Q. Kim, I don't have much money to spend on a computer. I saw in your News of the Day newsletter a while back something about a computer for under $100. Is this any good?
-Jeff from Arcadia, FL, listens to my national radio show at WFLN 1480 AM.

A. Amazingly, the sub-$100 computer isn't a scam or a dream. There are a number of them around you can buy right now.

I'll tell you upfront that the ones you're referring to don't run Windows. They only run Android or other Linux-based operating systems. You also don't get a monitor, keyboard or mouse. Some don't even have a case!

Still, if your needs are basic enough, and you don't mind some occasional hands-on tweaking, you can have a system at a bargain.

Bonus Tip: If you are looking for a sub-$100 Windows-based computer, you can find them in limited quantities online. These are typically refurbished business computers that use hardware from the early 2000s and run Windows XP. One of these can work for very basic computing tasks.

The computer you remember reading about, Jeff, is the $35 Raspberry Pi. It was designed for students to practice programming, so it isn't very user-friendly.