Need Inexpensive, Simple, Durable Laptop for Grandparents

[Wattser93]

My grandparents are looking to buy a laptop, and I've volunteered to help them. Hopefully you guys can help me make a decision.

1) What is your budget?
$0-$750

2) What size notebook would you prefer?
a. Netbook; 10” screen or less
b. Ultraportable; 11" - 12” screen
c. Thin and Light; 13" - 14" screen
d. Mainstream; 15" - 16" screen
e. Desktop Replacement; 17"+ screen

3) Where will you buying this notebook? You can select the flag of your country as an indicator.
USA

4) Are there any brands that you prefer or any you really don't like?
a. Like: Dell, Asus, Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba
b. Dislike: HP (their Envy and business models are the exception, but out of the price range), Compaq, Acer, Gateway

5) Would you consider laptops that are refurbished/redistributed?
No

6) What are the primary tasks will you be performing with this notebook?
Excel, PPT, Word, basic internet browsing

7) Will you be taking the notebook with you to different places, leaving it on your desk or both?
Occasional travelling, on the couch, and on a desk (I'll be doing a dock setup for them for desk use)

8) Will you be playing games on your notebook? If so, please state which games or types of games?
Slot machine games, extremely light gaming

9) How many hours of battery life do you need?
3+ hours of light usage

10) Would you prefer to see the notebooks you're considering before purchasing it or buying a notebook on-line without seeing it is OK?
Online is fine

11) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista or Windows 7), Mac OS, Linux, etc.
W7

Screen Specifics

12) From the choices below, what screen resolution(s) would you prefer? Keep in mind screen size in conjunction with resolution will play a large role in overall viewing comfort level. Everyone is different. Some like really small text, while others like their text big and easy to read. Click here for Screen resolution information.
Standard resolution, it's easier on their aging eyes

13) Do you want a Glossy/reflective screen or a Matte/non-glossy screen?
Either

Build Quality and Design

14) Are the notebook's looks and stylishness important to you?
Nothing flashy, but a Thinkpad's plain appearance is fine, basic is better

15) When are you buying this laptop?
Next 3 months

16) How long do you want this laptop to last?
3 to 4 years, but as long as it isn't broken, they'll keep using it

Notebook Components

17) How much hard drive space do you need; 80GB to 640GB? Do you want a SSD drive?
250GB+

18) Do you need an optical drive? If yes, a CDRW/DVD-ROM, DVD Burner or Blu-Ray drive?
DVD burner

They want to be able to dock it and use it as a desktop. I've looked at either buying an inexpensive business laptop that has a docking port (like a Latitude), or just set up a simple dock. With a bluetooth mouse and keyboard, all they'd need is to plug in the charging cable and a monitor, which is within their abilities.

[Bronsky]

IMO you have ruled out your best option, which is a refurbished Dell Latitude E6520 from the outlet. You can pick one up well within your budget with a full warranty. Dell Factory Outlet

[Wattser93]

IMO you have ruled out your best option, which is a refurbished Dell Latitude E6520 from the outlet. You can pick one up well within your budget with a full warranty. Dell Factory Outlet

My grandparents are extremely stubborn, and I've gone round and round with them on the issue of refurbed versus new. They're very hesitant to trust any piece of tech that isn't brand new.

So far I've looked at the base T520 (~$750 depending on coupon codes, add a dock though and it's nearly $1000) and Latitude E5520 more than any other. The ability to dock it would be simpler for them, and business models are of better build quality in my experience. They also include less bloatware.

I do plan to do a fresh install of whatever they buy. I despise bloatware (I'm looking at you Dell...) and the last thing my grandparents need is pop ups offering to sell them stuff, because they'll buy it, even if they have no idea what it is.

[ZaZ]

Just buy one and tell them it's new. If they're that naive about computers, they'll probably never know. A Latitude bought from the outlet has the same warranty as a new one. Just make sure you pull off the refurbed sticker. There's very little bloatware on Latitudes.

[idiot101]

Have a look at the Dell Vostro 3555(with the AMD APU) which comes with NBD warranty on some of its models.
I use this to make my laptop usable The PC Decrapifier Wipes Unwanted Junk

Using the coupon RP2R6RDX12DT28 to get $50 off on a $599+ laptop, a sample config would be
Vostro 3555
Genuine Windows® 7 Professional SP1, 64bit with XP Mode Installed
Processor AMD Quad-Core A6-3420M Processor (1.5GHz to 2.4Ghz, with Radeon™ HD 6520G Graphics)
Memory 4GB DDR3 at 1333MHZ, 1 DIMM
Keyboard Backlit Keyboard with Gesture Touchpad
Video Card AMD Radeon™ HD Series
Hard Drive 500GB SATA Hard Drive
Security Options Fingerprint Reader with DigitalPersona software
Display 15.6 inch High Definition LED Display (1366 x 768) with anti-glare
AC Adapter 65 Watt Slim AC Adapter with cord wrapping
Adobe Software Adobe® Acrobat® X Standard
Optical Drives 8X DVD+/-RW with double-layer DVD+/-R write capability
Camera and Digital Microphone Integrated 2.0 MP FHD Webcam and Digital Array Mic with Dell Webcam Central
Wireless Cards Dell Wireless 1701 802.11 b/g/n + Bluetooth 3.0 HS
Cvr LCD Back Aberdeen Silver WIFI
Productivity Software Microsoft® Office Starter: reduced-functionality Word & Excel w/ ads. No PowerPoint or Outlook
Regional Components DAO Brown Regional Base Components
Bottome Base Bottom Base DVD
Antivirus/Security Suite (Pre-install) Trend Micro Worry-Free Business Security Services, 15 months
Primary Battery 6-cell Lithium Ion Primary Battery
Hardware Support Services 1 Year Basic Limited Warranty and 1 Year NBD On-Site Service
Installation Services No Onsite System Setup
RSS Label Thank you for choosing Dell
E-Star Energy Star 5.0 Enabled
My Business Toolkit My Business Toolkit
Color Aberdeen Silver
Purchase Intent Purchase is Not Intended for Resale
TOTAL: $549.00 before taxes

Estimated Ship date: 3/15/2012

Dell Vostro 3555 Review
Review Dell Vostro 3555 Notebook

You can get one with the A8 processor for $600 before taxes.