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Author
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Topic: help me build the cheapest computer possible
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doublefresh
Sarge
Member # 26
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posted 02-25-2005 10:57 AM
    
Wifes grandmother in Florida needs a computer for e-mail. Wife wants to get her a Dell and have them set it up for $600.00 Can anyone come up with a less expensive option? Remember this woman has ZERO computer skills. Turning on the computer would be difficult for her. If she only lived here I'd give her one of my old ones, but we are afraid she would never be able to set up an e-mail account. Anyone live near Lake Butler Florida (near gainsville) I'll pay you $100 to spend an hour setting up an old womans e-mail. So should I just get the $550 Dell with setup fees included or should I build her a system send it and find a local nerd to set it up? I honestly doubt she could even figure out how to plug the damn thing into the wall by herself.
Posts: 1824 | From: USA | Registered: Jun 1999 | IP: Logged
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doublefresh
Sarge
Member # 26
Member Rated:
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posted 02-25-2005 11:07 AM
Ok, New idea, What is the best and easiest version of Linux for old farts?I'd like to lock this computer down to the point that all it can do is E-mail and Internet and look at pictures. Those are the only icons I would want on the desktop. Linux is free, virus free, and if you are not trying to do anything fancy problem free. This still does not solve the problem of how to get it down there. I could set up her internet and e-mail from here if I had the proper modem access numbers right???
Posts: 1824 | From: USA | Registered: Jun 1999 | IP: Logged
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Devastator
Sarge
Member # 1666
Rate Member
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posted 02-25-2005 11:27 AM
buy a 179.00 Lindows box from www.outpost.com (FRY's) and wipe it out and put a fresh install of windows on it.You get everything except the monitor and they have refurb 19" models starting at 99.00 The Lindows computer comes with a AMD Sempron 2000+ or 2200+ processor, 128MB RAM, a 40GB HDD, a CD/ROM (not sure of the speed but it's adiquate) and onboard video/audio/ethernet etc. It also have a internet ready keyboard, some cheapo speakers, and a rollerball mouse. I build these all of the time for people who don't want to spend anything  They work just fine. Or hell she can even try the Lindows (Although I would describe that as Linux Meets BeOS) but hell if thats all you want it to do, Lindows came right up, found everything, connected to my network and the Internet right out of the box. No action on my part whatsoever. Lindows (out of the box) will work fine for her. [ 02-25-2005: Message edited by: Devastator ] -------------------- 
Posts: 944 | From: Fort Worth, Texas | Registered: Jan 2000 | IP: Logged
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AcidWarp
Sarge
Member # 997
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posted 02-25-2005 10:34 PM
OSX is fairly simple to use, can be a bitch to configure sometimes, but if she won't be doing any of that then it's probably a better choice. It's more stable than windows at anyrate.-------------------- “I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.” “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” --Dr. Stephen Hawking.
Posts: 4363 | From: Waterloo, Ontario | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged
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AcidWarp
Sarge
Member # 997
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posted 02-26-2005 04:47 PM
Heh, well, My mom has a mac with OSX and she's probably about as computer illiterate as you can get, and hers is fine. In fact, it's the only computer in that house that I DON'T have to fix on a regular basis.-------------------- “I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.” “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” --Dr. Stephen Hawking.
Posts: 4363 | From: Waterloo, Ontario | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged
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AcidWarp
Sarge
Member # 997
Member Rated:
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posted 02-27-2005 07:39 PM
Linux is pretty hard to break.Of course a faulty PSU doesn't help when you're in the middle of a Kernel Compile  [ 02-27-2005: Message edited by: AcidWarp ] -------------------- “I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.” “Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.” --Dr. Stephen Hawking.
Posts: 4363 | From: Waterloo, Ontario | Registered: Nov 1999 | IP: Logged
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