Poor sister needs a laptop

[modhatter]

My sister (who is poor) needs a new laptop. She had a HP, which has given her nothing but trouble and is not dead after year 3. Unfortunately money is an issue for her, so I am trying to help her get the best for her needs for the least amount. She is not a gamer, although I'm sure her older son would like that, but it's really for her. She would use it to surf the net, watch you tube and some movies, use Word. The Dell Insperian is the cheapest alternative, but I am so leary of their screens. I purchased a Vostro a few years back, and hated it because of the screen. I know the high res 1080 is way out of her budget, but do they have mid point res screen? I am looking at the refurbs or scratch and dent ones. What model would she need to watch a movie without it skipping and lagging? Any recommendations from you guys more familiar with the Insperions. Would like to keep her in a budget of around $450 or less after her coupon discount.

[Commander Wolf]

What didn't you like about the Vostro screen? The resolution or the finish?

Quite frankly if you're concerned about reliability, I would try to stretch for an Outlet Latitude with a three year warranty. Any model made in the past three years will be able to playback movies without stuttering. The Inspiron is almost as likely to give you problems as the HP.