you can buy a cheap laptop just about anywhere at the moment.
mosey down to currys, comet, dixons ... etc etc ...
whatever you buy you'll have someone telling you you could have done better ... but in general terms
the market is very competetive
all pricebands �200, �300, �400 etc machines will be much alike (from a facilities point of view) ... so try to find one you like ....in your price range (don't fall for the few dollars more argument).
only 2 rules ... for your money ... go for 1Gb ram & 80Gb HDD as an absolute minimum ....