I have traditionally bought new electronics, assuming that used would have little life left. Then I came across an article or post (I no longer remember the source) that discussed buying a used equipment could actually get you decent hardware for the same price of cheap consumer offerings sold by big retailers. I bought a Lenovo T450 off of ebay for ~$250 and have been quite happy with it. It has a sturdy frame, no flexible plastic skins, and runs well.