Best cheap laptop for Ubuntu install

[Pondoro]

I'd like to buy a $250-$300 laptop and install Ubuntu. Wifi compatibility is important to me. I'm not a power user, mostly I go to forums, upload and download photos and recipes, email, surf, and support other hobbies such as cooking, photography and music.

Thanks

[CrusaderAD]

Check these guys out http://www.microcenter.com/ I've been buying their cheap (brand name) laptops for years and using them with Ubuntu, no problems.

[kurt18947]

I see MicroCenter has refurbished T61 Thinkpads for $249 though it currently shows out of stock.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0383097

Staples has a few choices:

http://www.staples.com/office/supplies/StaplesSearch?searchkey=refurbished+laptops&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&fromUrl=home&autocompletesearchkey=refurbished+laptops.

You could also keep an eye on Ebay if you're comfortable with that.

I have two Thinkpads, an R61i and X61. They're both pretty much "Intel inside". Both were plug -n- play with Ubuntu. Wireless works with no fussing, screen brightness keys work, just a good experience. I haven't tried to get the fingerprint reader to work; that was iffy in Windows.

I would be sure I could return anything purchased new for your budget. 'Oddball'(cheap) hardware can be a hassle with Ubuntu.

[sffvba[e0rt]

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[stalkingwolf]

if you know what you are doing ebay is a good choice. I have within the last year purchased an ibm t42 for 130.00 including shipping and a dell m6300
for 350.00 with free shipping.

I also have a dell d800 that i bought from a coworker of my wifes for 50.00
upgraded the ram and hdd so i have about 130.00 invested in it.

all are running a flavor of ubuntu quite nicely.

I also have an asus eee 1005ha that i picked up in a pawn shop for 145.00 that is running UE 3.1 quite well.

[mips]

I see MicroCenter has refurbished T61 Thinkpads for $249 though it currently shows out of stock.

Seems staples also has some refurbs http://www.staples.com/All-Laptop-Computers/StaplesCategoryDisplay?storeId=10001&redirecttype=auto&identifier=CL167289&redirectrule=424328&languageId=-1&catalogIdentifier=2&ddkey=http:StaplesZipCodeAdd#sortName='price'&sortOrder='ascending'&sortDatatype='number'&pagenum=1&viewDetails='listView'

Those thinkpads just keep on going and going.