Some Basic Laptop Info Please

[TARPSBird]

My wife Sophie suffered a stroke in January and she is currently going through physical therapy at a local rehab facility. Besides paralysis in her left arm and leg, the stroke has left her unable to speak or swallow (hopefully temporary and she is improving), so she has to communicate via pen and note pad. I'd like to get her a laptop so she can watch her Filipino movies, surf the net and stay in touch with me and her family and friends. I am strictly a desktop PC/cable modem guy and don't know jack about laptops other than being a little familiar with wi-fi. If I get one, what features do you recommend and how do I get her up and running on the net?

[srburger]

TARPSBird,

I fly FSX on a PC w/ Windows 7 (and I used to use a PC laptop at work), but I now use a MacBook Pro and an iPad 2 for everything except FSX. The MacBook is easy to set up and has special accessibility options for one-handed use, but even better... I would recommend an iPad 2 (with the 3G option if your wife isn't always in a wi-fi zone). Surfing the web, communicating with friends (email, texting, Facebook, whatever...), and watching theatrical movies are incredibly easy with an iPad. A virtual keyboard comes up when you need to type, but there is also an iPad app called "Penultimate" that's great for handwritten notes. If your wife likes to draw, "Sketch Club" is great, too.

FYI... there is a monthly fee for 3G service.

Best of luck!
Ken

[aeromed202]

I think most any laptop ought to suit. My oldie just needed a USB style WiFi adapter and I was in business. It connects to the home router, or if I'm out and about or in most public buildings it will search for and connect to the provided signal. Some considerations might be OS (W7 sets are Ram ready for the blooming video technologies, coupled with a processor of at least I would say 2.6 should do nicely for streaming music and videos), keyboard size (consider getting a separate or wireless one if the stock one is too small) and also look at Net Books and alternatives like iPads. Overall, LT batteries are better than previous years but a resource like Consumer Reports should show how a good cross section stacks up.

[hey_moe]

TB, sorry to here about your wife. I hope all goes well for her and a fast recovery. If all she is going to do is surf the internet and watch TV, I would buy bottom of the line LT. I brought two of them last year for the grand kids and that is all they do is play games on the internet and got to Utube. For three hundred bucks is was worth it.

[TARPSBird]

TB, sorry to here about your wife. I hope all goes well for her and a fast recovery. If all she is going to do is surf the internet and watch TV, I would buy bottom of the line LT.
How about something like this?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7134986&CatId=4947

[CP1207]

See if they have a T43. I am still using 2 of them at home. I just like it better than a T42 (personal preference).
Also be aware that the refurbed ThinkPads come in a variety of screen resolutions and screen sizes and memory config.
Be aware that while these are generally in good condition you can get ones with well used keyboards and the occasional minor screen defect.

And- I bought 5 T60s yesterday for $250 each. Dual core, 15" screen. Generation newer.

If you would like, PM me and I'll give you the Tiger Rep our company uses. She can find stuff that may not be listed on the website because of limited quantity.

[TARPSBird]

Thanks everybody for the comments so far. My wife is just a rookie at computers in general so I don't need a lot of bells and whistles on whatever laptop I get her. I've seen some potential good deals on Craigslist (my son gets stuff off there all the time) but I'd rather get one from a retail entity like Tiger or Newegg.

[rayrey10]

T- you may also wan to check Office Depot. Last weekend they had an Acer 13-14" laptop that looked pretty nice for around $330. It had a built in webcam, 2gb of RAM and like a 300GB hard drive.

[TARPSBird]

Thanks Ray. Office Depot is close to my work, I'll check 'em out. :)