> When people ask me for recommendations for a laptop for around $400, I always say "second hand" or "save up a bit longer" because these days spending less tha

> When people ask me for recommendations for a laptop for around $400, I always say "second hand" or "save up a bit longer" because these days spending less than $600 is often a recipe for disaster. This is the best advice you can give, but I'd include the option of an iPad/Chromebook. And even with a Chromebook anything <$300 is asking for trouble. Realistically, a decent laptop that will be performant and cheap that is well made doesn't exist. You're looking at ~$800 before you get get anything relyable.