setting up my mom's computer for remote support and file transfers

If both have Leopard (which will make everything much easier), you can use iChat to screen-share to another user and remotely manage their Mac through it:

Select a buddy, and then open the Buddies menu and choose one of the screen sharing options.
To share your own screen, choose “Share My Screen.”
To share your buddy’s screen, choose “Ask to Share.”
If you’re sharing your buddy’s screen, you can switch between viewing your screen and your buddy’s screen. You can also copy files between your computer and your buddy’s by dragging them from one desktop to the other. Both participants can do anything on the shared desktop such as opening folders and creating documents.
During screen sharing, iChat automatically initiates an audio chat so you can talk things through.

In iChat, click the help menu and click iChat Help, type "screen share" into the search field and it will show you possible port forwarding options and everything else you may need to know.

If not, I would check out Microsoft's Remote Desktop software for Mac. I've used it to successfully connect to and control another Mac (albeit on the same network, more options such as port forwarding get involved with non LAN based control) and it's free and mostly works. Other than iChat's screen sharing-control feature in Leopard, their Remote Desktop client software is much more expensive as opposed to MS's free version. Kind of strange, I know....

Or you can check out VNC ("chicken of the VNC" for Mac) to do something similar (enable Screen Share in System Prefs/Sharing), although I will not get into the setting up part of it as it can be tedious at first. Scope out the webs for info.

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/products/remote-desktop/default.mspx

 

To host an iChat Theater presentation:


Unless the item you want to present is an iPhoto album, choose File> Share a File With iChat Theater.

If you want to present an iPhoto album as a slide show, and you have iPhoto ‘08 installed, choose File> Share iPhoto With iChat Theater.


Choose the items you want to present.

Text files, photos, and other files: Select one or more files. The first file appears in the iChat video window. You control the slide show from a toolbar outside of the video window.

QuickTime movies: The movie opens in the iChat video window. You control the slide show from a toolbar outside of the video window.

iPhoto ‘08 album slide shows: The iLife Media Browser panel opens. Select the photo album you want to share. The first photo opens in the iChat video window, and iPhoto opens so you can use its controls for advancing through the photos.

Keynote slide shows: The first slide opens in the iChat video window, and Keynote opens so you can use its controls for advancing through the slides.


When you see a message asking you to start a video chat, highlight a buddy in the buddy list and choose Buddies > Invite to Video Chat.

If you have a video camera and have already started a video chat, this message is skipped.


When the presentation is finished, close the control window.

 

get her an imac unless she needs the portability. older (no offense) family members tend to like bigger screens and ease of use. again, this is just my thought. can't you share pics using email? (add as attachment, zip them up first). if the file is to big, upload to box.net (free account) and have her download them.