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Can anyone recommend a good package ?

shermans
Pro
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Registered: ‎07-09-2007

Can anyone recommend a good package ?

I have a friend who has just escaped from Zimbabwe (Rhodesia to her) and came to the UK on an ancestral passport a few months ago, having had to leave behind everything - house, car, the lot.  She arrived here with all her worldly possessions in one suitcase. She is of retirement age, no family here and living on a very tight budget.  This is not a sympathy call but just a request for information.
This person only has a mobile phone and has to go to the library to use email to keep in contact with friends back in Zimbabwe  and South Africa.  She lives in a town centre, and therefore connection of a landline in her very small flat should not be a problem.
I would like to be able to help her get online at her home. but she needs to start from scratch.  It would be appreciated if anyone knows of any particularly good deals out there at present, especially for hardware, ideally a laptop.  I wish Plusnet did a complete broadband package including hardware, because Plusnet can be trusted. 
I imagine that Plusnet's cheapest broadband is the best broadband product, but do they do a stand-alone broadband ?  Unfortunately, the Plusnet telephone package does not include South Africa and Zimbabwe, and so telephone is less important - she can always use VOIP or Skype.  But good value hardware is the first step - at this stage, all she needs is email and being able to surf.
She came here for a better life but. to make matters worse, she has just been diagnosed with breast cancer, probably brought on by the stress of having to leave Zimbabwe.  She has now had a mastectomy and will have to have chemo-therapy.  She is recuperating by living with us for the time being.  But she is very stoical and determined to pick up the threads of life again by finding a job and making new friends.  The first step towards independence is getting online at home.
So any information or recommendations would be most appreciated.
5 REPLIES 5
Anotherone
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Registered: ‎31-08-2007

Re: Can anyone recommend a good package ?

Seriously, with that background and the uncertainty that must exist at present, I would not think that any long term contracts would want to be considered, situations can change quickly.
shermans
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Posts: 1,303
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Registered: ‎07-09-2007

Re: Can anyone recommend a good package ?

On the contrary, what she needs to do is to put down some roots and have some confidence in her future as she does.  She has to be careful with what money she has, but otherwise there is no reason to be uncertain about her future.  Her medical prognosis is good, she has made friends already, she has a home, she is safe and she is not a burden on anyone.  Her outlook is positive, and I would not want to undermine it.
Thanks for your opinion anyway.
scootie
Grafter
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Registered: ‎03-11-2007

Re: Can anyone recommend a good package ?

a free laptop broadband deal is not likely to be the best as the monthly bill for broadband is going to be higher than normal and on a long contract.
As for hardware a cheap build desktop pc would be best for just email and surfing and abit of skype
Oldjim
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Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: Can anyone recommend a good package ?

Looking at the free laptop deals they are an expensive way of getting a laptop.
You can buy a new laptop for around £300 http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/product/seo/237592 I am not recommending PCWorld but it is one option with local support
The Plusnet value package with free router would suit her but she would need to pay for a BT line - the other option would be one of the LLU packages but they aren't significantly cheaper unless she intends to get a Sky package
Anotherone
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Re: Can anyone recommend a good package ?

Sorry, I hadn't meant my earlier post to be a total negative take, I wasn't just thinking of the medical situation, I was trying to take a "broad" view of things.