[AppyPappy]

A systems upgrade cannot kill a computer. It can only kill the operating system. Install Linux on her computer. It’s just like a Mac.

[SoftballMominVA]

You are being more exact than I - yes it did kill the operating system. What it did was to disconnect the .dll from the OS, which makes the computer non-bootable.

In my opinion, the comp is in all effect ‘dead’ because it cannot be booted up in any way, shape, form, or manner by someone such as I with limited information

[SunkenCiv]

Asus and Acer both sell “web-books” which are notebooks but sub-notebook in size (somewhat undersized keyboards for my hands), and at least the Asus ships with Linux, is sold new for under $400, presumably has a warranty, and if the keyboard size bugs her, springing for a smallish (but still standard key-size) USB keyboard would keep the budget under $500. IMHO, a two-button wheel optical mouse (either USB, or PS/2 if the machine supports it) would be a priority, I don’t care for those scratchpad things. Maybe your daughter is used to those though.

[dayglored]

> Install Linux on her computer. It’s just like a Mac.

Good lord, NO - Linux is NOT "just like a Mac".

If you're a Unix/Linux geek like me, yeah, under the surface the Mac's BSD is pretty much like Linux in many respects. But does this person sound like they want to learn "bash" and live at the commandline? I don't think so.

I've got four Macs, three Linux boxes, and a couple of Win-PCs. One Linux box started life that way (in 2001) -- the others are recycled Win-PCs. That is, I have done exactly what you suggest, and speak from experience.

Linux has nowhere near the commercial application support that Mac does, which in turn is substantially less than that of Windows.

Linux is free. Macs cost significant money, even as refurbs. I know.

So with that as background, let me respectfully but sincerely disagree. Linux is "not just like a Mac". If it was, I wouldn't be shelling out the money for my Macs. You get a tremendous amount of value and functionality for the money you spend on a Mac, that is not available from either Linux or Windows.

That said, if SoftballMominVA wants to experiment for a couple months with Linux on a Win-PC, hey, more power to her. Just be prepared for her daughter to grow frustrated and tired of the constant incompatibility with the rest of her friends' computers.

A refurb'ed Mac is a terrific idea.

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"It’s just like a Mac."

AppyPappy: Heh. Not hardly, though your advice should indeed give the old hardware new life. I use Windows, Mac and Linux. There's no question that the Mac is the easiest to use and most polished of the three platforms, with an excellent selection of mainstream software, and lots of freeware too. With Linux, you're pretty much limited to the freeware. Both Linux and Mac OS X are highly secure and safe against viruses and malware, though I hasten to add that the safety of any machine depends on a non-stupid user who doesn't grant authorization to unknown programs they might encounter on the web or as email attachments. If that rule is observed, there's practically no chance that a non-expert user will bugger a Mac, whereas newbies can bring a Linux installation to its knees in no time-- and I speak from experience on that one!

SBBMinVA: Regarding your question, I bought a two-year old, top-end Intel Macbook off craigslist.org just last weekend for $900. It originally sold for about $2700. Going through the listings, I saw plenty of pre-Intel iBooks in your price range. If you filter the craigslist postings to eliminate all without the original CDs, you are likely protected against purchasing a stolen unit. A bonus is that the machine might come with other software installed like Microsoft Office (which is so much better on the Mac it's not funny, except it is).

Caveats: Laptops in SBMinVA's price range will probably be older units with a worn-out battery. So, all else being equal, give preference to units that claim a fresh battery, and verify the claim by checking the battery status (see http://mactips.info/2008/09/check-your-batterys-health-with-system-profiler). Batteries are easily replaced; cost varies by model. Check for frayed power-supply cords and weak display backlights. Listen for gravelly noises in the hard disk; a new disk runs less than $100 and is easy to replace if you're technically inclined and have backed up your old hard disk. Crank up the unit to maximum power and ensure the fan is blowing robustly. Flex the unit slightly while it is running to ensure against physical motherboard problems.

If it passes these tests, it will probably be as reliable as a hammer. Just back it up frequently as any user of any computer should do (ideally to an external USB hard disk like the superb Western Digital Passport models, available for a song at Costco) and enjoy a superior computing experience.

A word about hard disks. Their failure curves tend to show a peak at a few weeks, drop to a fairly low level for a couple years, then rise again. Mis-handling can and will destroy them, but even a gently-used hard disk will (and I do mean will) fail after several years. This is a fact of computing life. And, as the curve I described suggests, buying a new machine does not insulate you against hard disk failures. So back up your work and applications. The latest OS X revision for Intel Macs includes a really superb backup utility, Time Machine. I'm not sure what the equivalent for pre-Intel Macs is; perhaps some Freepers might want to chime in on that point.