is a used laptop a good deal?

[fohat.digs]

Is the Lenovo X130e an OK choice for a cheap laptop?

[JP]

I suppose that depends on your intended usage but that is a really old model. Recently retired/refurbished business class laptops are where it's at in terms of reliability and price. I'd recommend the Dell e6440p with the i7 processor, 8gb memory, and a solid state drive. There should be plenty of eBay for a good price. The cheapest ones you may need to track down a drive + os, or a power supply or battery.

[Leslieann]

The X130e is cool (if you like that format), but you REALLY want it with the harder to find Core I3, not the Amd or Atom model.
If you can find it cheap, it's a neat little computer, just keep in mind that the screen is only 1366x768, which is fine for this screen size (11.6in). These are just netbooks that were hardened for school kids so they are durable but with the I3 it becomes a bit of a powerhouse of one, especially when mixed with an ssd and 8 or 16gigs of ram.

However, if you really plan to use this for more than short term use, consider getting a Lenovo X220 for about the same price.
Better screen, better battery, standard size keyboard (one of the best ever made), and you can get them with an I5 or even I7 processor.

[fohat.digs]

Thanks for the advice. I will keep it in mind.