I want to get my parents, who live in Britain, online and up to speed so we can communicate using e-mail, instant messaging, Skype and video-conferencing. Problem is, I'm not exactly a whiz myself. I could get them a Mac, which I'm told is easy to use, but I don't use one. Or should I stick to the Royal Mail? Name and address supplied DQ: This is a problem many of us over a certain age have or will soon deal with. You must find out which company can supply a high-speed internet connection to their home. Special deals on computers from the service provider will help. As for the type of computer for your parents, that's not so important. It does not matter which computer they get, as long as somebody is there to help them on occasion. Everybody needs help at some stage, especially when a computer crashes or an internet service provider (ISP) has problems. With years of experience, I can usually make an educated guess if a problem is caused by hardware or software, or my ISP. Your parents will probably not be able to tell. That means they must have some kind of support, such as a knowledgeable friend or family member, nearby. Ringing Hong Kong for help is not a good idea. Solving computer problems over the telephone is not advisable unless you have extensive experience doing so. I also strongly caution against setting up your parents' machine the way you like yours to be set up. If they are to become reasonably competent in this field, they must have something they understand. And plenty of patience is required. I'm using a desktop but want to switch to a notebook computer. Will it be powerful enough? Sunny, Wan Chai DQ: This is too vague a question to answer properly but there are some things you should consider, such as what you will use the computer for. If all you do is look at spreadsheets, write a few documents and use e-mail, then you can go with something relatively cheap. But if you do graphics, page layout or anything that requires a lot of processing power (note: many new video games need a great deal of computing muscle), you will need a brawny machine for the job. It's also worth remembering notebooks are easily lost or stolen. You must back up important data on a disk and keep it safe.