Aase says:

wont get either for that amount sorry.

Saxophone101 says:

Compaq Presario CQ60-417DX
Dell Inspiron I545-012B
You might want to look at netbooks

Ishco says:

Well, for that price, you won’t get a very good laptop, but you still have some options. The best option I’d say is Comapq. I know that you said that you’d like an HP or dell, but Compaq is made by HP, so it’s almost the same. Compaq offerst quality, essential features and value. Another option is Toshiba. Toshiba is ranked in the top 5 laptop brands so you know that you’re going to get something good. These linkd will take you to a Compaq laptop and a Toshiba laptop.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9371477&type=product&id=1218093383615

http://www.shopping.hp.com/store/product/product_detail/NW156UA%2523ABA

Dells on the other hand, cost a bit more. The cheapest that you’ll get for a dell is $450.

Another option that is popular among people who want something in-expensive, is the netbook. A netbook is a small 7 to 10 inch computer, with a small ketboard, no CD drive and limited hard drive space. netbooks are also portable, so it would be a good choice if you want to carry your laptop around with you. With netbooks, you can get a Dell or HP for under $400. These links will dirrect you to an HP netbook and a Dell netbook.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9254406&type=product&id=1218069452351

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9245346&type=product&id=1218066769527

I’d reccomend not to use netbooks for hours on end, as the small keyboard will cramp your hands, and the tiny screen will hirt your eyes. So overall, your budget is too small to get anything super great, but you have 2 good options here. If I were you, I’d buy a $600 laptop, and get some better options. but these are good reliable machines for under $400. I’d also reccomend for you to go to a Best-Buy and try these laptops (Or similar ones) out. See if you like the size, the feel and the features. I hope that I could help! Good luck!

NOTE: Stay away from the following brands:
Acer, E-Machines, Gateway

All of those brands are poorly constructed and are bad quality. They’re a bit ccheaper, but they’ll only lasy you about 2-3 years, while HP, Toshiba, Dell and Comapq could last over 10 years.

Happy laptop hunting!