<p>Is it possible to find a GOOD, functional laptop under $400? I would need it mainly to use Skype (with video), write essays, and surf the internet. I see a couple of offers in the $360-$450 price range, but I thought I should ask here first.</p>
<p>There is a highly rated chromebook from HP for under 300$ for the specific functions you list.</p>
<p>Thanks for replying! Does it have a USB port, and will I be able to use Adobe Acrobat Reader and download/unzip .rar files?</p>
<p>You might want to google HP Chromebook and see the specs and reviews. I believe you can get a 11 or 14 inch. If you are not into a chrome machine, the windows machines are available at higher prices and you could get a low performance one for under 400.</p>
<p>For what you’re describing - Skype, word processing, compressed files, PDFs, USB - these are pretty basic requirements. Basically any laptop on the market nowadays can handle that.
The problem with Chrome OS is that you have very limited functionality if you are offline, which could be problematic. If you’re not terribly tied to your OS, you could also dual boot Ubuntu on it.
But there are also plenty of decent sub-$400 Windows laptops out there. If you have a couple of specific ones you’re looking at, we could probably tell you whether they look decent or not.</p>
<p>maybe you’d like:
ASUS X202E-DB21T 11.6-Inch Touchscreen Laptop</p>
<p>Personally, I think you’d be better off investing in a computer with a better processor and bigger battery rather than the touch screen. It would probably be more useful in the long run.</p>
<p>A few years ago I got an Asus with an i-core 5 processor (I think that’s what it’s called? I don’t know) and a decent amount of memory for $450. However, because I’m a completely computer clueless girl, I paid Best Buy to install my Microsoft Office set for me (which I had to buy separately) and to insure it for a couple years in case I broke it somehow. It ended up being close to 1k for everything. However, the only things I do with it are surf the Web, type papers, listen to CDs, Skype my friends/mom (it has a web cam, too) and do PowerPoint stuff and Excel stuff, so a simpler package worked better for me. (no need to get a crazy fancy Mac because I’d never use all of its functions!!) </p>
<p>So, hopefully you’ll know how to install stuff yourself, but if you don’t, be aware of the extra charge. But the insurance charge will be the same regardless, so if you’re planning on insuring it, check out the different plans, too.</p>
<p>Every software has a typical and custom feature. </p>
<p>I install a lot of software and I just choose typical when I don’t know about it and it installs by itself.</p>
<p>Hey guys, thank you so much for replying!</p>
<p>Being limited when offline would be a problem for me, so I guess I shouldn’t get a chromebook. I agree that ultimately it’s better to invest in a better computer, but I really can’t afford anything above the mentioned price range at the moment…</p>
<p>I will be studying abroad for the next two years, so I’m probably not going to buy insurance. I also tutor through Skype, so it would be great if the laptop already came with a high(ish) quality webcam and okayish speakers.</p>
<p>Here’s a laptop that sounds like it might do the job:</p>
<p>1) HP - 15.6" Laptop - 4GB Memory - 750GB Hard Drive - Black Licorice
Model: 2000-2d27dx</p>
<p>[HP</a> 15.6" Laptop 4GB Memory 750GB Hard Drive 2000-2d27dx - Best Buy](<a href=“http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-15-6-laptop-4gb-memory-750gb-hard-drive-black-licorice/2286032.p?id=1219071224880&skuId=2286032]HP”>http://www.bestbuy.com/site/hp-15-6-laptop-4gb-memory-750gb-hard-drive-black-licorice/2286032.p?id=1219071224880&skuId=2286032)</p>
<p>What do you think?</p>
<p>I see no issues with it as long as you don’t need any software needing lots of computing power.</p>
<p>That looks like a pretty good deal. It’s a little on the bulky side at 5.4 pounds, but it’s not claiming to be an ultrabook or anything. A quick search also showed expected battery life of about 4.5 hours (though, of course, reality never matches their claims). Still, that’s pretty good for that price point.
The webcam doesn’t seem to be anything spectacular, but you’ll be using it for Skype, not for recording the next James Cameron movie; it will get the job done just fine.</p>
<p>If you haven’t decided yet AND if you have a Frys in your area, I’d recommend one of these:</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.frys.com/product/7533286]FRYS.com | ACER[/url”>http://www.frys.com/product/7533286]FRYS.com | ACER[/url</a>]
[url=<a href=“http://www.frys.com/product/7571066]FRYS.com | TOSHIBA[/url”>http://www.frys.com/product/7571066]FRYS.com | TOSHIBA[/url</a>]</p>