Way back in the old days, about two or three years ago, even a cheap laptops sometimes cost more than a decent used car. If you needed more than just a basic laptop for basic needs, you were probably looking at the equivalent of $2-$3,000 which at best might have given you 2 gigs of RAM and a screaming video card.

Lately, prices have plummeted as technology has improved to the point where a decent laptop, aka, cheap laptop, can be had for a few hundred dollars and even ten year olds are saving up out of their allowances to buy the ones they want.

If this is still out of your price range, have no fear. The laptops in this range might indeed be overkill for some people. They come with 3 or 4 gigs of ram and hard drives in the 300 gig range. If this is more than you need then you can easily find something in the $400 – $500 range, especially on sale. Add a generous manufacturer rebate, and you could have an incredible deal!

These most probably will only come with a gig of RAM but if you limit your computer usage to emails, social networking, maybe organizing some online photos, and some simple web browsing, that will easily handle all your projects.

Usually these are found in electronics stores that specialize in electronics only – not mass merchandisers that sell everything from candy to the kitchen sink plus stoves and computers. Look for smaller local stores that perhaps accept trade-ins. Many computer and techno-geeks buy updated technology every six months or so and what they trade in still being sold in retail stores for full price.

Be on the lookout for weekly sales, rebates, online specials, and even websites that specialize in overstocked electronics. At holiday time they might even throw in free shipping, too. Be careful about what you buy – if you aren’t familiar with the brand, pass on it. It could be overstocked because it’s a crummy device.

If you aren’t familiar with Craigslist, check it out. They have an entire section just for used electronics. These can be some fantastic deals, too, because usually people forget they are supposed to reformat their hard drives and delete any software they were using prior to selling the computer. You can frequently find used computer with some high end software, computer games, and god knows what else that might come in handy!

Andrew Johnson is an expert in electronic products. If you would like further information about types of cheap laptops or are looking for a trusted computer retailer please visit http://www.ebuyer.com