Samsung 15.6″ laptop Intel Core i3-3110M $299

Geek squad re-certified? Be careful... I mean, be careful with any refurbished/re-certified machine.

No experience with them yet, but Samsung as a brand is good, and the last couple of reliability reports I saw, Samsung was in the top 3 two years in a row if I recall correctly.
 

scottiemedic

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Unlike ProStar, I LOVE refurbs. It means it was checked, sent out to consumer, something went wrong, so they fixed it and RE checked it. I've had 3:1 more problems with "new" gear than refurbs, to the point I intentionally look for refurbs when buying electronics.

The only down side is the warranty is usually CRAP for refurbs (you'll get 90 days instead of a year or something!!)

As for Samsung, my next laptop will be one. My son has a Series 9 and it is solid and aesthetically gorgeous. A lot of laptop purchase other than specs is appeal, since unlike a desktop that gets shoved under a desk, you'll actually SEE your laptop on a daily basis.
 


I guess being in the industry has made me cynical after seeing various OEMs take a month+ for turnaround time, only to have either shipped the customer's product back with the same problem(s), or new problems. :)

BestBuy will no doubt have an extended warranty available for the product, SERIOUSJACK85, so if you decide to pull the trigger on it, consider getting additional coverage.