There is a limit to what can be avoided : (
Why don't you have JSteff make you a half a dozen of his $400 dollar computers, give each person their own computer and tell them that they are responsible to learn how to deal with it and take care of it.
Thats a good idea.
It gets better than that.
I built mom a complete PC for 150 bucks from newegg using Intels New Dual-Atom processor motherboard for X-Mas.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121359
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811154084
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145180
Not the most smoking PC out there but it sure gets the job done.
Very quite and uses like 10 watts of power.