Assuming I'm in the market for a new laptop...

Just from my experience owning at least 8 PCs and 8 Macs over the past 12 years.

Most of the PCs have had trouble, some serious, not covered by warranty, while I've had work done on some Mac even after the warranty had expired.

They're also just built tougher.

Neither will run Word unless Word is installed, not sure about Opera.

I'm sure there are Macs for $500, even with a bit of warranty left, and I'd start with eBay (buyers with great feedback and many sales).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBook-13-3-Laptop-MC240LL-A-AppleCare-/300675769483?pt=Apple_Laptops&hash=item4601ac248b

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBook-13-2-13GHz-2GB-160GB-SD-MC240LL-A-457571-w-Applecare-/120859896655?pt=Apple_Laptops&hash=item1c23cfab4f

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Apple-MacBook-13-3-Laptop-MB403LL-A-2-4Ghz-2GB-Ram-160-Nice-w-Warranty-/170799393289?pt=Apple_Laptops&hash=item27c46fea09

ASUS X53U-RH11

The Perfect Fit for Work and Play
IceCool Technology keeps the palm rest area cool, placing heat-producing components away from users.
Enhanced multitasking and mobile computing capabilities with the new AMD C-series APU (Accelerated Processing Unit)
Palm Proof Technology prevents accidental input.
Power4Gear automatically adjusts fan speeds for quiet computing and prolonged battery life

Classy Design

Featuring the AMD C-series APU and an elegant color scheme, the new X53U offers an expressive combination of technology and style. An elegant look along with ASUS’ extensive quality testing ensures that the X53U look fantastic even during prolonged use, allowing you to do more in complete confidence

Powered by The Latest AMD C-Series APU

Equipped with the latest AMD C-series APU, the ASUS X53U delivers the best mobile performance in its class, for both work and play.

Power4Gear with Self-adjusting Fan Speeds

Power4Gear’s self-adjusting fan helps you conserve battery power and provides for a more peaceful computing environment.

IceCool Technology Keeps Your Hands Cool

Exclusive dual-sided motherboard design places hot components on the underside and away from users. Combined with heatpipes and vents, palm rests and typing surfaces stay cooler than the body temperature so they’re cool even during the longest computing sessions.

Palm Proof Technology Prevents Accidental Input

Intelligent touchpad distinguishes between palm and finger contact to prevent inadvertent cursor movements during typing.

Immersive Multimedia Experience

The ASUS K53U delivers an immersive multimedia experience through its high definition LED panel and Altec Lansing® speakers with SRS Premium Sound™. Your ASUS X53U can also connect to HDMI-compatible TVs, consoles and entertainment systems.

Specifications:
Operating System: Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
Processor: AMD C60 dual-core processor (1.0GHz up to 1.33GHz with Turbo Core
Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6250 integrated graphics
Memory: 3GB DDR3 SDRAM
Display: 15.6-inch LED backlit display (1366x768 resolution)
Hard Drive: 320GB 5400RPM hard drive
Optical Drive: DL DVD±RW/CD-RW
Audio: Altec Lansing Stereo
Camera: 0.30 megapixel
Card Slots: 5-in-1 card reader (MMC/SD/SDHC/Memory stick/MS Pro)
Ports: 1 x Mic-in, 1 x Headphone-out, 1 x VGA port/Mini D-Sub 15-pin for external monitor, 3 x USB 2.0 ports, 1 x Gigabit LAN, 1 x HDMI
Communications: 802.11 b/g/n, 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Battery: 6 cell battery pack

Warranty: 1 Year Limited Warranty

http://www.frys.com/product/6888016?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Thanks. Appreciate it.

Take a look, good prices. I would look for at least 3GB, Win7, 15' screen.

Also be wary of 64bit laptops, I would still stay with 32bit or x86.

http://www.discountelectronics.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=19

Right now the old laptop is being looked at by the previous technician. There was a 90 day warranty which expired three days ago on that inverter. Things that make you go hmmm...

I don't lose anything by letting them look. At the worst, it will buy me time to have a look around to see what else is available.

64-bit capable laptops can also run 32-bit operating systems. if you are running 32-bit, you are limited to 4GB of addressable ram.
Windows 7 x64 includes a 32-bit subsystem that executes every 32-bit application I have thrown at it (and that is a lot of different apps). Most of the newer software and drivers are going towards the 64-bit builds... I would honestly not even consider a 32-bit OS, especially if running Windows.

I'd like to hear why you would not suggest 64-bit on newer hardware.

Model would depend on what's in your area, but they both last pretty well. Of course, somebody else may have different experiences...
If it's an option, buy from a local stockist so you can go harangue them if the unthinkable happens. It gives you an edge over phone support.

This isn't going to be an insurmountable hurdle, as I feared it would be.

This looks like one hell of a deal...

Get a 15.6-inch HP laptop for $299.99

In the market for a starter or entry-level laptop? You know, the kind that's good for things like word processing, Web browsing, and e-mail? Good for students and grandparents and folks with simplistic needs?

Look no further: While supplies last, Best Buy has the HP 2000-416dx 15.6-inch laptop for $299.99 shipped (not including sales tax). Surprisingly, it's new, not refurbished.

Not to gush, but that is just an amazing price. Granted, the HP won't win any speed awards (or, for that matter, design awards), but it covers all the computing bases well enough.

http://preview.tinyurl.com/7q8kqut

Though if there are speed issues, can it run movies?

The HP 2000-416dx laptop is powered by 1.3GHz VISION Technology with AMD Dual-Core E-300 Accelerated Processor with 1MB L2 Cache. It has an integrated graphics controller called AMD Radeon HD 6310, a discrete-class graphics card that can play high definition movies with ease.

This HP 2000-416dx laptop offers 15.6 inch diagonal HD BrightView LED-backlit display with 1366x768 resolution; 3GB DDR3 SDRAM (2 DIMM) which is expandable to 8GB; 320GB 5400RPM); SuperMulti DVD burner; Altec Lansing Speakers; Full-size keyboard; Digital media card reader for Secure Digital and Multimedia cards; and HP Webcam with integrated microphone.

In terms of connectivity, this HP 2000-416dx features 10/100 Ethernet LAN; 802.11b/g/n WLAN; 3 Universal Serial Bus (USB) 2.0; and Bluetooth. This laptop comes in HP Imprint finish in charcoal gray style. It measures 14.80" x 9.72" x 1.23-1.41” and weighs 5.5 pounds.

basic-electronics.blogspot.com/2012/02/hp-2000-416dx-with-amd-e-300.html

...this from Walmart. $318 + tax + shipping gets you an HP laptop, carrying case and 4 GB USB drive.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Compaq-15.6-Presario-CQ57-Laptop-PC-with-Windows-7-Home-Premium-bundled-w-case-and-USB-Drive/20510725

The longer this thread hangs around, the better the deals.

...I bought my wife a new-in-box but discontinued laptop at Walmart for $228. Mostly the same specs but no extras.

HP - 15.6" Pavilion Laptop - 4GB Memory - 500GB Hard Drive - Charcoal Gray

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/HP+-+15.6%26%2334%3B+Pavilion+Laptop+-+4GB+Memory+-+500GB+Hard+Drive+-+Charcoal+Gray/4839153.p?id=1218541219768&skuId=4839153


Very happy with it. Just using for Internet and MS Office applications. BTW this one actually has fairly decent speakers for a laptop.