Buying 2 computers for my parents?

[Chinda81]

I'm looking to buy 2 computers for my parents. A laptop and a desktop.
They are new to computers and haven't used them much. They need something simple or at least something easy to understand and use.
They will both be using them for the internet, email, printing, and typing documents.
Something priced each for $1,000 or less. Any ideas? Thanks.

 

[clevin]

a high end mac mini and a good low end macbook+1 G ram should work.

I suppose you are asking for Macs here.

 

[Sun Baked]

Refurbished MacBook and iMac.

Should be able to find either in the $850-1050 range.

 

[autolist4u]

I would suggest refurbished units from Apples website. a MacBook at $849 (reg $10990 snd an iMac 17" (around 489) should do it. Don't bother on RAM upgrades. 512MB is plenty for what they will be doing.

 

[clevin]

oh yeah, what kind of software they will be using in typing documents? if they were to use openoffice/iworks/M$ office, 1G ram is necessary, but if they will be using text edit or sticky note, 512MB memory is good enough.

 

[Chinda81]

^Thanks for the suggestions guys. They will probably be using microsoft office or something similar. The Mac Mini's looks nice. I'll look into some refurbished laptops too.

 

[FFTT]

I would invite them out to lunch and take them by your local Apple Store
if that's possible.

It will give you a better feel for what they like in a system.

If you can swing the difference, I'd try to get a refurbished Core 2 Duo
model directly from Apple's refurb listing.

The best units go fast so keep following the listings, as new ones pop up
all the time.

Before you commit, check here for an evalutation of the model you're
considering.

If you or anyone in your family qualifies for the education discount, you are allowed one desktop and one laptop per year under that program.