Laptop Dying! suggestions?

Go with an inexpensive tablet, and if you have to get Win8 on it use a program called classic shell.
It makes the menu's and navigation work like Win7 (start button and all)

If you need a CD/DVD drive, get an external for about 50 bucks.

Then with a half decent sized USB stick you have backup abilities.

Done deal for about 300.

(Small, inexpensive, won't kill you financially if it dies, and has everything you need for what you do.)