PC/Laptop Recommendation for Parents

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Chromebook can be resetted and ready to boot into in less than 30 seconds. And since all your data and apps are synced and are in the cloud, you do not have to backup anything or restore or install anything. You can get back to work inside a minute. This is assuming someone does manage to get malware on their Chromebook which is sort of not happening because there are no executibles and everything runs in a sandbox.

You can create a document when you are offline.
I am not sure how many people here use CDs or DVDs anymore.
I am not sure if the OP's parents are going to program on VB or C or C++.
Skype is a proprietary app that require special software. Google Hangouts work from inside a modern web browser. I would recommend using better technologies when they are so easily accessible. Try using appear.in for exampke. You would be amazed how powerful web technologies today are. You do not need to install an app for video conferencing.

As for printers. I just recently bought a cloud enabled printer and I find it much easier to use compared to my older printers that needed to be connected to the machine. I can install a cloud printer remotely and print to it wirelessly. Even over the internet. I am not sure why anyone should get an old fashioned wired printer today when the technology offers so much better products.

I had no idea people were born with knowledge of using Windows. My dad had no idea how to use Windows. I did not want to dive into that shithole. I got him a Chromebook. He was ready to go within 30 minutes of my guiding him.

My dad has managed to fuck up Linux installations in the past. I would never give him a Windows box. A rogue browser extension can fuckup your machine. You like Windows, good for you. Do not recommend someone to buy a truck when they just need a car.
 
I am posting from a Windows 8.1 desktop and I own two Chromebooks. I know what I am talking about especially considering I have been through the stage where I had to decide a computing machine for my dad. You are not looking at the problem logically. You are looking at too many hypothetical situations. Microsoft love people like you who cannot look beyond the post PC era. Fact remains 90% of consumers today don't need a Windows machine and it's better they buy something more suited to their demands.

About the rest of the things...

30 second bootup. My desktop can probably boot faster. But it also costed me... Let's calculate... 45K for the box, 55K for the display, 35K for the UPS solution. Sure you can find cheaper laptops. But try finding a Windows 8 based laptop for around Rs. 26,000 which gives you a sub-10 second bootup time, sub-1 minute reset and recovery time, zero malware tension, battery backup of 9+ hours (claimed, real world time is around 7-8 hours). Also add in the time you would spend your dad/mom teaching Windows and all the third party software you are so proud of that can be installed on a Windows machine. And of course, all the time you would spend troubleshoot stuff on the same machine when it ends up with browser hijackers, browser toolbars, homepage redirectors and all that mess. I actually provide technical support to an uncle who owns a Windows 8 machine. I know how hard is it to get people in their 70s who are new to computing to use a Windows machine. Now, I have no idea if you have any experience dealing with the elderly when it comes to teaching them how to use a computer so I cannot comment on what you might or might not have faced.

About wireless printing. It needs a local wireless network. Using the printer over the internet is an extra feature. Yes, I can print documents from a Chromebook offline. Yes, I can listen to music on a Chromebook offline. Yes, I can watch a movie on a Chromebook offline. Guess what I cannot do on a Chromebook offline? Surf the web. As for Skype... As I mentioned above... When something better is available, it is a smarter decision to make the switch. Is Skype the only reason to buy a Windows machine? In 2014? lol nope sorry. Using pirated CDs and DVDs. Good job inviting more malware problem for the poor OP's parents.
 
I am sure you love Internet Explorer because there are tons of corporate environments where it is the only browser allowed. And since that is the case, Internet Explorer is a must have for a regular consumer right?

Just because some institutions force stupid technologies on you, does not mean it needs to be forced upon me as well. Computing today has moved on from the stage where you needed Microsoft products to be able to do anything.

Most home consumers spend most of their times on web apps that do not depend upon what kind of OS you are running. You just need a modern web browser to access services like Email, Word Processing, Instant Messaging and so on.

Do I want kids of today to 'learn' to be able to use Windows and Office today? I think it's a stupid concept. Future needs to be free of stupid proprietary solutions when there are so many better technologies available to you and me today.

Popularity of Android and iOS based devices have already showcased that people can in fact manage just fine without Windows in their lives. Chromebooks just give you a laptop version of a similar experience.
 
My last two desktops have not featured an optical drive. Now I am not sure about the rest of the world. I prefer pen drives. They are infinitely more reliable than CDs and DVDs in my experience. If people are still burning up CDs and DVDs for sharing data, they should reconsider their strategy unless of course they are trying to sell magazines.
 
I am making things up? You are spreading FUD about Chromebooks here. Have you ever used a Chromebook before? At least read about it before making statements about it here.

As I have already said. You can do this on a Chromebook without an internet connection:

You can create/edit/print a document.
You can create/edit/print a spreadsheet.
You can create/edit/print a presentation.
You can listen to music.
You can watch movies.
You can read your emails, write emails and queue them for sending as soon as the internet connectivity is restored.



From my 10 years or so experience of using Windows with an internet connection... I have not found a way to do these things without an internet connection even on Windows:

Surf the web.
Browse Facebook.
Chat with my friend.

I admit Chromebook has the same limitations. It cannot do these things without an internet connection.

A regular internet user usually does not need anything more than this. They need a web browser for checking their emails, connecting with friends and family on Facebook and casual document creation or editing. Chromebook does all of this and more... And is more secure, easier to use, easier to maintain and provides a good value for money deal when you compare battery life and simplicity compared to other apps in the same price range.

Add to this the cost of teaching a newbie to use Windows and all the software that you are proud of. If you have never been there, I suggest finding someone in their 50s or 60s who have never used a computer before and try teaching them how to use Windows. Because trust me, no one is born with knowledge of how to use Windows.
 
windows is as complicated or easy to use as linux(right distro)/chromebook for the beginners. just because you have been using windows for some years might make it look naturally easy to you but its not the case for everyone especially new users.
i installed ubuntu/mint on my wife's laptop and 10 minute guidance how to use it. she used it without any issues. Her usage, internet, documents, skype.
i am pretty sure if i'd given her chromebook, she'd have been fine with that as well. its just in our minds that windows is superior for everything.
well for basic usage as internet surfing, documents, skype etc there are other valid options.
 
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