my netbook is a gateway and it's not to bad. They have improved since they got bought by Acer.

Stay away from Dell and Lenovo, horrible experience with them.

Good Brands: HP, Acer, Asus, Sony, Samsung, Toshiba, MSI, Alienware(made by dell but a tad more reputable)

Minimum specs:
Processor: Intel Core i5 or higher OR AMD Phenom II or higher (2.8GHz or higher)
RAM: 4-6gb or higher
Graphics: nVidia GeForce GT(s)(x) OR ATI Radeon HD
HDD: 500gb
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Display (monitor):24inch-If you can afford it, get an LED one, it's worth it in my opinion.

Some words of advice..taking the cheap way out, usually isn't the best way. If you go to a computer store like Best Buy, Circuit City, etc, they will help ya out. Don't go the Walmart route unless you have to, shop around, and if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is.

EDIT: I agree with Obsolete, make sure you research it. Also, don't put your full trust in the good ol' Geek Squad, they royal F'ed over my dad's comp when they worked on it, and DON'T fall for all the stuff they try to push you into buying. If you research stuff a bit, you'll walk in knowing what you need to get and what is a waste of money.

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1997 Ford Ranger XLT, 2.3L I4, Auto, 2wd, Regular Cab, 91k miles. 7.5in 4.10 Open Rear Axle

Keep the air in the spare, and the bag in the wheel - Adam Carolla