Dell Latitude 3420 - i3 11th Gen, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD

Students ask us for a laptop that will handle assignments, online classes and a fair amount of browsing without costing what a new one costs. This is usually the answer. The 3420 is the plainest of the Latitude family, which is exactly why it survives being carried around, and this one has an 11th generation Core i3 that is a much better processor than its name suggests, 8GB of memory and a 256GB SSD. It boots in seconds. There is no keyboard backlight on this variant, so if you type in the dark say so before you buy. Cosmetically there are marks on the lid and a scuff on the bezel plastic, none of it structural. The full-size ethernet port still works, which we tested with a live cable, and it matters in Udaipur more than people expect given how many hostel and office connections here are still wired. Battery covers a half day of light use. Tested completely before it went on sale. If it is going to a hostel room, ask us about a sleeve for it. The plastic lid is tough but it collects marks quickly once it starts sharing a bag with books.