Before you look at any models, ask your sister one question: what does she plan to use the laptop for?
Take note of the following:
-workload: will the laptop be primarily for web/media consumption, office documents work, programming, video editing, or (the most demanding of all) gaming?
This determines the performance of the laptop that you require, and therefore the CPU/GPU configuration, storage requirement, and size of the laptop you can get.
-portability: is the laptop going to be carried around a lot? A lot of laptops actually don't travel much beyond different rooms in your house, versus in a business-use scenario where it goes from home to work to meetings every day, this determines how large the laptop can be before your user get tired of carrying it. Also consider battery life: a lot if the time a travelling laptop will also be used on battery a lot more often than a stationary one, further limiting your choices (you may have to settle for low-voltage processors, integrated graphics etc.)
-durability: is this laptop going to take some punishment? As soon as you answer yes to this your list shrinks by 80% (Lenovo ThinkPads, Panasonic Toughbooks, selected Fujitsu and Dell models, and MacBook Pros in a pinch)
-longevity: how long does your user typically keep their computers before upgrading? This is a tough one for a lot of home users to answer, but knowing this allows you to save money if the usage period is.short and you don't need the latest and greatest to get the work done.
-special user requirements: does the user have something specific that they want, like a good webcam/speakers, pointer stick, a screen with at least a certain resolution, or just that they like a certain brand? This again cuts down your list of choices.
If all else fails, just being them to store and let them play with the laptops. Your user is going to use the laptop a lot, so it's very important that they're happy with using it. Don't just buy for power or best bang for the buck, it's pointless if the user hates using it.
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Before you look at any models, ask your sister one question: what does she plan to use the laptop for?
Take note of the following: -workload: will the laptop be primarily for web/media consumption, office documents work, programming, video editing, or (the most demanding of all) gaming? This determines the performance of the laptop that you require, and therefore the CPU/GPU configuration, storage requirement, and size of the laptop you can get.
-portability: is the laptop going to be carried around a lot? A lot of laptops actually don't travel much beyond different rooms in your house, versus in a business-use scenario where it goes from home to work to meetings every day, this determines how large the laptop can be before your user get tired of carrying it. Also consider battery life: a lot if the time a travelling laptop will also be used on battery a lot more often than a stationary one, further limiting your choices (you may have to settle for low-voltage processors, integrated graphics etc.)
-durability: is this laptop going to take some punishment? As soon as you answer yes to this your list shrinks by 80% (Lenovo ThinkPads, Panasonic Toughbooks, selected Fujitsu and Dell models, and MacBook Pros in a pinch)
-longevity: how long does your user typically keep their computers before upgrading? This is a tough one for a lot of home users to answer, but knowing this allows you to save money if the usage period is.short and you don't need the latest and greatest to get the work done.
-special user requirements: does the user have something specific that they want, like a good webcam/speakers, pointer stick, a screen with at least a certain resolution, or just that they like a certain brand? This again cuts down your list of choices.
If all else fails, just being them to store and let them play with the laptops. Your user is going to use the laptop a lot, so it's very important that they're happy with using it. Don't just buy for power or best bang for the buck, it's pointless if the user hates using it.