Laptops Arena

A cheap notebook is no longer a thing of the past. Customers are more and more oriented towards saving money and so they always try to find the best deals, such as notebook discount, coupons that offer special prices or holiday promotions when laptops are much cheaper. We are going to give you cheap notebook examples as some models are cheap right from the beginning so you don’t have to go haunting for special offers and discounts.

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The Gateway EC1430u is one very good choice as it has a starting price of $550. The unit has a 1.3 GHz Intel Pentium SU 4100 processor and 3 GB of RAM. The hard drive can store up to 320 GB and so far, the specs are pretty good for a budget laptop. Too bad that the graphics card is the weak integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD. The unit will most likely come with the preinstalled version of the 64 bit Windows 7 Home Premium.

For less than $600, you can buy the Acer Aspire 5740-6378, a 15.6 inch budget notebook which has quite good performance considering its price tag. The unit is powered by a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 15-430M processor and 4 GB of RAM. This combination between RAM and CPU is going to provide great system speed and opportunity of running multiple task at the same time without having to wait around too long to switch between tabs and windows.

The storage capacity of the hard drive is 320 GB and the graphics card is the ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 with 1 GB of video memory. We would have never imagined that a notebook this cheap would come with components that good inside. The 15.6 inch display has a native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels and it comes with an integrated DVD burner and the 64 bit version of the Windows 7 Home Premium operating system preinstalled.

$799 is the price of the Asus UL30A-A1, a cheap notebook which is remarkable because of its keyboard which is very similar to that of the Apple MacBook laptop. The Asus UL30A-A1 runs on a 1.3 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo ULV SU7300 processor and 4 GB of RAM. To our surprise, even if the display measures only 13.1 inches in diagonal, the native resolution of the screen is 1366 x 768 pixels, the same as the one on the 15.6 inch Acer Aspire described above. The storage capacity of the hard disk has reached 500 GB which means you don’t have to worry about running out of free disk space too soon. Hopefully you won’t because there is no included optical drive on this ultra portable notebook.

The graphics card is the Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD and the unit will come with the 32 bit version of the Windows Vista Home Premium operating system preinstalled. You could also look into the Acer Aspire AS1410 which is available for a starting price of $450 and it has a 1.2 GHz Intel Celeron SU 2300 processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 160 GB hard drive and the Integrated Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500 MHD.

Cheap mini notebooks are a real bargain when you think about the maximum of portability that they offer. They are compact sized and very light so you can throw them in a bag or purse and take them to work or school or even on trips anytime you like. Another thing that people love is that cheap mini notebooks are very easy to find and you have a wide range of products to choose from.  There are a lot of famous manufacturers like Dell, Toshiba, Acer, Asus or Sony which produce mini notebooks.

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An example of a good and cheap netbook is the Asus EEE PC 701 which can be bought for $399 and it has good specs when you consider that mini notebooks or netbooks like some people like to call them are dedicated mainly for surfing the internet and working on documents. There is not very much to talk about when it comes to the specs of a mini notebook.

Compared to other netbooks which generally use Intel Atom processors, the Asus EEE 701 runs on a 900 MHz Intel Celeron processor and 512 MB of RAM. Unfortunately, some people may find it annoying that the hard drive can only support 4 GB of files. The graphics card is integrated and it only has 64 MB of video memory which means no game play on this unit.

The 701 is a super small notebook as it has a display which measures only 7 inches in diagonal and it has a native resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. The unit hosts 3 USB ports, one Ethernet port, a modem port, an SD memory card reader and the headphone plus microphone jacks.

For $330, you can buy the Acer Aspire One D250, another high quality netbook which has made its users very happy. This unit runs on a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor and 1 GB of RAM. The total storage space is 160 GB so this is one aspect which is in favor of the D250 if we compare it to the Asus EEE PC 701. The graphics card is also an integrated one which takes shape in the Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950. The screen is 10.1 inches in diagonal and it has a native resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels.

As for the selection of ports and connections, the unit comes with 3 USB ports, one VGA out, an Ethernet port, a 5-in-1 media card reader and the headphones plus microphone jack. The unit also has a 0.3 integrated webcam which can be found above the display but the quality of the images during video calls is not very appealing.

The battery life of this laptop does not offer any amazing performance as we generally expect netbooks which are ultra portables to last turned on quite a lot when they are away from a power outlet. If you enable the wireless card, turn the display brightness to 70% and set the Windows XP power management profile to “power saver” you will get about 2 hours and 30 minutes of battery life. Quite disappointing, isn’t it?

We have written a lot of articles about cheap laptops with really low prices so writing about very cheap laptops can be a challenge. As usual, we did our homework and found some extremely cheap models which we are going to present today.
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www.cheaplaptopsusa.com is the website which sells very cheap laptops. In fast the prices are so low we were beginning to wonder if maybe there is something wrong with these models. But then we found out they came with one month warranty. The laptops found on this website are really old so the specs are very weak and in my opinion they are pretty useless if you consider the kind of applications we need to run on our computer these days. From what I saw, there are only 3 laptop models available on this website. First you have the Dell Latitude which has a 0.233 GHz processor, 6 GB of storage capacity and 64 MB of RAM memory. Another model is the Compaq Armada M700 with a 0.75 GHZ processor, 40 GB of free disk space and 192 MB of RAM. Compared to the Latitude it has a DVD optical drive while the Dell has only a CD optical drive. The Compaq runs with the Windows 98 operating system while the Dell ran with the Windows 2003 operating system. The price of the Dell is $99 while the Armada is $149. As you can see, there laptops really can’t handle all the pressure we apply to our modern laptops so let’s check out some more decent laptops on other websites.

On www.nextag.com there are some great offers for both new and refurbished laptops. For $268 you can buy the new Acer Gateway LT2021u netbook. it is powered by a 1.0 GHz Intel Pentium III processor and 1 GB of RAM. It has a hard disk capacity of 160 GB and it runs with the Windows XP Home operating system. The display is 10.1 inches and the whole unit weighs only 2.6 so this is an ideal laptop for people that need a portable unit to help them meet the basic computing needs. If you want a more decent laptop, you can get the HP Presario CQ50-115NR refurbished for as low as $400. It runs with a 2.0 GHz AMD Turion X2 Dual Core processor and 3 GB of RAM. The capacity of the hard drive is 200 GB and the graphics card is an nVidia GeForce 8200M with a maximum of 1407 MB of video memory. It has a 15.4 inch display with a native resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels.



This models has 3 USB ports, a 5-in-1 digital media card reader, one VGA port, one Ethernet jack, one phone jack, one Kensington lock slot ad one headphone plus one microphone jack. It also comes with a 3 month warranty for the skeptical people that don’t trust refurbished laptops. Another nice feature is the dual layer DVD burner and I think the price and performance balance with this laptop is pretty acceptable.

We know that many laptop buyers all around the world are influenced by the price factor when they make any kind of purchasing decision. This is why we are going to bring you this article about the cheapest laptops for those of you who are more interested in getting a cheap laptop rather than having any sort of fancy processors and graphic cards.
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You have to be aware of the fact that laptops under a certain price don’t exactly have the best specs around. A cheap laptop has enough power to help you get basic computer needs done. Other than that, do not expect powerful graphic cards or top of the line processors. The term “cheap” has a different definition from person to person. It all depends on the earning of a person. People that earn $5000 a month can find a $1500 laptop cheap while those that have only $1000 will find it extremely expensive.

One of the cheapest laptops (and a good one) that money can buy is the Dell Inspiron 1537. It’s a nice and plain looking laptop which run on a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 processor, combined with 4 GB of RAM, a hard drive with a capacity to store 320 GB of data and the ATI Radeon HD 3450 graphics card with 256 MB of dedicated video memory. You get all that plus some extra features for $600. There is nothing very special to report about the design of this laptop. It follows pretty much the same pattern as all Dell Inspiron models. There is a silver frames that surrounds the display. Above the screen, you have an integrated webcam. Under the display we have the regular Dell logo. The backlit keyboard is a very nice feature which is usually found on more expensive laptops so its presence on a $600 notebook is quite amazing. The back light will turn off if 60 seconds go by without typing and there is even an option for you to turn it off permanently if you want to save some battery life.



At 6.11 lbs it’s not exactly an example of portability but yet again, we have seen bigger laptops.  The keyboard is regular, yet very comfortable to type on. Above the keyboard there is a set of multimedia control buttons which are touch sensitive. The size of touchpad is satisfying but even if it’s comfortable to use, an external mouse is always a better option especially if you plan on using this laptop as a desktop replacement. The display has a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels but it does amaze us with its brightness which makes this laptop usable in outdoor light as well. The horizontal viewing angles are great so you and a couple of friends can gather round and watch a movie.



As for the ports and connection, you have 4 USB ports one of which can be used as an eSATA port, a mini FireWire, an Ethernet port, one VGA port, one HDMI port and one headphones out and microphone in jack. Upgrading is possible as it always is with Dell laptops. There quite a wide range of processors available, from the T4200 up to the T9550. You can get up to 500 GB of free disk space (that much space is useless in my opinion except if you want to have a gaming laptop, in which case it is justified). A fingerprint reader is an option you go with for extra security. You should buy it if you are going to use this laptop in an office so you can be the only one that has access to the content of the laptop. You can also go with the remote control which is a nice feature for those that want to get the maximum out of the multimedia features of this laptop. Blu-ray and Bluetooth are also additional features and you have to pay extra if you want to benefit from them. These customizable options are detailed on Dell’s website.

Even if it has some minor flaws, we expected much worse from a laptop that is so cheap. It’s a bit heavy because of the 9-cell battery which also makes this laptop uncomfortable enough for us not to use it our lap. The area underneath the palm rest can get quite hot but the temperature is not worrying. However, the fan runs really quiet and with any background noise and someone fussing around, you surely won’t be able to hear it.



Due to the Intel Core 2 Duo processor combined with 4 GB of RAM, this laptop can run multiple applications with ease because this combination provides sufficient power for multitasking. Unfortunately, the best graphics card that is available only has 256 MB of video memory so top of the line games are out of the question. You can still enjoy some basic and mainstream games but that’s about it. You have to admit that this laptop offers acceptable specs for its low price so this is why we consider it to be one of the cheapest laptops around.

Another solution for those people looking for a very cheap laptop is looking into some netbook models. The disadvantage is that these netbook are extremely weak and as their name suggests, they are only good for internet surfing and some word processing. They have weak Intel Atom processors and Intel GMA graphic card so power is very limited. They are sold mostly for their portability but it is not advisable to buy them and use them as your primary computer. First of all because the screen is very small so spending a lot of hours in front of a netbook can be even more tiring that spending them in front of a 15 inch laptop. It’s also annoying that you have to constantly scroll though web pages and big documents in order to read them. They also have less disk space that usual laptops and this is another thing that sustains our affirmation. It’s not difficult to find a cheap laptop on the market nowadays but don’t expect any extreme performance.

In this article, we are going to treat a different subject; that of cheap laptops for kids. I must say, writing this article is very fun because it gave me the chance to check out some different laptops that what I was used to writing about and I bet I’ll give some ideas of what to buy for your kid on his next birthday.
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For those of you have seen Star Wars, you must be familiar with the R2-D2 (must be read Artoo Deetoo) character, that fictional and funny droid from the movie. If you kid is at least 4 years of age, you can buy this Artoo laptop for $15. It’s a funny looking blue and white laptop with an unusual keyboard which s going to help your kid to explore the wonders of the English vocabulary. It has 8 different learning activities that are going to keep your kid busy for quite a while. The small LCD is easy to read and this small gadget only needs 2 AA batteries. I bet your child is going to have hours of fun with this cheap laptop for kids.

For $100 you can buy the VTech Genius notebook which has a very cute design and you can spot it from miles away as being a great laptop for kids. It comes closer to a real laptop than the Artoo. It has an alphanumerical keyboard and the letters of the alphabet are spread from A to Z rather than using the QWERTY system. It has a touchpad just like a real laptop and there is also an external mouse attached. The animated LCD is bound to catch your child’s attention. The main reason why this kid’s laptop is more expensive is because it has 30 different activities compared to the Artoo that has only 8. Not only are these activities going to improve the child’s vocabulary, but it is also going to help him work on his math, phonics and other important aspects that are part of your children’s education. This is an ideal gift for your child because it provides fun and education so it’s going to make him happy and you’ll also be happy when you see him learn.



If you have a pretty young lady that awaits a special gift to please her, you could spend $25 and get her the Barbie B-Smart learning laptop. Even if she doesn’t like it, she will fall in love with all that pink design that is girlish and childish just the way they love it. The pink lid has the Barbie logo and a floral imprint finish that your daughter is going to love. I must say, I do envy this laptop because it’s so slim and I sure with my Toshiba was as thin as this laptop. It has some 1^st and 2^nd grade learning and fun activities.

The 80 activities of this Barbie laptop are new ways to learn math problems, logic problem and even spelling problems and the best part is Barbie is right there to help your girl on her quest. The keyboard follows the QWERTY system so once your daughter grows up, she is going to have no trouble in adjusting to the transition between this kid laptop and a regular laptop or computer keyboard. The mouse is also pink with a beautiful flower imprint and the mouse pad is shaped like a flower, just to keep us faithful to the Barbie design. The screen is powered up by back lid so this laptop can be used under low light conditions. The super cute gadget also comes with a pair of matching ear buds that allow your girl to play even when you want an afternoon of peace and quiet. There are some cool activities in Spanish so your girl can learn the basics of another language while she is still a youngster. When you close the laptop, it looks just like a pink briefcase with a handle that makes it very easy to be carried around.



And here comes my personal favorite: the Wall-E learning laptop. I saw the movie and fell in love with that cute and generous little robot and I’m sure he won the hearts of most of the people that saw it. The shape of the Wall-E laptop resembles perfectly the little robot we saw in the movie. With 15 different activities, your kid is bound to have some fun with this awesome toy or laptop. Call it whatever you like, but I think it even looks cute as a decoration in the children’s room. The QWERTY keyboard can be flipped up when you child is not using the laptop and that makes it look exactly like a toy because you can’t see the QWERTY keys. You can control the laptop by using Wall-E’s arms which are act like moving controllers. You will love Wall-E because his right eyes blink just like in the movie and he looks so real! It’s a good laptop for boys but it can also be fun for girls if they enjoyed the movie and liked this character as much as I did. It runs with 3 AA batteries and you can order one online from Toys R US or Amazon.com.



I think kid’s laptops make a perfect gift because it’s hard to buy something that represents a fun activity for your child and that doesn’t represent a total waste of money for you. You are going to love the fact that your kid is going to have so much fun while learning things that are essential for his primary education. Math and spelling have never been this much fun to learn and it helps improve your child’s vocabulary. I think that all the laptops I’ve listed above are not as expensive as you may have thought at first and it’s a small price to pay for your kid’s education. Browse online for different other models at really competitive prices and you’ll get an idea of what to buy for your child at home.