Best laptop under $400?

Alright people, like the thread says, I need a laptop by $900. Basically just for stuff around the house—watching movies, doing some Office work, and browsing the web... if anyone has any advice on what's worth the money, I'd appreciate it. Honestly, I'm about as tech-savvy as a goldfish in a blender. :-

This looks decent:
https://www.amazon.com/black-014220070-with-macOS

There are plenty of laptops in this price range that could handle the job, but this one is easily the cheapest option among those offering an extended warranty (4 years total).

Just a heads up—this model doesn't have an optical drive. If you actually need one, you might want to look elsewhere.

Aham... thanks a lot for the reply... and sorry if this sounds like a stupid question, but what's an optical drive actually for? 🙈🙈🙈 (I've always had someone else handle this kind of stuff) I've got my eye on this white Apple laptop, it's usually $3,500 but it's on sale for about $2,700 right now. I think this one, or maybe something in a similar price range, is what I'm looking at... https://www.amazon.com

People still call them optical drives, but let's be real—with constant Wi-Fi and cheap thumb drives, SD cards, or external hard drives, nobody actually uses a DVD drive anymore.

I respect your choice; four years of warranty is four years of warranty, but white is white... 😬 And don't get me started on those "discounts," we aren't doing that today...

If you really want white, don't grab the one you linked because the processor is garbage. Get one of these instead:

https://www.amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com

Or maybe pink 😍

https://www.amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com

Or even purple:

https://www.amazon.com

Everything except the first option includes an optical drive. Apple offers a 2-year warranty plus "Apple promotions," while Dell gives you 2 years plus Dell no Matter What.

Apple promotions: If the laptop breaks during the first year of the warranty, you get your money back along with a repaired unit.

Dell no Matter What: If you accidentally crack the laptop, damage it, or if it gets caught in a flood, fire, or even stolen during the first year, you get a new one.

For both deals, you actually need to read the fine print on their websites and register the laptop within 7 or 14 days of purchase—I can't remember the exact window, though.

Thanks a ton... I'll definitely keep that in mind when I go shopping... honestly, I'm just terrified of getting stuck with some piece of junk they couldn't sell for years... and regarding the DVD thing... hmmm... yeah, I know how that goes... just like you said, having a drive doesn't mean much anymore when you've got thumb drives and SD cards everywhere... so that's really not a factor for me. Thanks again... 🙂)))))
Ps. One more question—when I'm actually buying, should I be focusing primarily on the processor and its raw power (like the GHz?)

I added more, but since I edited my first post, you probably won't even see a notification for new replies...

You have no idea how much you've helped me out.... honestly, I've got all your suggestions saved for my shopping trip next week...... just stay by my side, alright? hahhaha

Looking for some input on this laptop—would it suit a casual user with basic needs, as mentioned above?

https://www.amazon.com

Thanks in advance.

Believe me, even the most basic user is going to struggle with this. I installed macOS on a similar machine and it was sluggish right out of the gate—imagine how bad it’ll get once you actually start loading everything up.

The deals on laptops pre-loaded with macOS are pretty pathetic, so you're better off grabbing one without it and installing it yourself later. If you insist on an official license, you can grab one for about $267.
https://www.amazon.com/black-014220070-with-macOS

If you want one with macOS already set up, this is your best bet:

Now, since life is never perfect, notice the "ReThink" in the title? That means it's a refurbished laptop. It isn't coming straight from the factory; instead, some third-party firm handles the refurbishing under Lenovo's approval.
According to the description on the ReThink site:
"reThink is a family brand for Lenovo surplus and remanufactured products, which have undergone thorough inspection and quality control. Surplus and remanufactured products are typically the result of excess supply, cancelled orders or opened/damaged box. DCC has developed the reThink concept, which is approved by Lenovo."

The listing doesn't specify the exact quality tier for this specific unit. One thing is for certain, though: don't expect a standard US keyboard layout.

Much appreciated, X.