Seriously Cheap Laptops: RedPlum Reviews 'Em
By Jennifer M. DeFeo
If you already have a desktop computer, and aren't a "give me the latest tech toys" kind of gal, you may think laptops are an unnecessary luxury; however, when you realize how having the right portable computer can change your life and how inexpensive it can be—we think you’ll change your mind.
You need an inexpensive laptop that will get you outdoors in a hurry, allow you to send e-mails from the patio or park, and will not be slow as molasses. Netbooks, like the MSI Wind 10-inch Mini Laptop Netbook, the Acer One, and the Dell Inspiron Mini 10v, are very popular thanks to their light weights and low price tags. The MSI Wind ($298), for example, has wireless, a great mobile processor, and weighs less than 2 pounds. It comes with extras like an SD card reader for uploading photos, a large hard drive, and Webcam. What it doesn’t have is a large screen or full-sized keyboard. The screen is sharp and bright, but at 10.1-inches you might not want to stare at it all day. (Also note glossy screens are harder to see in daylight, so you may want to take that into consideration and look for one with a matte display.) The keyboard is a touch smaller and takes some getting used to.
If you want a full-sized laptop, it’s going to cost more—typically around $600. However there are great bargains available, like the Acer 15.6-inch Laptop PC (AS5516-5474) with AMD Athlon 64 TF-20 Single-Core Processor we found for $398 at Walmart.com. (The new CircuitCity.com, Amazon.com, and Target are all good resources, too.) This Acer laptop can easily be your primary computer with its large 15.6-inch widescreen display and full-sized keyboard. No, you’re not going to be able to do any intense video-editing, but for your day-to-day computing requirements it’s more than powerful enough. At 6 pounds, you won’t want to wander around all day with it; but if you’re only roaming as far as your backyard than you’re in business. HP, Dell, and Toshiba also have similarly configured laptops that will suit your needs.
In general, as you're shopping, look for these three things: wireless connection (802.11x), relatively lightweight (no more than 6 pounds if possible), and decent horsepower. (Tip: Sales people will tout the latest processor technology: read more expensive laptop; however, any processor developed in the last three years is more than capable of basic computing.)