Basic Laptop Purchase

[Field]

Hey guys,

A co-worker of mine is looking to purchase an affordable (in the hundreds of $, not thousands) laptop for his wife. She will only be using it for pretty much basic operation: Internet, MS Word, and limited downloading. So my question is, what are the minimum specs he should be looking for? Do you have an recommendations for specific laptops? I know there are a lot of deals/specials being offered right now, so it's kind of overwhelming especially for my co-worker. I usually don't buy the bargain computers since I require a more advanced computer so I really can't give him any advice without some help from you guys.

Thanks

[Snakes Gould]

any deals you find on a laptop being on sale like $299 or $399 should really be enough for that. i mean if the guy is looking to spend $899 he could get an awesome laptop for that price.