Forget the touch screen. It will add about $40-50 to the price, plus weight, and you will never use it.
Every new laptop will have wifi. This has been the case since like 2003!
When I buy laptops I tend to get 1 to 2 year old “top of the line” models on ebay that were $1000-1500 new and now are $350-450. I’ve purchased four of them this way over the years and every time I have been very happy with them. The thing about $1000+ laptops is they tend to be super cool looking and solidly built with all metal frames, and the fact they are slightly out of date does not bother me.
If you just want something simple, the prices at Wal-Mart are reasonable. You can also search for 5-star rated “hot deals” on slickdeals.
Another nice thing about buying used is you may be able to get one that still has Windows 7. I hate Windows 8 and 10.
If you want to go my suggested route, goggle “Best laptops of 2014,” read the reviews, and then search for those models on ebay/craigslist.
