What cheap laptop to get?

I'd check out second hand laptops as I'm sure you'll be able to get a good one if you shop wisely. I got a very cheap Lenovo ThinkPad X220 for 200 US$ two years ago. I was lucky as the user hadn't used it that much and it was in excellent condition. I'm sure if you search around you'll find something similar. Laptops drop in value almost immediately after they come out in the market.