Best Laptop under 500 at Walmart (online)

tay0627

Honorable
Sep 2, 2013
2
0
10,510
Ok, have a question for all of you tech types. :) I know a little about computers, processors, etc. BUT, i've been given the task to pick out a laptop for my parents. It has to be from Walmarts website (bc they get a 10% discount from a friend). The main uses will be browsing the interwebz, managing and monitoring ebay auctions. There have been times i've sat down at their desktop and have seen at least 10-15 windows open....so when i say browse, I mean super browse ;-). lol. Anyway, they want to stay under 500 bucks and needs to have a dvd drive. We'd looked at an hp for under 500 which had good specs but no dvd drive. I use a toshiba with i3 and was hoping I could get them a better/faster processor....the best specs for this pricepoint. Please, Please, Please help me find the best laptop for under 500 bucks!!!! Thanks guys. TR
Also, needs to be 15.6" or bigger screen....

edit:
I don't mind refurb if it is going to give me more for the money. What do you guys think about HP, more specifically....this Refurbished HP Midnight Black 17.3" Envy dv7-7223cl Laptop PC with AMD Quad-Core A8-4500M Accelerated Processor and Windows 8 Operating System
 

mbreslin1954

Distinguished
Nov 27, 2010
136
0
18,660
Just a heads-up based on my recent experience buying entry-level laptops (what you're looking for). Although I've had good luck with the two previous Acer laptops I bought four years ago (11.5" screens), I just bought a 15.6" Acer from Micro Center last month for $379. The hard drive failed and I returned it 12 days later for a replacement (same exact model and price). The hard drive failed on the replacement 18 days later, three days AFTER the return window of 15 days, so now I have to deal with Acer and send it in for repair. I'll never buy Acer again. Also, Acer owns both Gateway and E-machines, and as they are low-end manufacturers, I would avoid all three companies.

HP, Lenovo, Dell and Asus are all good solid suppliers as far as my experience goes, although I only buy Dells when they're on sale as they tend to be somewhat too expensive for me. I've owned Asus and Dell laptops and never had a problem with any of them, and friends of mine have owned HPs and Lenovos and never had any issues with them.