<p>My current laptop works fine and all, but I live far from campus so I never take it with me. I suppose I could, but it’s a bit of a hassle. It’s about 4 lbs.
It would be very convenient to have a lightweight laptop so I could just take it with me in my backpack when I go to uni. I’ld be able to get a lot more work done in between classes and at the library. The problem is, I’m on an extremely tight budget. I have about $400 of gift money. Are there any small, lightweight laptops I can get at this price?</p>
<p>See if there’s a Facebook group for your school geared towards students selling things to other fellow students. For example, for my school, there’s the community “Groups at Davis” (in which only those with a uc davis email can join), and within that community is a group called Free & For Sale, where I have seen students selling laptops they don’t want anymore (but are still in good working condition) because they got another laptop, and they sell it for much cheaper than retail price. I’ve actually seen someone selling their 2011 Macbook Pro for only $300! I’ve also seen people selling their laptops for as low as $100. So yeah, see if your university has its own Facebook community/group.</p>
<p>Last gen Asus Zenbooks</p>
<p>If you only need a computer to take notes or browse the web and such when you’re on campus, you could consider getting a netbook. They’re cheaper and easier to carry around than a laptop, and you can always use your laptop at home if you need something with more power than a netbook.</p>
<p>Have u looked at the chrome books by google they are fast and small and under 300 dollars</p>
<p>Maybe even a tablet if you don’t need a lot of computing power.</p>
<p>There are loads of decent laptops out there that will get the job done for <$400.
There was recently a thread on sub-400 laptops you might find useful:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-computers/1570337-laptop-under-400-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-computers/1570337-laptop-under-400-a.html</a></p>
<p>If you’re looking for weight, though, a netbook or chromebook might be your best options. Ultrabooks are really light, but definitely more than $400.</p>
<p>thanks for the suggestions!
will I be able to video chat or get a word processor on a chromebook or netbook? I usually use skype and openoffice writer.</p>
<p>Most netbooks come with Windows, so you would be able to run Windows applications, including skype and openoffice.
Chromebooks run Chrome OS, which is basically the Chrome browser turned into an operating system. It has limited functionality offline, though. For video chat and word processing, I think you would be using Google Hangouts and Google Docs.</p>
<p>One option with either of these computers, though, would be to install Ubuntu (or any other simple-to-install Linux distro). For a netbook, it could be much lighter on the system, and on a chromebook it would give you better offline capabilities. In both cases, you could set up a dual boot, which would give you the option to choose the original or linux system when you turn your computer on.
I think this would actually be a viable option for you, because the programs you mention (OpenOffice and Skype) both run natively on Linux. (I’m also totally unbiased as a Linux nut myself. 
) There’s a bit of a learning curve, but now that I’ve started using Linux I could never go back to Windows. If you want more info about possibly setting up and using Linux, I would be glad to help!</p>
<p>Thanks nanotechnology! My current laptop runs on Linux, but to be honest I have no idea how anything really works on it. 
My dad is also completely into Linux though (and computers in general), and he should be able to set Linux up on a new chromebook or netbook.
Would it be possible to set up a dual boot on chromebooks and/or netbooks? I know it’s not possible on some laptops (like the one I’m using right now). Or might I have to scrap the whole original operating system altogether?</p>
<p>bump</p>
<p>10char</p>
<p>Just get a Chromebook. I’m using one now!</p>
<p>IF you could find one in your budget, I’d advise you to get a Macbook Air. It’s pretty good. If you look on craigslist or some other site like that, I’m sure you could find one for $400. Though it would be an older edition probably like '08 or something.</p>
<p>Groupon has a CHROMEBOOK for 129.99. That’s definitely in your budget! Check to see if you like and it fits what you want! If not, amazon sells net books running Linux for a cheaper price too</p>