ones at Big Yellow Ticket and such. At first I wasn't sure about the smaller screen, but now I am used to it and did I say before it fits in my purse? Look, it's not much to look at on the outside, but who cares? It does what I need, is portable, and fairly easy to replace. I'm sure by now there are even better ones on the market; I bought this last spring.

[Food Lady]

Oh, here's the specs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...FYLyMgodPV8AKQ

[mjr]

I LOVE my chromebook.

Chromebook is definitely a good option.

Keep in mind, though, that a 16GB HDD is not very large by today's standards. But if she's going to store everything "in the cloud" then there probably won't be an issue, unless she's disconnected from the Internet.

[sms001]

Ditto everything FL said. I got mine for just wandering around the house, but find myself using it at my desk quite often as well.

16GB HDD is not very large by today's standards.

But it's still HUGE for text, so if the primary use is writing and the secondary is browsing, that's more than enough.

[notalwaysright]

Just suppose you were getting one for your mom (assuming your mom is in her 50's).

Speaking as someone who has helped her mom pick a laptop, (and my mom is in her early 60s) I consider if she's very used to Windows? For example, my mom would never use a Chromebook, because she is helpless on anything but Windows. Don't even try to tell her that "it's really very simple!" Doesn't matter, it looks different, and she doesn't care enough even try to learn. Also, she doesn't trust the Cloud. She plays Spider Solitaire and Free Cell, and streams Netflix. But if that's not an issue, Chromebooks are pretty sweet.

Other than that, any low end laptop would be fine, IMO. I really think people over think their computer purchases. I probably do, but then again, I tend to game a lot.

[MoonCat]

She's literally never used one at all. When I got mine she said she wanted to learn, but then was afraid she couldn't learn it. As I said, she's NOT stupid but she doesn't have a lot of confidence in her abilities.

I think she's ready, though. She's mentioned several times how she could do this or that if she had her own computer.

The Chromebook does sound like a possibility. Very portable is good; she hangs out in the kitchen a lot and could put it on the counter to keep it out of the way while she's cooking and stuff.

I'll check it out, thanks! Still open to further suggestions as well.

[notalwaysright]

As I said, she's NOT stupid but she doesn't have a lot of confidence in her abilities.

Of course not, neither is my mom. Intelligence doesn't really have anything to do with being good with computers, right? I wouldn't give my mom a Chromebook, (or any OS other than Windows) because she wouldn't care enough to learn it.

I have bought several computers through Costco, because they give a two year warranty, and I almost always replace then anyway.

[Food Lady]

I like to pull up recipes on it and put it on the counter while I cook. Or I watch youtube while I cook.

[Silent-Hunter]

I wouldn't give my mom a Chromebook, (or any OS other than Windows) because she wouldn't care enough to learn it.

Which Windows version is she used to? Because, 8 is completely different than 7 or XP.

[MoonCat]

I like to pull up recipes on it and put it on the counter while I cook. Or I watch youtube while I cook.

She would probably use it that way; she's the cook in the family and likes trying out new recipes.

What kind of limitations does the Chromebook have? Can she link to my printer, for example?

[notalwaysright]

Which Windows version is she used to? Because, 8 is completely different than 7 or XP.

Good question, lol. Her current laptop is Windows 8, (Windows Hate, as I think of it) but I installed Classic Shell and one or two other things which make it look like Windows 7. I use remote desktop to fix any problems, or walk her through something new. She is also very distrustful of using a credit card online, and will sometimes have me check to see if a site is legit.

I do the same on their business computer, for their home office, and get paid to do it.

[SimonF12009]

Everyone with Windows 8 will be pleased when they release 10, it's a free upgrade

[sms001]

What kind of limitations does the Chromebook have? Can she link to my printer, for example?

This is a great point. It's relatively transparent after it's set up, but a CB prints from the cloud to a linked computer - which has to have Chrome on it. File sharing is probably a hassle for most home setups as well. I have a intranet web server set up, so I had now problem, but a Chromebook doesn't play well with the usual Windows file sharing lashup.

If there's going to be a lot of kitchen use, would a tablet w/ a keyboard (for when she's writing) be a better option?

[MoonCat]

This is a great point. It's relatively transparent after it's set up, but a CB prints from the cloud to a linked computer - which has to have Chrome on it. File sharing is probably a hassle for most home setups as well. I have a intranet web server set up, so I had now problem, but a Chromebook doesn't play well with the usual Windows file sharing lashup.

If there's going to be a lot of kitchen use, would a tablet w/ a keyboard (for when she's writing) be a better option?

Possibly. I'm not a very computer savvy person myself. It sounds like the Chromebook can't talk to my computer? (I don't have Chrome).

I'm not trying to go super cheap but funds are somewhat limited.