Some stores install Windows on non-Windows laptops really cheap and even provide a recovery disk (without bloatware)
Truth be told, the only computers I buy these days are 'refurbs', then I retro-fit them to suit myself.
My Peppermint 5 'road warrior' laptop is a top_of_the_line Dell Latitude ATG D630. It has almost every conceivable option available from Dell, at the time. The original price was USD $4200-ish. I bought it on Fleabay, added a second 9-cell Dell battery (15-cell dual-battery config now), a SanDisk SSD, 4GB RAM, and switched out the WiFi module for the one I prefer. I have USD $300-ish invested in it. LoL
My wife's 'new' machine is a HP 6005 Pro SFF. It was originally USD $1000-ish. It was recertified by a Microsoft vendor, appears new, and came with 64-bit winders 7 pro pre-installed, and no bloatware. I have USD $190 invested in it - 30-day, no_questions_asked money-back guarantee from Fry's Electronics, and 1-year warranty from the MS vendor.
Personally, I don't foresee ever buying another new computer from a retailer.
The sweet spot is to stay behind the curve - buy the best machine you can find (based on long-term reviews) - and install Peppermint, of course.
It doesn't get any better than that, IMO...
