If you are a student, teacher, or work for a large company, you likely have access to hidden portals for Dell, HP, or Apple that can shave 10-20% off the retail price.

Don't just buy the cheapest thing on the shelf. Spending an extra $50 to move from 4GB to 8GB of RAM can be the difference between a laptop that lasts one year and one that lasts four.

Aim for at least an Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3. 2. Consider a Chromebook

To ensure your laptop doesn't lag the moment you open three Chrome tabs, aim for these "must-have" specs:

Look for an SSD (Solid State Drive) rather than an HDD. Even a small 128GB SSD will feel ten times faster than a traditional hard drive.