Really, depending on what a person does, many of us don't need more than an old laptop. I do internet stuffs, download ebooks, watch a movie once in a while (but prefer watching them with spouse on his computer), and write on mine. That's about it. Other than that, it stores files. I don't need a top-of-the-line anything for that. So when my old computer started crapping out on me I asked one of my brothers, who works in IT, to keep an eye out for a laptop his company was getting rid of. Lo and behold, a couple of months later he lightly refurbished a laptop on my behalf and it's perfect for my needs. I'm not a corporation so I don't mind the small crack around the keyboard, or the fact that the screen is a little bit wobbly. And we saved another laptop from being either thrown out or "recycled", not to mention saving the cost (this was free) and environmental toll of a new laptop.