I picked up an entry-level Acer for $360 around this time last year.
Acer Aspire 5534, 1.6Ghz single-core TF-20 processor, and 2gb of ram.
I swapped ou the processor with a dual-core 1.9ghz for $20 and put in 4gb of ram I got for free from a friend. Go with a 15.6" screen, as those seem to be cheaper than the 14" of comparable performance.
You shouldn't be using a laptop for anything more than MS Office, web, music, videos and Torrents. If you want a gaming rig, go with a desktop.
1978 Porsche 924//1987 Chevrolet Chevette
//1987 Kia Besta//2000 Audi A6//2013 VW Jetta//2006 Kawasaki ZX6