Inexpensive laptop?

[algeh]

I'm in the market for an inexpensive laptop. I've run Linux on my desktop for years and plan to put Linux on the laptop as well. I live in the USA.

I want it so I can check my email while I'm on vacation or dogsitting at someone else's house, mostly. It would also be nice if it could run Audacity so I can edit audio files while I'm at conventions.

Are there any brands or models I should particularly look for or avoid? I'm tempted to buy a used machine on Craigslist, but also considering buying new. The last "laptop" I owned was a Compaq Portable, so I'm not exactly up on the latest laptop trends and would like some guidance on what to look for or ask about.

Comments

[dreamatdrew]

I will hereby second the idea of an ASUS netbook. I currently (sort of) have an eeepc 900 series that is only not in my rotation because of a hinge issue (I am ROUGH on my hardware, I know this..) and because my mother needed a machine when I came into a higher-powered machine (which I kind of needed for development). A 900, which is OLD by now, is perfectly adequate for most web-based stuff (flash is an issue all in itself, but that's a Linux issue, not specific to this hardware), and also has the horsepower for lowend-to-midrange tasks in Audacity (I used it to make ringtones, and rip audio from video podcasts with no problems). The current lineup should have no issues with those tasks whatsoever.

I'll also recommend ASUS hardware, period, as generally reliable and reasonably priced. It may not be the shiniest, but it does the job.