For less than $500 you can get this really nice, practical, no frills laptop. It has most of what you need and the expandability to upgrade it.

Here are some basic stats:
Operating System Windows Vista Home Basic
CPU Type Intel Celeron M 420(1.60GHz)
Screen 14.1" WXGA
Memory Size 512MB DDR2
Hard Disk 80GB
Optical Drive DVD/CD-RW Combo
Graphics Card Intel GMA950
Video Memory shared memory
Communication Modem, LAN and WLAN
Card slot 1 x Type I/II PC Card Slot
Dimensions 13.4" x 9.88" x 1.1-1.37"
Weight 5.3 lbs. (via NewEgg)