I want to buy a new computer for my grandparents. They had an old PC box that died on them, and they haven't replaced it. I live half a world away (they're in the USA) and can't be there for any sort of hands-on support.
What should I look at? Will a G4 or G5 be enough? What about the iSight issue?
In the event I can, and do, go non-intel, is there any point in waiting until the release of Snow Leopard? I'm willing to bet PPC hardware will drop in price at that point, though how much is anyone's guess.
I switched a year and a half ago, and am completely inexperienced with older Macs, so any and all help is appreciated!
Thanks in advance, everyone!
- It needs to be cheap. Exchange rates being what they are, I need to keep it under $500 US. The lower, the better. They don't need a lot of computer, anyway.
- They're not computer savy. It needs to be relatively trouble free, and easy to use. I'd prefer an iMac to a Mini, for example.
- They'll use it for email, BASIC internet browsing, Skype & iChat, and possibly iPhoto.
- By far the most important consideration is video chat over Skype and iChat. To that end, I'd prefer something with a built-in iSight. Unfortunately, most seem out of my budget. I can't remember the last time I set up an external webcam, either, so talking them through it isn't going to be easy.
- It also needs to be able to handle screen sharing over iChat. Granted, the internet speed is the main issue here. I do, however, need to be able to run Leopard so that I can fix any issues they have.
What should I look at? Will a G4 or G5 be enough? What about the iSight issue?
In the event I can, and do, go non-intel, is there any point in waiting until the release of Snow Leopard? I'm willing to bet PPC hardware will drop in price at that point, though how much is anyone's guess.
I switched a year and a half ago, and am completely inexperienced with older Macs, so any and all help is appreciated!
Thanks in advance, everyone!
