There are a number of factors to consider. If you only have or want to spend $200 to $300, then the answer is maybe. A major consideration is your intended use and what features are important. You should also consider the importance (critical or use occasionally) of the laptop. If critical, seriously consider new or get an extended warranty on an older unit. When browsing the web, you only need 128MB of RAM and even 64MB will work if you turn off graphics. Word processing requires very little in the way of CPU power, as you can”t type faster than a Pentium 90. E-mail needs very little in the way of CPU power or other computer resources.

Most software and hardware vendors will list the minimum systems requirements for their software or hardware. So, it is easy to research to understand if the inexpensive laptop you are considering work for the software and hardware you need. Other factors to consider are size, weight, display size, battery life, how you will connect to the Internet, etc. If you are a frequent traveler you should buy a laptop that weighs four pounds or less. Older laptops often do not have working batteries versus a new battery for brand new. You might not care, as you may always use it plugged in. Older laptops often have no warranty or a 90 day warranty versus one year for new laptops. If you use it a lot and don”t travel then get one with at least a 13.3″ display. If you have only a telephone then most laptops include a 56K modem. If you have DSL or cable then your laptop needs to have an Ethernet card. If you have added a Wi-Fi router to your DSL or Cable modem you need a Wi-Fi 802.11 card in the laptop. You can easily add these to even older laptops for less then $50. You should also consider the price of brand new laptops, but if you only have $250 to spend it may not matter.

At the moment (June 2007) you can buy a brand new Dell Inspiron 1501 on their website for $499. However, that is the get started price and by the time you add sales tax and other needed options you most likely will be over $600. It might be worth it, but you have to check it out to be sure. Next do some additional research to see what is available. Go to Google and search for “refurbished laptops” or “used laptops”. Check out the first couple of vendors to see their inventory and check them out. Go to www.ebay.com and search for laptops. Be sure to check out the rating of the seller and if you want fewer hassles buy from a vendor, as they often include a warranty. Last if you aren”t tired of looking check out Dell, HP and Lenovo’’s refurbished laptops. You will find few, if any, laptop deals from them for less than $500. You can expect to get years of use out of a refurbished laptop. If they have been tested by an experienced laptop tech, a warranty, it works the first 30 days and you don”t drag it all over the place and treated kindly it should work fine for 2-3 or more years or longer.