Should I buy a used Chromebook or a cheap new laptop?

For most budget buyers, buy a Chromebook over a very cheap new Windows laptop — but be careful with used Chromebooks. A new or lightly used Chromebook in the $200–$300 range is usually a better experience than a bargain-basement new Windows laptop, especially for web browsing, schoolwork, email, Google Docs, streaming, and video calls.

Choose a used Chromebook if the price is very low and you can verify the exact model’s update support, battery condition, charger, screen, keyboard, and that it is not enterprise/school locked. Avoid very old models, because ChromeOS update expiration can make a “deal” age badly.

Choose a cheap new Windows laptop only if you need Windows apps, specific school/work software, local file workflows, or peripherals that do not work well on ChromeOS. Otherwise, the lowest-end new Windows laptops are often the weaker buy.