Looking for School Laptop Under $200

Jineus

Distinguished
Jun 23, 2010
18
0
18,560
Hello,

I am looking for a laptop. I don't intend to use it for anything else than schoolwork and maybe watching some netflix.

I have no specific preferences in screen size or anything. Could you please help me find a cheap laptop? My budget is only $200.

Thank you!
 
Solution
The following refurbished HP Stream 14 for $160 is probably your best option. It is enough to do basic things like schoolwork and netflix. It sells for roughly around $210 new. It has very limited storage of only 32GB, Windows probably uses around 20GB of it leaving only 12GB for you to use.


https://www.amazon.com/HP-Stream-Notebook-Snow-White/dp/B01N9MN13X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1485311822&sr=8-6&keywords=hp+stream+14


The only way to expand storage is with a USB flash drive or SD card. Between the two I would use the USB flash drive since it fits in more securely. Some laptops do not allow a SD card to be fully inserted; so they stick halfway out...

atljsf

Estimable
Jun 17, 2015
256
1
5,210
i would buy a hp or lenovo, celeron 2 cores, 2 gbs of ram and a 500gbs hard disk

lenovo ideapad 110 or 100, there is one that comes with a cheap slow ssd with 32 or 64 gbs of hard disk

most models are 14" screens

hp has one like that too

http://store.hp.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ContentView?eSpotName=Stream11&storeId=10151

the small emmc is like a ssd, but not that fast, the problem is that 32 gbs fill up fast, so a 500 gbs hard disk is better

acer and dell have practically identical models, with emmc or hard disk on similar or lower prices

it is a laptop that will be ok for 2 or 3 years and then buy something better

if you can, get a pentium 4 cores model, a bit more expensive but 4 cores are better

perhaps something for you here?
 

grmnlxndr

Honorable
May 17, 2012
81
0
10,610
Just take into consideration, those 32 and 64GB emmc drive are normally soldered down and you can't upgrade to a bigger one. If you could find some with a standard hard disk drive, it would be a wiser choice.
 
The following refurbished HP Stream 14 for $160 is probably your best option. It is enough to do basic things like schoolwork and netflix. It sells for roughly around $210 new. It has very limited storage of only 32GB, Windows probably uses around 20GB of it leaving only 12GB for you to use.


https://www.amazon.com/HP-Stream-Notebook-Snow-White/dp/B01N9MN13X/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1485311822&sr=8-6&keywords=hp+stream+14


The only way to expand storage is with a USB flash drive or SD card. Between the two I would use the USB flash drive since it fits in more securely. Some laptops do not allow a SD card to be fully inserted; so they stick halfway out.

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-SDCZ43-128G-GAM46-Newest-Version/dp/B01BGTG2A0/ref=bdl_pop_ttl_B01BGTG2A0

https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-Class-Memory-SDSDUNC-032G-GN6IN/dp/B0143RT8OY/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1485313889&sr=1-4&keywords=sd+card

 
Solution

atljsf

Estimable
Jun 17, 2015
256
1
5,210
if possible, get a 64 gb model

the small size of that internal ssd, will not let you upgrade windows 10, there won't be space to install it and save a backup, thing that windows 10 does automatically with each big update

the 64 leaves space for that, apps, programs and personal files, the rest can go in a usb device or in the cloud
 

USAFRet

Illustrious
Moderator
I beseech you...do not get one with a 32GB eMMC drive. Just speaking from experience.
I have/had an Asus Transformer with one. It was too small for even the Anniversary update to run. "Not enough free space"

Nice little system, but get something with a larger drive.
 

atljsf

Estimable
Jun 17, 2015
256
1
5,210
with the 32, yes, you want an new windows 10? download iso and reinstall, there is no space for anything else

there is another option, if possible, i would buy a lenovo t410 or t420s, second hand usually comes with all that you could want and with a i5 or i7

not a new machine but t series is very good, resistant, light and easy to find any part you could break, not the case with those cheap laptops