I need a very basic, very lightweight laptop <$1,000 for my 85 year old dad. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

look on ebay.com or go to a local ma and pa shop that has a refurbished unit .... maybe even circuit city.

Answer 2

At 85 years old, your dad may be much more comfortable with a desktop - big screen and full sized keyboard. Unless, of course, he's in the best of health, travels a lot and wants to carry a laptop with him. Check www.dell.com. They usually have some good values on the lower end computers, and as I doubt dad is going to be playing World of Warcraft or Everquest, it should serve him well.

Answer 3

I bought a laptop for my 90 year old Mom recently. Bought a refurbished IBM from TigerDirect.com. for $499
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1904159&Sku=M975-5000

You will have to spend some time getting all the latest windows updates but once done you will have a light weight reliabile laptop. Also it doesn't run real hot like some laptops.

Another thing to keep in mind is to try to keep the programs as simple as possible. I set my mom up with a Google gmail account and loaded Mozilla Thunderbird E-mail client which is free. It is a simple e-mail interface which is easy to use.

Also I would reccomend loading TightVNC (also free) that allows you to connect to his computer remotely to help guide him through issues. You may need help getting this setup but is pretty slick program for remote access. Good luck!

Answer 4

Because of your dad's age you may want to reconsider. How is his eyesight?

The bulk of the weight is generally in the screen and lightweight notebooks have a screen size of about 12". Now a 15" screen may be better but the weight is generally higher so the total weight is about 4-6 lbs. Here's a sample lightweight Thinkpad:

http://www.govconnection.com/web/Shopping/Product.htm?catalog%5Fname=PCCGeneral&category%5Fname=&product%5Fid=7374021&variant%5Fid=&SearchLogID=%7BDB3CE606%2D6C7B%2D4A52%2DB09F%2D08114721DC6A%7D