Computer + TV? Can One Device Replace Both? (Part 1)

Reader Tim Ficke writes: I have a grandmother who is just turning 70 this year and has never owned a computer in her life, and she wants me to help her pick one out for her. Now I know this sounds awkward but I am only 14. She wants a computer that won't take up much space and she wants it to replace her TV and to use for email. Can you help?

Tim, I've been mulling this one over for a few days now and I'm still not sure I'd suggest anyone try to replace their TV with one machine that will work well for both entertainment features and for general PC work like email, much less a first-time PC user and especially your 70-year-old grandma. But if she's convinced and if you're convinced that this is the way to go (as I admittedly don't know all the details of your situation), I can offer some advice.

The most important part of this purchase is the monitor you pick, because it needs to be large enough to work as a TV while sharp enough to provide enough detail when displaying text, as in email. Depending on the size of the room, a 21-inch widescreen like the Gateway FPD2185W (a great value at about $500) could work well. Looking larger, the just-released Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP is considered one of the best 24-inch monitors on the market.

With a monitor picked, now you need to turn to the PC. Frankly, for the work you've described, any recently-built computer will do. I'd suggest finding something for about $800 or so at your local Computer City or Best Buy. Just make sure it has a PCI Express card slot. You can follow my how to buy a midrange PC instructions to ensure you're getting all the components you need. Don't forget speakers. You'll need them.

Finally, the third part of the puzzle is the video card: This is how you'll handle both the PC graphics and the TV video to the PC and the monitor. The video card is critical here, so make sure you get the right one. It will need to have a TV tuner and coaxial inputs. I'd recommend the ATI All-in-Wonder X1900 (pictured, about $250), which won't be overkill for grammy but will be state-of-the-art for years to come.

Hooking these components together isn't that tricky, but using the software to switch between TV and PC isn't exactly as simple as kicking back on tha couch and hitting the power button. Consider adding one of ATI's Remote Wonder remote controls to ease this pain considerably.

Advice continues in part 2...