There has perhaps never been a better time to buy a laptop, as the quality and performance improves the prices remain very competitive. Here is a list of the best budget laptops. All are priced between £250-400 at the time of writing. So although these aren’t the absolute cheapest ones on the market you get a very good piece of equipment for your money. Definitely worth the extra 50 or 100 pounds over the cheapest.
Acer Aspire 1410 – £364.80
This laptop can boast a 6 hour battery life, and weighs in at 1.35kg. A very portable machine, and it has earned praise for its fast connection speed and file handling capabilities. A good laptop if you need your office in your brief case.
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Fujitsu Esprimo V6535 Notebook – £334.42
Featuring a DVD writer, an ergonomic keyboard, 15.4 inch display, this notebook is a strong contender for best budget laptop around. The notebook also features the Windows 7 operating system. Weighs 2-3 kg, and has a battery life of 2-3 hours.
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Compaq Presario CQ61-225 – 
This is a great all rounder. Featuring 250gb hard drive, Windows Vista Home Premium (can get free upgrade to 7), and a DVD RW drive, this machine could be at the top of your want it now list? Weighs 2.7kg. Has very good reviews from existing customers.
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Samsung R519 – £330.00
This laptop is a true performance laptop. Powered by a duel core processor, and featuring SRS TruSurround XT and SRS WOW XT sound effects, and a Intel® GMA X4500M graphics card, this machine is suited for users that want performance over any other factor. The performance comes at a slight trade off, as the hard drive space is 250GB. That is only a slight trade off however, as the battery life runs at around 3 and a half hours.
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Advent Verona – Approx £330
This machine is aimed at straight forward computing. Small, portable, and user friendly, it offers no frills, but with 3.5 hours battery life, Windows 7, and a 250gb hard drive, it is dependable none the less.
Aprrox £330 from Dixons stores.
Final Thoughts
As with all computers, it is good practice to assess your needs, budget, and what is available before parting with your hard earned cash. All these laptops have their uses, and it is fairly straight forward as to what machine is suited to what task.
Perhaps the biggest problem in this range is that the machines capabilities and specifications tend to merge into one and become very similar. In this instance, perhaps it is simply a question of what features come with the laptop. Warranty agreements would be a good example of a good feature to look at.
We have based the list on research into consumer reviews and features for your money. But nothing can replace having a go on them yourself, so if possible take a look at them in a retailers shop, or try out friends if they have one of these.
Images from press.
