Here are some past recommendations for budget-friendly laptops for college:
Acer Aspire 5: This laptop offers a 15.6-inch display, a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It typically costs around $500.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3: This laptop offers a 14-inch display, an AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. It typically costs around $500.
HP Stream 14: This laptop offers a 14-inch display, an Intel Celeron N4000 processor, 4GB of RAM, and a 64GB eMMC. It typically costs around $250.
Dell Inspiron 15 3000: This laptop offers a 15.6-inch display, an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. It typically costs around $400.
ASUS VivoBook 15: This laptop offers a 15.6-inch display, an AMD Ryzen 3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB SSD. It typically costs around $400.
Please keep in mind that prices and availability may vary, and there may be newer models available since my knowledge cutoff date. It's always a good idea to research and compare different options to find the best fit for your needs and budget.