What is the best bang for your buck laptop right now for someone who doesn't need high end specs. My dad needs a basic good quality computer that will last. Just needs one that he can do the basic spreadsheets on, TexAgs, streaming, etc. He hooks it up to a large monitor and doesn't really take it on the go a lot unless he's traveling so doesn't need a super large screen.

Laptop recommendations and anything he needs to buy to keep it secure / virus free.

No set budget but doesn't want to spend an arm and a leg.

Thanks!

I think your requirements are not onerous and virtually every new computer will fulfill it. The main resource hog these days is the web browser so I suggest getting a laptop with 16 GB ram to give ample head room for multiple browser tabs.

I have had good results buying computers from the "eBay refurbished" program and I look for recent models of business grade laptops in the Lenovo ThinkPad or Dell Latitude lines as they are more sturdy than consumer grade models.

I usually just search for recently posted laptops on slickdeals.net and find the one under $500 that has the specs I'm looking for and the most positive feedback

It's all about processor and RAM.

If it's an Intel laptop, make sure it's not a N-something, or pentium, Which is basically the same as a school bus…. It's got a big old governor on the engine that keeps it from going over 55 miles an hour. Or cutting the balls off a bull.

I'm sure your parents will be fine with 16 gigs or ram.

Shop on newegg.com, best place.

If you're sticking with windows, windows home is fine. You don't need pro… As you won't be connecting to a corporate network.

You should be spending between $400-650.

flintdragon said:

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boy09 said:

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Phat32 said:

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MacBook Air. It'll last you a decade and never have an issue.

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Just know that if your parents have used Windows their entire life, and then you get them a Macbook, they are going to say they don't know how anything works and that is something you are going to have to deal with...

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From my experience, you are going to be providing tech support for them whether they are using Windows or not!

At least there are much few viruses and malware on macOS. Old people like clicking on random links and opening squirrelly looking emails.

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Malware isn't the issue unless your parents are into porn sites.

No, the email link and phishing for logins and passwords via scams are - and that's OS-independent

We've had great success with parents converting to Mac that already have iPhones and iPads. Everything syncs across and Apple has done an excellent job of making the motions/buttons/etc consistent.

If you do go with a Windows PC, and a cheap one at that, nuke the OS as soon as you get it an install fresh. The reason they're so cheap is they sell space for the **** extra software that comes with it. Reinstall the OS fresh from MSFT and you'll be much happier.

Phat32 said:

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If you do go with a Windows PC, and a cheap one at that, nuke the OS as soon as you get it an install fresh. The reason they're so cheap is they sell space for the **** extra software that comes with it. Reinstall the OS fresh from MSFT and you'll be much happier.

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Do you just download the same OS from the Microsoft website, do some sort of boot CD/USB, and use the OS code that came with the computer?

I know OP is getting a mac, but for those wondering similar, I am using a 12+ year old Dell Inspiron that I purchased for $400. I have since brought the RAM up to 8, from 4, and replaced the HDD with an SSD. It came with Windows 8, and I'm using 11 on it. It lags on occasion, but it works well for YouTube, browsing, all my MS Office work, etc. Maybe I got lucky, but I don't think you need a $1000+ laptop to last you for 10 years. That being said, I am probably going to seek a new computer soon.

Well I got a new issue. We decided on Mac but starting to rethink.

Mainly because my dad manages the books for multiple LLCs he has through Quickbooks Desktop Pro 2015. It still works fine on his current PC which is why he never upgraded, but now it seems like there isn't a compatible version for Mac.

So it seems like the only option would be to convert each LLC to a Quickbooks online account and pay ~$30ish dollars a month for it which he doesn't want to do.

Anybody know a work around?

Is there a way to still get a desktop version for a Mac and transfer his files?

Otherwise it seems we may have to return the Mac (hasn't been delivered yet) and go with a Microsoft PC

… and this is why Mac's suck.

You're going Windows. And it's OK.

If you already have a monitor keyboard and mouse that you like from your old computer … just simply go to Amazon and search "beelink" and spend between 300-450 on a mini pc that's like a laptop in a mini box.

You can get Parallels to run windows apps on your Mac. Not sure if that's another hurdle you're willing to take on though..

1. Go to Newegg
2. Click in menu, select Computer Systems > Laptop/Notebook > All Laptops
3. Filter by budget (there's no such thing as "bang for buck" unless you have a budget). I used $250-$499
4. I chose 16GB of RAM. Minimum I would ever work with, these days. As mentioned before, multiple windows open and web browsers take a tone of RAM and processing power, these days.
5. For CPU, AMD will always cost less than Intel for similar performance, so I started with the AMD Ryzen 7000 series of CPU. There were only 3 Refurbished options, which I personally wouldn't buy, but that's up to you. I then changed the filter for Ryzen 5000 CPUs and this is the only one that has a Ryzen 5000 CPU and meets those other requirements:

https://www.newegg.com/hp-17-3-fhd-non-touch-screen-amd-ryzen-5-5500u-amd-radeon-graphics-16gb-memory-512-gb-ssd-silver/p/1TS-000D-1G6U9

That would be a badass little PC for him. The screen should be fine for him. I use a similar PC for work, and it performs everything I need it to. Is the screen as sharp or does it offer HDR? Of course not, but it should last him a long time.

Stay away from Macs unless you are ready to spend a ton of time learning the environment, yourself, to help them out. I am extremely technically savvy, but I do not use any Apple devices at all. So when my dad texts me questions, my only response is: www.chatgpt.com

boy09 said:

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Phat32 said:

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MacBook Air. It'll last you a decade and never have an issue.

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Just know that if your parents have used Windows their entire life, and then you get them a Macbook, they are going to say they don't know how anything works and that is something you are going to have to deal with...

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Except that they're not going to be saying that.

That's a little like saying, "I can play a Roland synth proficiently; I won't know what I'm doing on a Yamaha or Nord keyboard." It will take them like 15 minutes to get the hang of the important stuff; maybe 2 hours to get used to file management and other unique Mac issues; and then 10 days to 2 weeks (assuming 2 hours a day) max to be as productive in MacOS as they were in any version of Windows.

91AggieLawyer said:

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boy09 said:

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Phat32 said:

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MacBook Air. It'll last you a decade and never have an issue.

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Just know that if your parents have used Windows their entire life, and then you get them a Macbook, they are going to say they don't know how anything works and that is something you are going to have to deal with...

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Except that they're not going to be saying that.

That's a little like saying, "I can play a Roland synth proficiently; I won't know what I'm doing on a Yamaha or Nord keyboard." It will take them like 15 minutes to get the hang of the important stuff; maybe 2 hours to get used to file management and other unique Mac issues; and then 10 days to 2 weeks (assuming 2 hours a day) max to be as productive in MacOS as they were in any version of Windows.

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Spoken like someone who has never convinced a lifetime Windows use over the age of 40 to switch to a Mac.

agreed. I got my kid a mac mini and have been having a hell of a time trying to figure out the file system. I can only imagine my elderly parents.