Macs for old people?

[andcraig]

So my grandparents are in the market for a computer..first one they've had if i'm correct.
We're thinking of surprising them with a Mac for christmas...the question is...what kind.

I'm leaning toward imac G5 because its all in one package so they get monitor, computer, mouse, keyboard all without much hassle...and my dad is thinking more about a mac mini with a seperate monitor.
Does anyone have suggestions?

my grandpa...well..we don't really know what he'll be using it for. I'm assuming digital photos, music, work related stuff, general browsing.

hm.
Does anyone think an imac G4 would work if i could find one of those?

 

[katie ta achoo]

a G4 sounds like it would work.

Maybe an eMac if you can get your hands on one of those.

IMO, a G5 iMac would be over-kill.

 

[CanadaRAM]

How is their vision?

One way a CRT monitor has it all over a flat panel LCD is that you can "under-res" the CRT and have everything show up much bigger. I have set up 19" CRTs for older users and then cranked the screen res back to 800x600 or even 640x480, so that everything is large and they can sit back a little further from the screen. If you do that with an LCD monitor, you get blurriness and artifacts. LCDs want to be run at their native resolution only.

 

[FFTT]

The newest 17" WS iMac G5 is one of the best ready to go configurations
Apple has produced in their history.

If you can swing that budget, it's your best deal.

Otherwise the newly updated minis that are shipping now with any good display would be your best choice in a G4.

The eMacs are also a wonderful value as long as they don't mind the
space requirements and they are very affordable.

OS X is the best possible operating system they could learn on without the plague of issues facing todays Windows users.

 

[Laser47]

I would definitley get them a mac, with all the spyware and viruses for windows you wont have to worry about them if they have a mac. Either get them a emac or an iMac G5 if you have the cash. I dont see why people say the imac G5 overkill, its an imac not a Quad G5, and remember the imac was designed soley for consumers. Also most likely youll be getting an imac g4 from somewhere other than apple authorized refurb places so it might not come with applecare. With the imac G5, you'll get apple care so if they do have a problem and you arent there to help they can get help from apple.

 

[California]

Get them an old G3 imac 500, 600 or 700. With a combo drive. Shouldn't run you more than 100 to 300 bucks. WORKHORSES. I got one for my mom and her very old (in his 80s) husband. They love it. Want me to bump them up to Tiger, I maxed out their iMac G3 500 to 1 gig of memory. Also got them a new 80 gig Deskstar hd and firewired their old drive to the g3. They LOVE LOVE LOVE it and it is all in one.

I also got one for another older teacher in her sixties, a switcher friend in her 40s and a housewife and hubby I know in their thirties and an actress pal in her 30s. THEY LOVE THEM. Okay, they are not laptops, but so what?

I love 'em because they are workhorses and solid as a rock. i'd love to see the G3 imac 700. Never saw one Also, there are G4 upgrades.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

I have to agree with California, the iMac G3s are quite nice