I suggest you check out CNET''s daily Cheapskate column ( http://news.cnet.com/cheapskate/ ) which highlights the best electronic deals each day from around the web. There's usually one or two great deals on laptops each week. Also if you do get Windows 8, be sure to check out any peripherals you are planning to use with it. There are a lot of angry people complaining that working printers, hard drives, TV tuners etc cannot be coaxed into working with the update. Windows 8 is unable to find the TV tuner in my Gateway, which I was using to record over the air programs. I can't decide whether to abandon the $40 I paid for Windows 8 and go back to 7, or pay about $50 - 60 for a new Hauppauge tuner that will work w/ 8.