i need a laptop for my dad

all he wants is to surf the internet, check stocks, and basic spread sheet usage. i want to get him something for his birthday comming up, and im not into spending big bucks. i was thinking in the price range of $750 canadian dollars, but i could go up to about 1000$. if the computer breaks after 2 years of usage im fine with that. i was also thinking of getting him a mac, but i dont know what kind and how much it will cost?

any advice would be appreciated.

thanks

w...b

Well IMHO you've really got 2 choices: either one of the new iBooks or a MacMini. Both would fit the bill - not sure of your dads age - here are some things to consider

-Laptop
- Portability is great - does he need it ? will he be using the mac in the living-room etc. - will he have wireless ? If he is moving it about will he drop it ? How about eye-sight - smaller screen could cause some issues ... small keyboard issues ?? Is he using dialup or LAN either way he'll have to deal with plugging in cables in and out ... for printer too

-Mini
- takes up little space may work with his existing display + keyboard. Larger display + keyboard options - once its setup there is no fiddling with cables or connections - price .. a Mini setup with MSOffice and possibly even 1GB of ram would be the same as an iBook plain jane setup

At that price range you'll have to go with an iBook, but new they start at $1249 Canadian. Apple has recertified (warranty repaired or returned) ones on their website at the lower price range (click on the red "save" tag from the store page). It doesn't look like Apple Canada has any up right now, but that changes on a daily basis. You can also check ebay for used ones.

Apple is a good choice for non-tech people that might have difficulty keeping the anti-virus and anti-spyware programs working on a windows laptop. You can also get an open source office suite (Neo-Office) free on-line, which has most of the capabilities of MS Office.

Otherwise, you'll need to check out some of the low-end windows laptops-- DELL, Gateway, and HP all have entry level laptops in your price range. Most will come with MS Works or some such that has basic word processor and spreadsheet capabilities. Be sure to keep anti-virus software going on them though. Most will come with a 90 day trial version of McAffe or something and try to get you to subscribe after that. There are free-for-home-use AV programs around though (Avast is one), so don't waste money on a pay-for-use AV program.

Hey w...b,

you might want to check Apple's refurbished section... I swear by them! :headphone :headphone

just click on the link below... scroll down and you will see a RED TAG on the right... click on it and browse!

Apple Store Front

MadRhino23 said:

Hey w...b,

you might want to check Apple's refurbished section... I swear by them! :headphone :headphone

just click on the link below... scroll down and you will see a RED TAG on the right... click on it and browse!

Apple Store Front

Click to expand...

True.

Also, check in the early mornings, because it seems like that is when the refurbs get stocked. They had refurbished 12" ibooks for $699 USD this morning.