Looking for sub $200 Laptop

[JaceNeville]

Hi guys I came here to ask some questions. My mom is looking for a cheap laptop for my sister to use to run MS Office, and surf the web to places like Facebook and Youtube. Most of the laptops she has emailed me asking if they would work and she even pulled up e-bay asking about them and that link is here. All these laptops are a little before my time and I don't know much about them or anything in them.


Any help or recommendations would be awesome,
Jace

[jdeb]

Your not going to find much in that price ranch other than a refurbished netbook or lease turn in laptop. I find them occasionally on craigslist and I snatch them up for customers but I know what I am looking for and am very careful in my dealings. In other words, meet in a public place.

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!

The lease turn is not a bad way to go directly from IBM but they do not have anything at this time in your price range. If you check it daily, one will come up or close to it.
IBM Products and services - Used laptops — certified by IBM - United States

Not sure if the link will work but this is a refurbished Ideapad from Lenovo Outlet 225.00
http://outlet.lenovo.com/SEUILibrary...1#.UMpgkHfwN8E

[glc]

Unavailable.

[The Effekt]

Not the best idea.

[glc]

The Lenovo refurbs are probably the least risk than anything else at that price.

[pam123]

Does it have to be a laptop?
Would your mom accept a tablet.
There are good deals on iPad2s for around that price.

[JaceNeville]

Thanks jdeb I passed that information on and most of it is already what I told her.

glc My parents bought a cheap lenovo desktop like 9 months back and currently it has had some problems turning on. I havent had time to diagnose what is wrong but my mom is kinda weary of buying another lenovo no matter what I say

And Pam123 Ya it has to be a laptop because it needs to be able to run Microsoft Office.

Thanks for all the information and I am passing it on.
Jace

[glc]

What version of Office does it have to run?

Your mom is being unrealistically cheap, by the way. I don't care what brand it is, if it's cheap it's made with cheap components. You get what you pay for. At least a refurb or off lease was probably a well-made machine when new. If you can find a Lenovo Thinkpad for that kind of money, they don't get much better than that, those are NOT cheap machines.

Dell Latitudes are generally pretty decent.

[JaceNeville]

It needs to run MS Office 07. And I'm aware that she is being unrealistically cheap and have told her multiple times that you get what you pay for. She emailed me an add on craigslist that appears to be a newer looking HP Pesario with these specs

Operating System: Windows Vista

Memory: 2GB

Storage: 150GB

Screen Size: 17”

Color: Black

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo

Processor Speed: 2.24GHz

Internet Connectivity: Wi-Fi

Optical: DVDRW W/ lightscribe, SD

Manufacture: HP

Battery: Lithium

I cant find out the specific model number on this laptop (The one they said it was does not appear to be the right one) but the specs seem good enough because they are asking $180 for it. I was also thinking that if it comes to it and it needs an upgrade you can throw in some more ram and possibly an SSD.

[jdeb]

Stay away from HP. Get a Dell Latitude or IBM Thinkpad but again, 200.00 is not going to get you any value. I can get Thinkpads (T400) for 260.00 all day long that are in great condition.

[glc]

HP laptops are total garbage.

Office 07 will run on XP, nothing earlier.

[The Effekt]

Guna get a G6 hybrid HP laptop(starter kit, comes with stuff) for Christmas. I duno the reviews on it were alright.

Thinkpads at that price range are decent. Played with a few of them.

[JaceNeville]

Thanks for the information guys and ill keep an eye out for some deals on some but I'm going to tell my mom to maybe look for another gift.

[strollin]

Originally Posted by JaceNeville ... it has to be a laptop because it needs to be able to run Microsoft Office. ...

Huh? How does the need to be able to run MS Office 07 restrict the choice to only a laptop? A desktop, netbook or laptop are all perfectly capable of running MS Office and surfing the web.

Does your sister need the computer to be portable? That's the real reason for needing a laptop, otherwise you might as well get a desktop.

[glc]

That was a response to Pam, who suggested a tablet.

[SpywareDr]

Originally Posted by strollin How does the need to be able to run MS Office 07 restrict the choice to only a laptop? A desktop, netbook or laptop are all perfectly capable of running MS Office and surfing the web.

And so are some tablets.

[Rany]

In your budget, are you thinking of getting a Chromebook. Somethink like here

[eshort]

found a used tablet with two cases at flea market for $45...

android, capacitive screen..works great!!

look around on ebay, craigslist etc