Budget and midrange devices are becoming more capable than ever, and our favorite cheap laptops are no exception. It's possible to get a brand-new, capable daily driver for around $500 or $600 in 2024. However, if that's above what you can spend, the buying situation gets complicated. For people that can spend just a few hundred on a laptop, you basically have three options. First, you can buy a low-end Windows laptop that is barely serviceable, usually featuring massive compromises like slow processors, eMMC storage, or older and low available memory. There's also the Chromebook route, but the best ones are still quite expensive and ChromeOS might be limiting for some. These factors are why I'd recommend exploring the third and final option, which is purchasing a used laptop.
4 reasons to buy a used laptop instead of a budget alternative
