Reliable laptop under $600

Does he like more battery life in a laptop? How about screen size? Does he want something that's portable and lightweight? There are so many notebooks out there that are great quality, so it's hard to narrow it down to a specific recommendation without knowing a few more details. As for opinions on the ones you have picked, I think they are OK. I think there are better ones for the price too, though. It just depends on what features you are looking for. Take this one, for example...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

It's got a better CPU than the first one you picked, better graphics, and it's got awesome battery life. But it's relatively heavy, and it's a smaller screen.

He says he needs at least 350GB storage space, a screen greater than or equal to 15", and at least five hours of battery life (I don't know why - he usually has it plugged in). He doesn't care much about the weight and needs a fairly sturdy laptop that's going to last a long time.

Toshiba Satellite, Should run you about $400.

Satellite L870D-BT2N22 Laptop - ~$480

I think this has quite a few of the features he's looking for - any more laptops like this?

All of the above are great suggestions for your dad as they will all be able to cover his needs. My personal suggestion would be a Samsung Series 3 as well but the 305V5A-A05 model ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... ). It pushes the budget at $599.99 with free shipping from new egg but it will also last a little bit with the A6 APU as well as the 750GB HDD.

no offence intended, but i kinda disagree about that particular laptop. that A6 is slow, it's integrated graphics is slow, and it's more expensive. I realize his dad doesn't seem to need a powerhouse notebook or anything, but I believe an Intel CPU will last his dad much longer, especially considering he doesn't seem to be planning on playing games or anything (which is the main reason to get a Llano/trinity based notebook in this price range IMO).

None taken. I did happen to find this Acer, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168... upon a second look, and its a little easier on the budget at $530 with a better A8 APU in it. If you wanted to go the Intel route, then the HP ProBook 4530s for $510 is an great choice.

Wow, thank you guys for all of the suggestions. I do have one more question though - a big problem he's been having with his current laptop are the hinges between the body and display - they're mostly plastic and just really shoddy work. Right now he's looking into the Toshiba Satellites - are they well-constructed?

Toshiba's, Asus, Sager and even a lot of HP models are put together better than they use to be. It really just depends on the model. Some brands do have a better track record though, and Toshiba is quickly becoming one of them.

Best answer selected by smartwind.