Best Laptop for my Million Year Old Dad

CrankyCarrot on 16/06/2017 - 12:19

My dad's getting on in years and likes to use a computer for some pretty basic things (He just discovered Facebook, a mere 10+ years after its inception).

He has a desktop with Vista that he manages to mess up and fill with adware/change language settings on and otherwise bork to the point where it barely functions say once a month. I'm tired of spending hours at his place waiting for software to install/reinstall and clearing out the junk and basically unborking it all the time, so I'm thinking a laptop would semi-solve the problem. I can just whip 'round there, grab the whole unit and go fix it and multitask back at my place and just have him write a list of everything wrong with it once every 3-4 weeks. I use a bike and public transport to get around, making it totally impractical to just go get the desktop box and do what I'm proposing.

His budget is around $500-$750 and all he wants to do is email, browse the net and print things like the emails (pointlessly IMO, but whatever, he's old and curmudgeonly). I just want the machine to be as easy to use as possible for a senior citizen and fast, fast fast for the things he will do with it, ie quick bootup time, and swift for multitasking with chrome browsers, Outlook and MS Word.

I don't think he needs a 1060 gpu or anything, but I reckon a 128gb SSD with a decent CPU and a rock solid keyboard would be the go. It will only need to be portable when I'm taking it back to mine for servicing, so battery life isn't such an issue and neither is weight. I'm hoping his eyes can handle a 15.6" screen, but if that's a huge prob I'll plug it into regular desktop screen for use at his place. I have no idea how he'll handle Windows 10 and whether touch screen funtionality will be a hinderance or a help. Might take him into the local Office Works and see how he goes on the demo models.

TLDR; I need a laptop that will be fast for basic tasks and relatively easy for an older Australian to use. Budget $500-$750. What systems should I consider?

Computing

Comments

    • Geekomatic on 17/06/2017 - 18:53

      It'll have issues shifting hardware, as far as I've experienced.

      It'd be far easier to just set him up to boot to a Linux Mint USB if all he's doing is email & browsing. He can save to an external drive if necessary.

      Have you first tried resetting CMOS on his desktop? That might be impeding the "not booting to CD", issue.

    • [Deactivated] on 17/06/2017 - 19:54

      Yes, the difference in mobo/ram etc will make a catastrophic difference. In fact I'm fairly sure it won't even boot.

      Anyway, a fresh install is always highly recommended, old windows 7/8 product keys still work with windows 10 last time I tried.

  • [Deactivated] on 17/06/2017 - 20:06

    OP, I can't quite tell if you are after a brand new machine or a refurb/used.

    At that price range, I'd highly recommend a refurbished or lightly used (if you can find 'em on eBay) office laptop.

    I'm a Dell reseller (albeit not very successful), so I'll give you a few Dell recommendations:

    1. Dell E7350 - A personal favourite, all fitted with 1080p displays. Nice little 2-in-1 tablet/laptop with SSD. Apparently they are only $400-600 second hand, not bad considering they have top-notch build quality and I feel like it's really suitable for your case (flexibility, build etc).

    2. E7240/E7250/E7440/E7450 are some Dell Latitude ultrabooks, most came with SSDs. Top of the line models, didn't hold their value well, bargains secondhand.

    3. Dell Precision M4600/M4700 15.6" workstations… I know they are big and loud, but the build quality is impeccable. You can easily upgrade later, if they are not already powerful enough. Usually they have nice screens, I'd search for a 1080P model.

    And lastly, please avoid entry level consumer lines (new or used), Dell Inspiron 3000/5000 series or HP Pavillion for instance. They always come with cheap plastic chassis, don't last long, poor keyboards, washed out low-res screens etc. Please don't put anyone through that misery (believe me, I've had the unfortunate experience of owning 5 or 6 of them, they are really really not worth the money). Although perhaps Asus and Acer entry-level machines are better, I've never used them personally so can't say.

  • Hazzard on 17/06/2017 - 21:04

    Quick assist program is a good alternative to team viewer. Doesn't require any installation. Comes preloaded on all windows 10 pc's with the creators update.

  • hur91 on 17/06/2017 - 21:49
    +1

    If you had a poll here, I'd choose a tablet for someone who's not too computer literate. 2c

    • gimli on 17/06/2017 - 22:51

      I think OP's dad is "stuck in his ways" with using outlook, printing emails etc. Tablet may not go down so well.

  • Randxyz123 on 17/06/2017 - 23:08

    WHY is he using a old unsupported OS like vista?

    Anyway maybe browse the DELL outlet. Get a decently powered machine and an external monitor so he can use it like a desktop. Old people like the bigger screen.

    Also install team viewer so you can fix simple stuff remotely.

    • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 10:52

      He got Vista when he bought the machine way back when. Since every change to his setup seems to take a team of 50 people on an internet forum to figure out, and no end of time and energy sunk into it, it's been easier just to leave him with his redundant OS, until now. This time I'm really trying to plan ahead and make it easier to repair, upgrade etc in the future based on all of our circumstances.

    • BatmanBeer on 19/06/2017 - 10:57

      It's good enough for what they need it for without the need to upgrade, and the same applies to everything else. People still use iPhone 4 and the latest iOS it can have is iOS 7, which is unsupported and 3 generations behind.

      • Randxyz123 on 19/06/2017 - 11:44

        I disagree. The OP mentioned that he keeps getting adware and change language (whatever that is). If it's not getting security updates and presumably has no anti virus then it isn't safe to use. Especially for someone with no computer knowledge and their computer needs basically reformatting every few months.

        I have friends with iPhone 4's: I don't get why they use them. Their phone constantly runs out of power , can't use apps like uber , can't use iMessage. I'm not saying everyone needs a iPhone 7 but it's important to keep up I'd say most importantly from a security point of view)

        My point is you don't need the latest and greatest but there is no need to fall completely behind and use a insecure , unsupported OS that is a complete heap of shit. I also fail to understand how someone like your dad is installing malware….

        The other thing to do is to lock down his computer , don't allow him to be the admin. Auto updates ON, etc

  • JLHC on 18/06/2017 - 02:14
    +1

    A Chromebook is designed precisely for this situation.

    It is completely maintenance free and virus free with no way that it can be messed up as it's just a Chrome browser and nothing else.

  • nobro25 on 18/06/2017 - 03:41

    BTW….. Congrats for your dad for turning a Million Years Old.

    • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 10:53

      Cake nearly set the house on fire.

  • 2expensive on 18/06/2017 - 03:46

    Might not be understanding your situation right but i feel like a better pc is all you need. Build him a pc with a decent quad core i5 or even one of those fast pentium chips and maybe throw in a 750ti in there (and super fast storage for your convenience). Uninstall everything he doesn't need and give him a restricted account (that should take care of any unwanted .exe). Install malwarebyte and bitdefender and get ublockorigin on chrome and disable other browsers. Make him a gmail account and ask him to login to everything and sync passwords. That should end most of the required maintenance. Make a backup and everytime you visit you restore the system to your backup, update and make a new backup to keep up to date with security patches. I'm in no way qualified enough to recommend the more advanced stuff people are suggesting but i feel like sticking to the input/output he is used to is the most hassle free option.

  • love2buy on 18/06/2017 - 06:29

    for me ill just hand down my old latop which is still decent and get myself a new one. hook his laptop to a big ass lcd and call it a day. portable yet he can still get the benifits of a large screen. Everybody happy.

  • Avacardooo Rayy Mee on 18/06/2017 - 09:13
    +1

    100% iPad.

    even though i work with windows computers all day long, it will just fit your situation alot better.

  • iamapineapple on 18/06/2017 - 11:10
    +1

    Have you considered installing Windows 10S? This will completely eliminate the adware/malware problem, as it can only install apps from the Microsoft Store, which includes all of the things your dad needs. There would be much less maintenance required.

    • legionarypullo on 18/06/2017 - 11:25

      I really second this. The recently released Surface Laptop from Microsoft is the first to come with Windows 10S. It may be out of your price range, but other cheaper ones will follow. It really does fit your use case perfectly, a for the reasons iamapineapple says. It was designed to be hassle free. The Windows Store is getting better and better, and they just released the full Office on there too (its currently only available through 10S).

    • Hazzard on 18/06/2017 - 11:41
      +2

      This is already doable in the full version of windows too which I have done. In the settings there is a drop down menu for "allow store apps only". To add onto it, as far as I know, I don't think you can install windows 10s as a stand alone installation as it requires a new machine that came installed with windows 10s. Maybe in the future.

      • legionarypullo on 19/06/2017 - 00:24
        +1

        I didn't know you can already do this in normal Windows 10. Good to know, thanks.

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 10:54

          See? When I inundate the OzB forums with my silly problems, everybody learns.

  • Murpha on 18/06/2017 - 12:54

    My grandmother who is coming up to 90 is happy enough with Windows 10 and rarely breaks anything (a smooth transition from Windows 7).

    My advice is to create shortcuts on desktop and pin to start menu/ taskbar their most used apps, install a browser with ad-blockers (a must have), an antivirus (I use Windows Defender paired with Malwarebytes), TeamViewer, etc, and configure everything possible. And don't forget the power of Windows Search - if he needs to find anything, like a document or application, tell him to hit the Windows key (or open start menu) and just start typing a search term. This will save him digging around in the menu. You could install something like StartIsBack to bring back the Windows 7 style start menu.

    Have you considered an Intel NUC? An i5 variant with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB NVMe SSD would be one hell of a system. A powered USB hub can be used to expand the ports. We use them at work for various applications in 24/7 environments and they never miss a beat. Shouldn't be much more north of $800 (OS might tip it over). Would be portable enough to cycle home with, if need be, and plug it into a TV or something to repair.

  • ireadtermsofuse on 18/06/2017 - 13:39

    A stone slab and chisel

  • CrankyCarrot on 18/06/2017 - 15:02

    Ok, decision made. I'm going to downgrade his case and upgrade the components.

    Just saw a standalone CPU called an Aspire xc230. It fit in my backpack perfectly, so I stole it. Kidding. I want to find a case of the same size and put his stuff in it (he already has a micro ATX mobo). I'll upgrade from there.

    Is that thing what a NUC is?

  • CrankyCarrot on 18/06/2017 - 15:06

    …further, where can I get these things empty? (Sydney CBD) The components in the Harvey Norman xc230 were poor. I want to custom build him something good. Tailor it to best fit him.

    Since I or someone will always have a spare mouse keyboard and screen lying around, and that thing is portable (enough) it should be the perfect solution.

    • scrimshaw on 18/06/2017 - 20:53

      further, where can I get these things empty?

      You'd need to buy the following if you want to build it yourself.

      1. an empty Mini ITX case $81
      2. power supply $49
      3. Mini ITX motherboard (Wifi included) and a processor $175 + $50
      4. A bit of RAM $42
      5. Some storage $115
      6. operating system $129

      $641

      optionals

      Logitech Mouse and KB $29
      + cheap mousepad from Daiso ($2.80)

      • CrankyCarrot on 18/06/2017 - 21:42

        Would his existing 550w PSU and mobo etc not fit in the case?

        https://t.co/OSzyeYHk7Z

        • scrimshaw on 18/06/2017 - 21:49

          motherboard: no, you need a mini-ITX motherboard to fit in an ITX case. There's a difference in motherboard size standards

          Power supply: yes, but that widetech looks seriously dodgy. Sell it off on gumtree or ebay and get a proper one.

          If you want to keep the current configuration, you can buy small ATX case, something like a Deepcool FRAME (392 x 175 x 353) or Deepcool SMARTER (420 x 201 x 365) or Deepcool Tesseract (472 x 210 x 454)

          The Mini ITX case I linked earlier is very small: 200 x 378 x 453, but to use something this small you need a Mini ITX motherboard.

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 11:24

          @scrimshaw:

          "to use something this small you need a Mini ITX motherboard"

          Damn, so if I bought a mini ITX case and Mini ITX Motherboard, would his old CPU and RAM slot into it at least? Or would they be incompatible?

        • scrimshaw on 19/06/2017 - 11:51

          @crankycarrot:

          there is no special RAM or special CPU to use with mini itx boards. Whether it is compatible or not depends on the socket of the motherboard and CPU. E.g Intel Sockets go by numbers, e.g LGA1150 (Haswell platform, uses DDR3L RAM) or 1151 (Skylake or Kaby Lake, uses DDR4 memory)

          to make sure you are buying the right thing you'd need to look at what socket is used and this can be found by comparing the specification on Intel box and the motherboard spec on the seller's page.

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 11:56

          @scrimshaw:

          Ok, so in theory the minimum outlay I could perform to merge his old system with a more portable version for me would be to buy just two things: 1. A Mini ITX tower, and 2. A mini ITX Motherboard that's compatible with his current RAM and CPU?

          Do the 3.5" HDDs fit into any Mini ITX case?

          I'm just thinking I could stagger this whole process and get him back up and running today/tomorrow, then go upgrade the rest later.

        • scrimshaw on 19/06/2017 - 11:59

          @crankycarrot:

          The case is fine — you can buy any mini itx case and there are a number of ITX cases that have space for multiple HDD to be mounted

          You haven't specified what hardware you have on hand right now. Vista machine is old right? If the parts are too old, you won't find the Mini ITX board for sale anymore and will therefore have to make do with staying on the old board.

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 12:18

          @scrimshaw:

          Sure. Since the machine wouldn't even boot in recovery mode due to a missing critical file, and also wasn't responding with the install disc in the drive, I was unable to get the parts info from just opening the System tab.

          I did get in there and take some pics of the physical components though.

          Mobo: Gigabyte GA-H61MA-D2V
          CPU: Had some numbers on it, but nothing that ID'd it to me (useful info possibly obscured by thermal paste); '1852' and 'G20547 01 S85'
          RAM: 1 Stick of Kingston KVR133DS3S8N/2G (again I can't see anything that just says 4GB DDR3 or whatever)
          HDD: Seagate 320GB Barracuda 7200
          PSU: Aforementioned cr@ppy Widetec 2.31V PS-550TM

          I think the CPU, RAM and Mobo were upgraded about 3 or 4 years ago, but I'm not 100%.

          How much of this is worth salvaging in your opinion?

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 16:25

          @crankycarrot:

          The CPU is a Pentium G2120 3.1GHZ

  • CrankyCarrot on 18/06/2017 - 15:42

    Googled NUC.

    That does look like an option. Although I'd be on the learning curve again if trying to upgrade it now or later.

    • scrimshaw on 18/06/2017 - 20:41

      NUC's are Intel's line of very small desktop PC's, called Next Unit of Computing.

      They are typically very small (a 4 inch cube). They are designed to be attached to a back of a monitor, but that's really not optional. Could place it on the desk.

      They are sold as barebones machines, meaning that Intel hasn't supplied you with a complete working computer — it's really only half a working unit that requires more parts.

      What you get with the NUC
      * the non-removable CPU. The CPU can range from a Celeron, to a Pentium, to a faster Core i3 or i7 series.
      * the non-removable motherboard
      * the power supply brick and the casing itself

      You would need to buy the following to make it work:

      • A stick of laptop-type SO-DIMM RAM (approx $40). Has to be compatible with the NUC, please check if the NUC demands DDR3L or DDR4 memory.
      • a Solid State drive of any capacity (from $60~100 dollars)
      • A Windows operating system (anywhere between $25 dollars to $100, depending on where you bought the Windows license from)

      If you are too lazy to open up the NUC and buy everything and assemble it yourself, computer shops like Mwave are happy to do it for you (but charge you for labour costs). But it really isn't hard at all.

      • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 02:12

        Hey, thanks for all the detailed responses Scrimshaw. Rest assured I go over them more than once and comb through the details while learning about all this stuff.

        I always appreciate it when people take the time to impart their technical expertise for free on forums like this.

      • Roman Sandstorm on 19/06/2017 - 10:48

        Second the NUC suggestion.

        A laptop is too fiddly: battery issues, screen dimming, USB ports, closing case too early… and then there's the smaller screen (but possibly higher resolution, resulting in teeny-weeny text - BTW this is the biggest issue with Surface Pro's too).

        It sounds like the user does not need a portable PC. So don't get one.

        A Celeron or i3 NUC runs Windows perfectly. And it can attach to existing (19" was it?) monitor, or maybe splurge on a sub-$200 24"?

        Installing RAM and SSD in a NUC really is trivially simple. And as it is an Intel (big name) product there are good instructions, in clear and understandable English. Plus solid and dependable support.

        Of course, lock it down like others have suggested, and TeamViewer for remote support… All this sounds so much like the setup I have for my million year old parent. (Mind you, she has taken to the iPad so well, that the PC is now largely neglected… sigh.)

        Anyway, FWIW, my strong advice is to not go with a laptop.

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 11:29

          "Anyway, FWIW, my strong advice is to not go with a laptop."

          Yeah, I'm leaning (practically at 90 degrees) towards a Mini ITX Case/System or one of the Next Units of Computing.

          Just figuring out the pros and cons of either at the moment. It's tempting to just go pick up that Aspire xc230 from HN for $300 and see how he goes with the Windows 10 preloaded on it, and a view to upgrading the RAM and CPU inside later. If a basic Mini ITX case already costs $81, and Win 10 is like $120 (as per Scrimshaws breakdown earlier), then we're getting close to the total price anyway. I can always gut and repurpose the 1TB drive that comes in it, switching it out for an SSD later.

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 11:31

          NUCs are way more expensive than Mini ITX's though, no? Like double the price?

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 11:44

          @crankycarrot:

          I see there's a decent range of about 20 for sale on the MSY site. 40"x40", or 10cm x 10cm - Damn, I like that portability!

        • scrimshaw on 19/06/2017 - 11:56

          @crankycarrot:

          They're just about as pricey. A NUC with a Core i3 is something like $360 plus dollars without any rebates or coupon.

          You can buy a itx case, power supply, processor and motherboard for that same money. Obviously the NUC is much smaller than any ITX case.

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 12:03

          @scrimshaw:

          Do the NUCs tend to come preloaded with Windows 10 Home or anything? If that costs $120+ on top, surely I might as well just get that xc230 that comes with it and the perfect case (as best I can tell) for $296 at Harvey Norman, and perhaps do a clean install to remove bloatware and maybe switch the 1TB HDD for a 128gb SSD and consider adding more RAM now or later.

          http://www.harveynorman.com.au/computers-tablets/computers/d…

        • scrimshaw on 19/06/2017 - 12:10

          @crankycarrot:

          no NUCs do not come with OS. And yes buying from Harvey is basically the cheapest method of getting what you want.

          If the CPU is too slow you could consider a Lenovo SFF, OS preloaded and already ready to rock and roll. Similar size. But CPU about 3 to 4 times faster..

          http://www.staticice.com.au/cgi-bin/search.cgi?q=Lenovo+S500…

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 12:20

          @scrimshaw:

          Good, good. Yes, I was kind of concerned reading a few user reviews bemoaning the slow speed of the xc230. Will do a price comparison.

          I can't believe Windows 7 is still over a hundred bucks! There are online resellers with legit keys for around $20 or less, right?

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 12:22

          @scrimshaw:

          Damn, I need to get a roundup of reviews of various NUCs and complete Mini ITX setups available and their prices. Googling along as always…

          I'm not paying or spending $120+ of dad's money on Windows. F that.

        • scrimshaw on 19/06/2017 - 12:22

          @crankycarrot:

          'legit' is mostly assumption. I'm unclear as to who sells legit keys although reddit MicrosoftSoftwareSwap subreddit is usually where most nowadays get cheap licenses.

          do at your own risk.

        • scrimshaw on 19/06/2017 - 12:30

          @crankycarrot:

          all the nucs sort of have a price premium. If 'upgradable' and 'bang for buck' is what you're looking for, the NUC is probably not the best choice. Size is the only thing going for it.

          Something like a prebuilt Lenovo SFF s500 would give you the most power per dollar spent.

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 14:23

          @scrimshaw:

          True. The Mini ITX is already small enough for my purposes.

          Bang for buck now and upgradability later are the next priority.

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 16:38

          I'm just going to PM Scrimshaw from here on. Hopefully when he's not busy he can continue to aim me in the right direction.

          Thanks everybody for the Millionth B'Day wellwishing!

        • Roman Sandstorm on 20/06/2017 - 11:20

          @crankycarrot:

          There are Windows 10 OEMs much cheaper than that. Just pick one from a seller which has some reliable reviews.

          Do not fear: there are no "Windows 10 OEM Police" who are going to break down your father's door at 3:00 am, drag him from his late night porn session, throw him into a grotty cell in a sewer somewhere, and ultimately 'disappear' him.

          You are on the correct path now, discarding the laptop ideas… :-)

          And as for processor… I run Windows 10 on a Celeron N2830-based NUC (8 GB RAM,128 GB SSD) in my office; for normal Office programs, browsers, etc users can barely tell the difference between it and standard desktop i5's and i7's.

          Naturally, if your father is going to be doing 3D modelling, or video editing, or planning a space mission to Europa, or other CPU-intensive things, yes, a faster processor would be advantageous.

          But as you describe the situation, just about any current AMD or Intel CPU will be fine.

      • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 11:07

        It seems like if I go with one of the Micro-ATX/Mini-ITX (nothing confusing there) systems, I'll have more and cheaper upgrade options that are easier to DIY.

        The NUC's advantage is that it's smaller, but as I saw with the Aspire xc230 (10cm wide, 29.16cm tall and 41.95cm deep), that case is small enough for my transportation needs.

  • sourdawg on 18/06/2017 - 17:40

    T series thinkpad and dock

  • PVA on 18/06/2017 - 17:58

    My dads 81 this year and has very basic computer skills ( nearly zero😀).
    We bought him a 15 inch Dell Inspiron about 3 years ago, it now runs Win 10 and is perfectly fine.
    Only thing is the battery was replaced about a year ago, bought a cheap eBay one.

    I am sure it would be equal to their base $500 now.

  • Elmsy on 18/06/2017 - 19:43

    What about using something like Sandboxie and setting up email and web browser to run sandboxed? I only found out about this program a couple of months ago and it works really well :)

    • Hahuh on 18/06/2017 - 21:28

      Avast has a inbuilt sandbox function. I think something along the lines of deep freeze would be better for their use case

  • [Deactivated] on 18/06/2017 - 20:11
    -1

    Kind of off topic but sounds like you should install teamviewer

  • xiuhan83 on 18/06/2017 - 20:25

    If your dad is a million year old. He doesnt need a laptop

    • zs8574832 on 18/06/2017 - 20:49

      agree,
      he may be the one build the world.

  • zs8574832 on 18/06/2017 - 20:48

    ebay used LENOVO T430 with ssd, It's the best of the best.

    • CrankyCarrot on 18/06/2017 - 21:50

      The first ad up on Gumtree is $299 for ex lease models in Pyrmont. Comes with Win 7 licence and 4gb ram/250gb regular HDD.

      Might be a good stopgap for dad and a backup lappy for me later while I research a more expensive/better one.

      Is that a good price?

      • Geekomatic on 19/06/2017 - 11:31

        If you just want a quick plug & play, this one is a good deal, imho:

        https://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/milsons-point/desktops/hp-el…

        Really, he won't need much.

        HTH

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 11:37

          I need it to be portable for me when I need to take it with me for fixups requiring more hands on time. No car, so no regular desktop. Seems a NUC or a Mini ITX system will be the answer. Question is which and what components to run with.

  • blah88 on 18/06/2017 - 22:53

    If you want to buy something new this might be OK.

    Asus Vivobook 15.6" Intel Pentium Processor 4GB 128GB, Pentium N4200 - $499
    https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/asus-vivobook-156-inches-inte…

    But this used Lenovo T440 on Ebay seem pretty solid too at $479.99

    http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Lenovo-Thinkpad-Ultrabook-Laptop-…

  • syousef on 19/06/2017 - 10:49
    +1

    If your dad is a million years old and lets scientists study him, he can get access to all the computer equipment he wants for free!

    • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 10:55

      He'll just delete all their icons and then call me to come resurrect them.

      • syousef on 19/06/2017 - 11:01

        Time to dig up the zombie icon set.

        I feel your pain though. Every time I delouse my mother's computer with all manner of antivirus product it takes her under 24 hours to reacquire viruses, and it's always something absolutely silly like installing software from the first hit on a google search, or in one case letting herself be scammed by "Telstra" anti-virus secret operatives ;-)

        • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 11:32

          I feel you. Wonder what the quickest, most efficient way to teach these "old dogs new tricks," is…

        • syousef on 19/06/2017 - 14:50
          +1

          @crankycarrot:

          You need 2 things:
          1) Interest/willingness to learn
          2) What we don't have time to do while we raise our families and make a living - time to sit with them and correct their mistakes constantly until there are none.

        • IMFrugl on 20/06/2017 - 14:34

          @crankycarrot:
          I've looked after my mother's computing needs over the years. Few lessons learned:

          1. Get your dad to write in a notebook all the important bits - logging on, using new software/ hardware, how-tos etc.

          2. Dump the pc and get a laptop for your own sanity. It's easier to take to a shop for repairs then lugging a pc around. He can do it when you are not available.

          3. A good smartphone is a good alternative or fill-in for checking email and Facebook. It stays charged and requires minimal intervention.

          4. Having at least 2 connected devices buys you time if one dies.

          I use the professional range Dell Latitudes for ruggedness and simplicity. One as old as a E4300 with SSD (13 inch) is excellent to have. They usually come with Win7 licence and it is usually installed by the refurbisher. The laptop is for the more serious uses (documents, printing, web ckeckins etc) but the smartphone does pretty much all else. Also keep an image of the hard disk or a spare disk with a full image if possible. Latitude drives are easy to swap and go.

  • [Deactivated] on 19/06/2017 - 14:19

    https://solus-project.com/ really easy can't break it — I don't like it cause you can't really tinker, this is what I'll be putting on the families computers from now on.

    Previously it was Ubuntu Mate, this is for young/old people btw I do OEM installs so when they turn on the computer they have to set up their user, it's actually easier (long term) then creating the user.

    https://endlessos.com/download/ if you want some interesting apps - offline wiki - it's a 15gb download though but it's solid they also sell cute sff computers

  • Cheaplikethebird on 19/06/2017 - 14:28

    Bookmark him some decent free porn video websites that aren't chock full of spyware and I guarantee the spyware will become a non issue.

    • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 21:32
      +1

      Gross. Perhaps sound advice, but gross.

  • TRENT86 on 19/06/2017 - 20:09

    I dunno but tell him to stay away from that evil thing called Facebook.

    • CrankyCarrot on 19/06/2017 - 21:32

      He's still in the honeymoon phase with that.

  • bargainy on 19/06/2017 - 21:54

    Having done decades of Windows and Linux desktops our household is all Apple now. My father asked for advice on a phone and I suggested an iPhone both because it is very easy to use but also very easy for me to support remotely. He baulked at the price, bought some cheaparse android phone and hated it for two years then suddenly bought an iPhone 7 which he loves and said I should have been more persuasive. After getting his email and iCloud setup he hasn't once asked for help with it.

    When he asked for laptop advice I didn't bother suggesting a Mac but did say he should buy one of the bigger brands to get better warranty and support but nope, he found some cheaparse laptop that was mediocre even when we got it and of course with windoze it got progressively slower over time. Last time I visited he had lots of malware installed and when I asked why he installed all that junk he said the laptop was too slow and "the internet" offered to speed it up.

    Now I tell him to bugger off and buy an iPad when he calls to complain that it is slow again and he didn't do anything.

  • Velathial on 20/06/2017 - 08:13

    An abacus might suit him.

  • robertbruce on 20/06/2017 - 09:58

    a "Live Disk" is the best solution for this circumstance.. He will love knowing he can't hurt the system…

    I have the lady downstairs set-up with live disks. She likes to fiddle. Now she can fiddle to her hearts content requiring only a reboot to sort stuff out…
    Plenty of Windows live disks. Also Try the Puppy Linux disk, it's written by an old bloke for old people and they find it delightfull

  • raytriplej on 20/06/2017 - 09:59

    My 85 yr old mum loves her ipad.

    Dad got a hand me down Samsung tablet and loves it as well.

    Both have a $5 data share sim in there sharing my Telstra data, working great.

  • [Deactivated] on 20/06/2017 - 14:02

    Why not just run CCleaner and undelete all the browser extensions, startups, etc that have been installed.
    Only takes around 10 minutes or so.

    Even better - change his account so that he CAN'T do too much damage?

  • CrankyCarrot on 20/06/2017 - 15:09

    I'm back at the laptop solution. His old rig is dead and I want something with an easy webcam and mic in so I can keep an eye on him via Skype.

    This is the front runner (possibly hooked up to a 24" screen later),for $898 at JB:

    https://www.jbhifi.com.au/computers-tablets/laptops/acer/ace…

    It's 15.6", has 128gb SSD and an i57200u CPU with 8gb of DDR4 (I think) RAM. GPU is Geforce 940mx just in case this thing ends up being mine.

    Acer.

    If anyone can see why I should not buy this on a sub $1k budget, speak now or forever hold your pc (suggestions).

  • cupcake on 26/06/2017 - 15:22

    You can always donate your old devices to your Dad, and upgrade!

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