Seeking Cheap Laptop that Will Last

[TheMadMardigan]

Hi All,

I have a friend who wants to purchase a cheap laptop that will last a long time. This person only needs it for listening to music, managing an iPhone and watching youtube.

In the past, I've always recommended that folks drop at least $400 on a laptop and only buy ASUS or Toshiba. I feel like those are both reliable brands, and we have one of each in my household. However, the pricetag on those seems like it will be a bit high for my friend who is probably looking to spend closer to $200.

One thing I've wondered: Windows 8 is rumored to use fewer resources than its predecessors, right? If so, maybe a less powerful laptop isn't such a bad thing anymore?

Also: I've wondered about recommending a chrome book - but can you use iTunes on a chrome book and manage an iPhone with it?

So - looking for recommendations on this. If anyone has any experience to pass along, I would very much love to hear it.

Thank you all for your time!

Kevin

 

[jaguarskx]

At $200 your friend is basically looking at a pretty small and low performance laptop. Will they last a long time? Sometimes you get what you pay for.

HP Stream 11 review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-xgNlp-L7A

ASUS EeeBook X205TA review:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7XlwWP4IKk&list=UUymYq4Piq0BrhnM18aQzTlg


Is a $230 Laptop Worth It? (Asus Chromebook C300 vs. HP Stream 13):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fFB-cFLhhs

 

[TheMadMardigan]

Thanks for your answer. I agree that it's dicey to purchase a cheap computer. I do appreciate the feedback.