New Laptop Advice

[Beach_Stache]

We're on our last leg of the current laptop, it is 10 years old and very slow.  We are looking for a new one but don't want to break the bank.  Uses will be for surfing the web, photoshop or photo/video editing (not large scale - just simple projects), kids video games (online - simple ones) and kids school work.  Not looking for anything crazy intense, just something that will be pretty fast and last a while, probably at the $500 or less mark if possible.  Looking for a PC Laptop, not really a Chromebook, Mac or iPad.  Anyone have any good suggestions?

[FLBiker]

My last few have been ThinkPads / IdeaPads, which are now made by Lenovo.  I've been very happy with them.  I haven't looked recently, so I can't recommend a specific one (I think mine's a 3 or 4 year old Y510).  I believe it was under $400, maybe from Tiger Direct?

[ketchup]

Look for a last-year's-model Dell Lattitude or Lenovo Thinkpad.  They are solid, will last a long time, and can generally be found used for <$500.

[zolotiyeruki]

My last few have been ThinkPads / IdeaPads, which are now made by Lenovo.  I've been very happy with them.  I haven't looked recently, so I can't recommend a specific one (I think mine's a 3 or 4 year old Y510).  I believe it was under $400, maybe from Tiger Direct?

If you get a Thinkpad, make sure it's a T-series one.  That's their business line, and *much* better quality than their consumer-grade laptops.

I wouldn't bother getting a brand new one, either.  Get one that's one or two models older, like a T440 or T430, from eBay or the like.  Save several hundred dollars off the new price.

[Axecleaver]

I buy decent refurbs off of either TigerDirect or newegg. These are typically leased company laptops that have reached their lease limits and sent back. Some of them appear to have never been used during that time - I bought two of them for ~$200 each for my business when I launched it two years ago.

[Goldielocks]

I love my 13" Chromebook for the exact same things you wrote about.

$250.  No bank breakage needed.

[MoonLiteNite]

Some of the cheapest laptops you can get are from schools, and companies when they upgrade. They normally pawn them off to local discount stores.

A local company where i live ALWAYS has these guys in stock and sells them for 100-150$

http://www.notebookcheck.net/fileadmin/_processed_/csm_lenovo_z61m_tastatur_01_54ad252928.jpg

[TaxChick]

My most recent laptop was purchased at MicroCenter. I talked with one of the sales people about being financially responsible and he was working the Dave Ramsey snowball. He showed me an open box Dell computer that was $250 less than new. I think someone took it home and then re-thought their purchase and returned it. It was in the $325 range.