Future flash ads might be a problem, but some people use adblock/etc to circumvent that.
Flash is dead, so this isn't really a concern. But even if it wasn't, is the i3 really so weak that it can't handle Flash ads?
for a generic browsing device, I would probably care more about keyboard/touchpad feel/layout, screen quality, battery life and weight.
I narrowed my search down to these two after posting on Tom's Hardware, so I didn't think I would need to give all the details here. But here they are anyways in case it helps:
1. What is your budget?
$200 - $400, preferably closer to $200 but I can spend closer to $400 if it makes a huge difference.
2. What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?
14" - 16".
3. What screen resolution do you want?
No less than 1366x768.
4. Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?
Low weight preferred but not required. Not replacing my desktop.
5. How much battery life do you need?
I don't really care.
6. Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?
Yes - mostly old games (1985 or so through early 2000s) but it would be nice if I could play some newer games as well on medium to high settings.
7. What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo/Video editing, Etc.)
Web development - Gimp, Visual Studio.
8. How much storage (Hard Drive capacity) do you need?
200GB minimum. Can go lower if solid state
9. If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.
Amazon, eBay, Newegg, Craigslist.
10. How long do you want to keep your laptop?
Forever.
11. What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc ?
CD reader a must, writer bonus. DVD reader bonus. No DVD writer or Bluray necessary.
12. Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.
I don't care for Apple products (but with my price range that must be obvious).
13. What country do you live in?
US.