We mostly use macs, but keep a very cheap Windows laptop around for the kids to write essays and do homework. The current one is an Acer from Target. It is a bit slow but it works fine. It’s running Windows 10. We paid around $200 for it a year or two ago. No touchscreen, smallish hard drive, and you definitely lose build quality at lower price points. It’s fine for around the house but doesn’t seem durable for much travel. And consider what you can tolerate as far as ergonomics. Spend enough to get something you don’t hate to use.