Well, it became an interesting thread... and budget is always an issue, but so is ease of use for someone who does not enjoy the technical aspect of installing software and making it work, and just wants the technology to be as seamless as possible (and I end up being the IT person, and I am a Mac user, she is on a Windows XP). Perhaps the R1 would be a better choice, once it is out and we have some users reviews. I would like not to spend more than $500, but I want something she can use, and enjoy, and that would be worth a couple hundred more, if it made a real difference. What do you say? Thank you for the replies, I appreciate them and will keep reading, until I figure out what to get her.