laptops/netbooks

[genmo]

Please help me find the best bang for my buck on laptops and/or netbooks this weekend. (tax free weekend...I'm trying to max out on savings)

Unfortunately, I've got to replace my laptop for sure AND buy a netbook for a relative...not to mention my desktop is on it's last leg. So I need to save every penny I can.

The netbook can be very basic...just the cheapest I can get. Looking for cheaper than $250. Will only be used for general surfing & simple word processing.

The laptop is for my small business...it needs enough power to edit photos & music, but no gaming is needed. XP would be a plus, or at least something that could be rolled back easily. Would like to stay under $500 if at all possible...cheaper of course is better.

Also, if you know of any desktop deals, please let me know.

Coupons welcomed...probably stay within the bigger stores (BB, WM, Target, KM, OM, OD...no staples in our area)

I know it's asking a lot, but I don't know much about what's good in a computer & what's not...as far as I'm concerned, give me the cheapest, but also know that's not the best policy with computers either.

Thanks in advance.

[cdonahue07]

walmart has an acer netbook for $298.

[Sam111111]

The cheapest you can get ... I would wait for a Dell Mini 9 sale and get one off of the Dell Outlet, it's ... very cheap. Cheapest I've found. [I have one now! It was $220-ish after I bought a 2 gig stick of RAM, a 16 gig SDHC, and a decal thing for the top.]
If you need it for typing and stuff you may just want to grab a Dell Mini 10v while that coupon still works.
Or ... if you want to be as cheap as humanly possible the Eee 701 is $110 refurbished right now. That keyboard's literally impossible to type on, IMHO, though. I definitely wouldn't recommend it.