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Resolved Question

Need help with new laptop for my dad -- he is 83

Feb 15, 2015 10:22AM PST

I have used desktops with Windows 98, ME, XP, & 7 all my life, and I don't know much about laptops.

My dad isn't computer knowledgeable much at all. His current machine is a desktop Core 2 Duo with Windows Vista that he uses for the internet and sometimes to watch movies and copy DVDs. He has taken a lot of viruses and has had problems with this machine including the mouse intermittently working, so he wants a new computer.

What he says he wants in the laptop is the ability to run the video out of the laptop into his 32" flat screen TV. So, I'm thinking a laptop with an HDMI output?

He wants to use the laptop around the house so it will have to communicate by wifi to the modem/router. He currently has DSL ISP with the modem and router.

My next concern is windows 8.1. He doesn't like tablets or touch screens. Is it hard to run 8.1 by using the keyboard and mouse? Do most laptops still have the trackball kind of mouse built in? Do most laptops have connections for using an external mouse and keyboard? I guess wirelss mouse/keyboard could be used with USB ports on the laptop?

He probably wants a optical drive as he likes to watch movies from the computer. Are optical drives still found in most laptops?

Is a SSD drive really that much better than a mechanical hard drive?

Could maybe somebody comment on this and maybe recommend a machine that kind of fits these parameters? Any comments are appreaciated. Thanks, Craig in Ft. Worth, TX.

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Best Answer

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You should be able to find what you need.
Feb 15, 2015 12:00PM PST

HDMI output is very common in laptops, so that shouldn't be a problem. It's definitely what you want if connecting a laptop to a TV via cable. I think they all come with WiFi so that shouldn't be a problem as long as his router has WiFi. They usually come with 3 or 4 USB ports where you can plug in a mouse and keyboard if desired. They come with touchpads, but I'd strongly recommend buying a mouse for under $20 (you can get them for as little as $4). Most, but not all laptops come with optical drives. FWIW you can also buy a Bluetooth adapter for around $15 and get a Bluetooth keyboard and external speakers if desired.
Most laptops come preloaded with Windows 8, so since your dad is used to Vista, be sure to download & install the free program Classic Start which makes Windows 8 have the look and feel he's used to. That'll make it something he'll like, otherwise he'll hate it.
I just helped a neighbor buy something similar to this for $470 It had 4 GB RAM and a 500 GB hard drive, DVD drive, HDMI output. Here's a link to that laptop's info at Micro Center.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/433780/Satellite_C55-B5290_156_Laptop_Computer_-_Textured_Resin_in_Jet_Black

Good luck.

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Thanks
Feb 15, 2015 12:23PM PST

Thanks for the great info. The laptop in the link there at Microcenter is exactly the machine I think he needs--or something very similar. There is also a Micro Center in his home town in Cincinnati. I like that it also has a receptacle for using a LAN cable if he wants to get on the internet using a cable to his DSL modem instead of using WiFi. That machine has all the features for $469. I don't know if the machine has a sold feel to it or how the keyboard feels, but it sure looks good on paper.

Also, thanks for the tip about downloading "Classic Start" for Windows 8. I don't know if he will wind up with a windows 8 machine, but "Classic Start" is something he would certainly want to use.

Regards,