New laptop or chrome book..?

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stevewestern

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My mum is 92. Her laptop is almost as old and needs replacing.
Her usage is basic - emails, light browsing, a few word documents that she needs to print and minimal storage, so it seems to me that a chrome book would be perfect for her, and cheap enough too - her budget is ideally around £200.
Any advice about what to look for, look at etc?
I've never used one so have no idea but I assume that they can all be connected to a printer (hers is wired only), storage can be boosted with usb memory sticks and that enough programs (open office etc) are available...
Many thanks for any help!
 
If she's used to a laptop, then get her another laptop. For the use that you describe, you'll easily pick up one for your budget. Get one with an SSD rather than a HD too - it's a world of difference in speed. (y)

Chromebooks are crap IMO and only of any use for someone who prefers to use a phone rather than a computer. :mooning:
 
From exerience with my Aunt and not with a computer but a replacement DVD player ( remember those ? ):

I suggest getting something functional and as close as possible to what she is already using - probably used - including the same OS even if you have to get a Win 7 dist from the usual suspects or whatever.

Ask her to try it out if possible.

My Aunt was perfectly compos mentis and as bright as a button but I am learning, as I too get older, that my aversion to new stuff is just "can't be ar**d".

Good luck !
 
Have a look on back market, there are loads of refurbished laptops with 12-month warranty for sub £200.
 
Thank you all for your replies, much appreciated!
@Sky - I thought that a chromebook would be identical to a laptop in use, just lighter, with less storage and power, and more app based. I'd also thought we'd get a better one for her budget than a laptop. Mum is ok with her phone, it's just a bit small and the screen isn't big enough for her to appreciate the wonderful pictures I send her.....

@piper - that's a very good point. She actually has w10 but the less of a learning curve the better.

@troutfisher - not heard of back market before but will indeed have a look.

A laptop it may well be!
I know it'll be a case of what I can find, but any sort of spec suggestions, obviously an SSD is a must, 8gb of RAM or is that unlikely given the budget?
 
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Due to budget limitations I too decided to go for used/refurbished.
To give you an idea of specs for the money you could get a Dell Latitude E5570 15" screen i5 processor 8gb ram and 256gb SSD for storage for £175. From what you're describing probably this is a bit of an overkill in terms of specs but just to give an idea what used will get you.
 
I use a chromebook and find it great for my needs. I also have a PC, printer etc but use the chromebook for 90% of the time. Wouldn't be without it. Haven't used it for creating/printing documents though so can't advise on that.

www.pcmag.com

Laptop vs. Chromebook: Which Type of Budget PC Is Right For You?

Chromebooks are inexpensive and easy to use, but not all Windows or macOS users can make the switch. With different shoppers in mind, we compare traditional laptops and Chromebooks on price, power, features, and more.
www.pcmag.com www.pcmag.com
 
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Sky said:
If she's used to a laptop, then get her another laptop. For the use that you describe, you'll easily pick up one for your budget. Get one with an SSD rather than a HD too - it's a world of difference in speed. (y)

Chromebooks are crap IMO and only of any use for someone who prefers to use a phone rather than a computer. :mooning:
Click to expand...
Here's a challenge for you: find a new laptop with an HDD as its sole drive. They just don't exist any more; the cheapest laptops now have uselessly small SSDs (or eMMC in the very cheapest).
 
No experience with Chromebooks but would have thought they would fit the case perfectly, perhaps especially if she has an Android phone.
 
A quick reply as I'm dashing out, many thanks again and I'll read your replies properly shortly!
 
Sky said:
Chromebooks are crap IMO and only of any use for someone who prefers to use a phone rather than a computer. :mooning:
Click to expand...
Have you ever used a Chromebook? In use it's just like a laptop.
 
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Al1944 said:
Have you ever used a Chromebook? In use it's just like a laptop.
Click to expand...
I owned and used an early Chromebook for a while. There were some "gotcha" differences to the Windows operating system on my then current laptop, Mercyful amnesia has driven the details from my memory but I do remember that they were annoying at the time.
 
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An important thing to remember about chromebooks is that system and security updates are limited, so before buying a particular model, check when the updates are going to stop.

Auto Update policy - Chrome Enterprise and Education Help

Chrome devices (e.g. Chromebook, Chromebox, Chromebase, Chromebit) receive automatic updates that enhance both the device and its software. Device updates provide the latest features and keep the devi
support.google.com
 
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