Choosing Family PCs on a Budget

A dad of four (ages 2 to 12) writes that he is looking for a good computer for his kids and a laptop with wireless Internet access for himself so he can check on email and work from the couch, the porch, anywhere in the house. (Mom already has a Mac.)

"Both machines can be simple—to keep costs down. We're buying on a budget. But they need enough horsepower (er, memory and speed) for fast Internet access and use of video and other multimedia features. What do you recommend?" he writes.

Since Mom has a Mac, this Jersey dad would consider buying Macs all around—if money were no object. But he's trying to save some money while still outfitting his family with solid computers. (Aren't we all?)

For the kids' computer, I recommend the HP Pavilion Slimline s3100y, a powerful, capable, and compact desktop PC. HP is offering customized models starting at $450 with a rebate right now, but you do have to buy the monitor separately. This 19-inch widescreen monitor ($230) turns the PC from homework machine into an impressive media-viewing center, but HP also is offering $70 off 15-inch monitors with the purchase of a customized Pavilion Slimline s3100y. Remember to get the most memory and the biggest hard drive that your budget allows.

For a laptop, Joe the Jersey Dad, consider the HP Pavilion dv6000t notebook (pictured). It may not be the fastest computer, but it will deliver all of your basic computing needs mixed with some impressive entertainment components in a stylish package at a budget price. You can get the memory and features you need for about $1,100, maybe less. Or, if you're looking for a workhorse with no optical drive to burn CDs or DVDs, Lenovo's ThinkPad x61 is a good choice, especially if you're moving it between home and the office. Battery life gets high marks from users, and it's fast, light, and truly portable.

But if you do want some media center capabilities for a good price, there's also the Dell Inspiron E1505. It's slightly heavier and more expensive than the HP mentioned above. I've been happy with its predecessor, the Dell Inspiron 6000.

To check out a few other Yahoo! Tech picks, click over to Chris Null's "Quick Guide to Buying a Laptop," which runs you through the four types of laptops and what matters most: screen size, CPU and RAM, extra features, and battery life. His most recent "How to Buy a Laptop" post is also a must read.

If anyone has any other suggestions for Jersey Dad, pipe up. Hope that helps. Let us know what you decide and why.

Quick Guide to Buying a Laptop
How to Buy a Laptop: Summer 2007 Edition