If your just going to surf the web then consider buying a tablet.
Might just be me but I won't buy another laptop - they are problem prone and don't have the longevity that I would prefer. I have desktop and tablets.
To my knowledge most refurbished high tech stuff like computers are essentially new stuff that got returned by the original purchaser for whatever reason - the factory runs a diagnostic and determines that the user was likely the problem and it's re-sold as refurbished. I would not have a problem buying one if it came with the proper warranty.