First off, and most importantly if you really want to save money, stay away from Macs. Don’t get me wrong, they are fantastic computers, but they are much more expensive then similar Windows counterparts. However, this does not mean you should run out and purchase the cheapest laptops for sale. Sure, you will save a lot of money, but you might also get a poor quality laptop.

When performing your laptop comparison there are a few essential points, other than price, that should be considered. One of these is the size of the hard drive. For most people, you don’t need one that is overly large, 500GB or more is probably not needed, 320GB is still probably more than you will need. A 200GB – 250GB hard drive is probably a safe amount for the majority of people, and if you want to save even more money, then a little smaller could probably work too.

The amount of memory, or RAM, is important too. I would suggest looking for a minimum of 2GB, but here more is always better, and 3GB or 4GB would be ideal. This will help your computer to run multiple tasks simultaneously without much problem.

The operating system is also important in your decision. The newest one Windows 7, is the best, but also costs more. Its predecessor, Windows Vista, is older and uses more resources than 7, but will be cheaper. Before Vista was Windows XP, which will be the cheapest and use the least amount of resources (at the expense of less features), and would run well on most computers. Which one you choose is ultimately up to you, but my personal preference is Windows 7. I think it looks the nicest, and it has some very handy features and does not use to many resources either, but do some research and decide which is the best for you, although I would try to avoid Vista.

The last thing you will see when shopping for a laptop is the processor. These come in many sizes and varieties, but you should not worry about this too much. If you are using your laptop for standard things such as the Internet, word processing, etc., then you do not need to worry much about this, as you will not notice a difference. A better processor would be much more noticeable to people using their computers to design using complex programs and software, so there’s no need to spend extra money on the latest and greatest processor.

So now you are armed with the information you need to save money on your next laptop purchase and make sure you are getting what you need. However, you still may be wondering, “What is a fair price for all of this?” Well the answer to this varies, but sometimes, if you search well and are good at finding a big sale on laptops, you can find a laptop with everything you need for about $300. You may not be able to find this, but I have seen it once or twice. Look to spend about $500 on a decent laptop that meets the suggestions here, and a little more if you decide to spring for some upgrades.

With all this in mind, you are now fully prepared to go out there and get the best deal on the purchase of your laptop. I wish you the best of luck on your endeavor, but don’t fret, as this really is not too difficult. With some patience, you can often find an amazing deal and save a great deal of money.

Processor: The processor is the beast that provides your laptop all the computing power. The faster and more powerful the processor, the better performance you get. For basic computing purposes like word processing and browsing an Intel Core 2 Duo processor would suffice, where as for more advanced work like graphic design, multimedia & heavy gaming, a more powerful processor like an Intel Core i5 is recommended. Processor speeds are provided in Giga Hertz (GHz). The more the GHz, the faster the processing will be.

Memory: Random Access Memory (RAM) is another crucial consideration for performance. The memory is the immediate storage area for the laptop to do its computing using the processor. Normally laptop RAM comes in multiples of 1 gigabyte (GB). A basic laptop with Windows XP and MS Office needs 2GB RAM to work comfortably. For higher end work like programming or gaming its better to go with 3 or 4GB RAM. If you plan to upgrade your RAM later, ensure that the laptop you are going to buy has free slots for the additional RAM.

Hard Disk: Hard Disk Capacity is the amount of storage that is needed for storing your operating system files, movies, photographs, MP3 files and other documents. You will need to consider your future storage requirements while deciding on the hard disk capacity. A basic laptop intended for word processing , browsing may require only 80GB, where as a 500GB is recommended for a user who wants to store lots of music files, photographs etc. You can also augment your future storage needs later by buying an external hard disk later.

Size: The beauty of a laptop is in it’s portability so the size needs to factor in to your decision. Small laptops for sale offer an edge over larger ones because they’re lighter to carry, but a larger one means you can perform more functions with it.

Screen: Laptop screens come in different sizes and aspect ratios. The screen size specified by the manufactures is the diagonal measurement from one corner of the screen to the other in inches. The larger the screen, the more area you will get and less strain on your eyes. The downside of having bigger screens is the portability aspect goes down. A larger screen is recommended if the laptop is used for continuous work, whereas a smaller screen is optimal for the extremely mobile users.

Battery: A very important aspect is the back up time provided by the laptop battery when it’s not connected to the power socket. If the laptop is to be used extensively for travel, recommend going for a laptop that gives more backup time of 4-5 hours where as for the home user a back up time of 2 hrs is sufficient.

Optical Drive: As DVDs are common nowadays, it is advisable to go with a combo drive(DVD/CD -RW) that can read as well as write DVD’s and CD’s.

Pointing Devices: Laptop manufactures provide a touchpad (a rectangular box at the keyboard) or a joystick at the middle of the keyboard. Which one to use is completely a personal choice and based on your comfort. It is recommended to play around with both these options and arrive at the one of your comfort.

USB Ports: With USB devices getting popular, it’s a good idea to have a laptop that has at least 3 USB ports and that too high speed USB 2.0. The more number of USB ports, the more devices you can connect to the laptop at the same time

Warranty: Since laptops are very delicate devices with lots of components that too packed in a very small space chances of some of them conking off are a possibility. A laptop screen replacement itself might cost you a quarter of the price of the laptop. Go for laptops that has 2 years of more warranty and if not, its wise to invest in an extended warranty that gives you complete peace of mind.

While you are looking for good laptops for sale, do check with multiple vendors or retailers and compare their offerings based on your needs. Do not let a small useless freebie help you decide on the dream laptop. Try to bargain for free upgrades or extended warranty cover. It is also better to go for a laptop manufacturer who has a service center near you; otherwise you might have to bear the shipping expenses to the service center.

Your first task is to check around on the Internet beforehand to see if any Black Friday deals are leaked. Some chain stores such as Best Buy may intend to offer a big sale on laptops, and this can help you plan which stores to visit to maximize your chances of finding what you want. Also, bear in mind that people are more likely to compete with you for the items if you go to the stores commonly associated with electronics, so remember to check out other locations such as Staples or Office Depot as well.

Another strategy is to look to Internet retailers for specials. Many popular laptops for sale such as Toshiba, Asus, Sony, or Samsung are available through a number of online stores. Again, the most commonly thought of retailers for laptops are also the most likely to be sold out quickly, so build a list of all online stores you can think of that has laptops in their inventory. And don’t forget places like Dell or Sony’s online store — sometimes the manufacturers themselves will offer you great deals on Black Friday and you might be able to score laptops under $300.

What features should you look for in a laptop? You should try to buy a system with at least a dual-core CPU, 250GB hard drive, 4GB memory, a DVD+R/DVD-R/RW drive, 802.11n Wi-Fi built-in, and Windows 7 installed. This combination costs around $650-700 online, but look to buy for $100-150 less on Black Friday (or 15-25% off). Also look for TV-out capability, which will likely either be S-Video or DVI if present on the laptop; this can allow you to use your laptop to stream services like Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon On-Demand to your television set. Blu-Ray drives have also come down in cost lately, so keep an eye out for those as well if that interests you. Lower-end laptops are available for around $500 if you are unconcerned with performance, but you should ensure they come with a better operating system than Windows 7 Starter and more than 2GB of memory.

Before you shop, make a list of the features that are important to you in a laptop, and carefully compare them before you buy. Sometimes Black Friday electronics are stripped-down versions of regular electronics with a minor modification to the model number, so check each feature line-by-line. If in doubt, don’t buy; it’s better to pay a little extra down the road than to regret your purchase for years to come. If you’re planning on playing games, read as many gaming laptop reviews as possible, before you buy.

Hopefully, this will help you work out a plan to find the best deal on the laptop you want on Black Friday. There’s no one place to go or one perfect strategy, but between research of stores in your neighborhood and stores online you can maximize your chances of finding the deals that suit you.

Step one. Decide exactly what are you looking for.

What kind of user are you ? Do you want a computer just for working with text (reading text messages, creating and editing documents, answering emails etc), or do you want to make software, design graphic and use your laptop for gaming. If you want a computer that is capable of running the newest games or if you are a professional graphic designer, then you’re probably should buy a more powerful, new computer instead trying to find a cheap one on sale. But even if that’s the case, you can always try your luck. There is a chance that you will find an almost brand new laptops for sale. Many people in the world are chasing „what’s fast and what’s new” that constantly buy new hardware and look to practically give away the old one.

Step two. Find a laptop sale on the Internet, alternatively in the ads.

The most popular and the most recommended units are usually displayed on the front pages of those directories. Often they are the best purchase, but sometimes you can find a pearl at the bottom of a mud puddle. A little digging pays off, especially when you are a little more advanced than a average user and you know exactly what you are looking for. If you’re ready to do some personal evaluation, you may even want to consider buying a used unit. The last step revealed in this article provides information on how to buy a used laptop. If you are not the „know-all-about-computers” type, and you’re still wondering what’s what in the computer business, contact the salesman or laptop producer for details on the model that you like. In step three I cover some general hardware tips on what to look for in a good laptop :

Step three. Decide which components suit your needs.

Look for a unit that exactly matches your dream laptop, or at least a unit that is the closest equivalent. The most important things you should consider, in order, are :

CPU and cooling: I recommend Core Duo. It would be perfect for most tasks. While a single processor may be enough for word-processing and internet browsing only, buying a laptop with Core Duo will give you the comfort of working with most up-to-date applications, including some games. Laptops of the Core Duo family have two processors mounted on the motherboard. Those processors split similar tasks and are perfect for multitask systems such as Ms Windows XP. Two or more processors gives you warranty that the operating system runs smooth and saves you loads of time.

Now cooling is extremely important. If you plan to buy a used one, be sure to ask the previous owner if the computer needs extra cooling (sometimes the little-built in fan is not enough). If the laptop suddenly goes off without a warning, it’s a good sign that it’s overheating. If you plan on traveling with your laptop often – buy a computer with a decent cooling. There are also external laptop cooling pads available, but the’re not too handy, so they’ll do well for home users only.

Memory and disk space: Memory is crucial to the multitask operating system such as MS Windows. Each application you run at a given time takes a bite out of memory. If you open many windows and applications at once and often, don’t even think going below 2GB on your laptop. As for disk space – make sure, you will have enough for your needs. 80 GB is a must, and if you like to gather files or download tons of pictures, look for double the space.

Graphic chipset/card: If you work with graphics or still want to play some games, you don’t want to buy a laptop that has an integrated graphics card. Trust me on this one. A integrated card uses up the system memory and is not as fast as stand-alone cards. If you want faster graphic cards invest in a laptop with Geforce or any other card that has those two: a accelerator on and it’s own memory chipsets on board.

Battery life: The longer the battery life, the better. With Core Duo average battery life lasts for about 3,5 hour. That is pretty decent. To prolong the life look for a laptop without the unnecessary components ( For instance – you save a lot of energy when you turn off wireless network adapter, so if you don’t need one, look for a pc without it on board. Alternatively you can buy a pc with a button that let’s you conveniently turn the WN feature off )

Look for these extra features that might be crucial to you; sound card, wireless network adapter, on-board internet camera, touch pad or stick and so on. Make sure the weight, shape and size of the unit suit both your room and your personality. 

Step four. Chose your laptop model and compare the prices.

There are services online which help you decide, which model to purchase considering the price. Portals like Bizzarre.com or Pricegrabber.com let you compare the price of a particular units in different stores and in places like Amazon. Additional research pays off.

Step five. You want to buy a used laptop ?

Make sure, that the offer is safe and the computer you want to buy is still in good shape. It would be great if you could personally visit the person selling the laptop to check, that everything is in order, that the computer is perfectly intact and there is no parts missing. Check the keyboard. Turn it on and make sure that every component is working, including the sound card and graphics card. Also, you might want to rent a laptop. For your current situation, it may be the best decision.

If you don’t have the leisure to visit the seller personally, ask, if you can take the computer for a try first. If want to take it, ask if you may return it later in case anything wrong pops up. Check, if the computer is still on warranty(when you buy an used unit, be prepared, that it may no longer be on warranty). Also make sure, that there is a good computer service in your area that can do some maintenance for your new laptop in the future (make sure, that the service will accept the computers brand you’re about to purchase)

That about covers the topic. Last piece of advice would be: if you want to buy anything, and you don’t know much about it, don’t hesitate and ask your more experienced friends for advice. They’ll be glad to help.

If gaming is not a serious concern for you, go with the cheapest thing you can: Just about anything will run your word processor and browser. For an operating system, unless you are purchasing more than 3 GBs of RAM, try to stick with Windows XP: Support and compatibility are simply better at this point time. However, be aware that you will need a 64-bit operating system (Win7 64 is recommended) if you intend to exceed this amount of memory, as 32-bit operating systems such as XP are unable to effectively utilize more memory.

The next important point in buying laptops on sale is to know where to look. For this, we turn to the Google. Key in a helpful query like notebooks on sale, and peruse the hits returned. Competitive price offers begin at the $200 range, but these lower-end models will not be suitable if you intend to use your computer for portable gaming. Under no circumstances, however, should you seriously consider spending more than about $800, which should be more than adequate.

Finally, take a look at the addon options provided: Some sort of external USB mouse can be very useful as the trackpad is not suited for precision control. While not normally recommended for a desktop PC, the extended warranty of up to 3 years is worth considering: Laptop computers often have high failure rates due to battery failure, loss of external components such as the rubber feet, friction wear of the built-in mouse touchpad, and failure from overheating. As laptops are not particularly user-serviceable, you can’t count on being able to fix this yourself or have a technical friend fix it for you: When laptops fail, they pretty much have to be sent back, and that means you’ll want the warranty. Be sure to keep track of when your warranty will expire and send it back for one last servicing before it does, and get those lost rubber feet, the dead battery, damaged power jacks, and other wear-and-tear issues fixed up for the last time.

With all this in mind, an external hard drive is a worthwhile consideration, to back up all your data when you send it in. Expect to have to do this! Plan ahead, because within a year of the warranty expiring, you’ll be the proud owner of a doorstop, paperweight, or brick. Good thing you know how to get cheap new laptops, right?

This first submission is a site that provides information about pink laptops and where to find them! You’ll also find basic computing information like virus protection and tips to make your computer run better.

It use to be that everyone thought (or were led to believe) they had to replace their laptop power cord with one from the original manufacture. That’s just not the case anymore. There are many options when it comes to replacing your laptop adapter such as a universal power supply or even a refurbished cord. Either option can save you some significant cash as opposed to going straight to the manufacturer.

If you’re a young girl and looking for a portable computer a little bit out of ordinary, a pink laptop is what you need. These devices combine all the characteristics of a classic notebook, like portability, power and ergonomics, but also offer a more pink girlish and vivid finish. On this blog you’ll find all there is to know about best pink laptops and suitable accessories that every girl and young woman would love.

With the launch of the iPad, the world of portable computing has taken a new direction. The iPad is certainly innovative, but when you combine it with some of the great iPad accessories, for many it could replace the need for a laptop, while for others it is going to be a great new gadget to get their hands on.

In today’s digitally connected world, the Mini Laptop has helped people to be continuously in touch with each other. These laptops are small, light weight and have given a new dimension to Internet connectivity. People can now collaborate, work on projects, share documents & notes even without using the office desk.

There you have it!! I hope you’ve enjoyed this Laptop Carnival and we look forward to hosting it again!!

The Acer Aspire Timeline laptop has to be the thinnest as well as the lightest laptop with a normal size laptop screen. I know there are those little laptops out there for $300 , but they don’t have the RAM nor the hard drive space as most others. The Timeline comes with three different size screen to chose from. The smallest being 13.3″ and the largest measuring at 15.6″. The Acer Aspire Timeline models are all about once inch think, with the heaviest one weighing only 5.3lbs.

As for the quality of the laptop, it’s just a good as any other brand of laptops out there. The Acer Aspire Timeline has at least 3 GB of RAM as well as 160GB of hard drive. You can have more of each if you want, but if you’re looking for very cheap laptops, you will easily get by with the basic hardware. The lowest price that I’ve found for one of these is $399.

As usual, there are many different ways that you could upgrade the base unit, but it will cost you quite a bit more. If you’re going to be just on the internet, checking emails, or any other of the basic things, the basic unit is more than what you’ll need. If someone who likes to play online games, or some of the those types of game that you need to download on to your laptop, then you will need a little more muscle in your laptop.

Either way this Acer notebook computer is a good laptop for sale and will do what you”ll need it to do. With it being one of the thinnest ones out there, you won”t have a problem carrying it around.

Reviewed April 2010

One of the most popular laptops on sale for students is the Toshiba Satellite. You will find several great features such as the 15.6 inch screen that will help you to have everything that you need for typing notes and doing research. This laptop comes with the latest version of Windows which is Windows 7 and has all of the storage you need for saving your documents that will be important for your classes. You will have 500 Gigabytes of storage which means that you will be able to store four years worth of notes. You will also get a DVD drive, an Intel Core processor, and a great graphics package making this one of the best cheap laptops to study for finals on.

Another great laptop for sale that college students like is the Compaq Presario. You will get many similar features that you will get with the above Toshiba including Windows 7 and a 15.6 inch display, but this laptop has a few different features. One thing you may notice is that it has half of the storage capacity of the Toshiba with a 250 Gigabyte hard drive, but that is still more than enough space to store your notes for the four years you will be in college. Also, instead of just having a DVD player you will get a DVD +/- R burner. That means you can make backup copies of your favorite movies or make presentations for your classes on a DVD disc.

There are a lot of other very cheap laptops that are perfect for college students that you may want to check out, but these two will give you plenty to make it through all of your classes and perform all of the tasks and assignments that you will have. If you are going to be attending college you will need to have a good laptop with you at all times.

Update: One of our long time readers, ‘Rick TLA’ gave us his suggestions for five of the cheapest laptops currently on the market.

1. 7” laptop by Ubisurfer: This 7” screen laptop is a product from Ubisurfer, a UK based company. They are offering free internet with the laptop. School students normally needs laptops for writing, painting and for doing internet browsing. So they don’t need any high quality laptops. The ubisurfer laptop can be used for all the purposes. There is no in built CD/DVD optical drive with the laptop. The specifications are, it comes out with 128MB RAM and 1GB hard drive. The cost of the laptop is just $180.

2. Laptop from Champion brand: This is one of the most cheapest mini laptop. Its been on the store with a one year warranty. Laptop has got a wider screen about 10.2”. the specifications are, N270 Intel Atom processor with 1GB RAM and 250 GB hard disk.Its cost is $328

3. ASUS Eee Pc 1005HA: This laptop has got lot of advanced techniques than the above ones. It has got 6 cell battery, used for playing videos. This laptop also has got 1 year warranty. The specifications are , a N280 processor with 1 GB Ram and 160nGB hard disk space.Its cost is about $383

4. Aspire One Laptop-AOD250: this laptop has got an in built multiple card reader and a wide display 10.1”. The laptop also got a web camera. The specifications are, a N280 Atom processor with a speed of 1.66 GHz and 1 GB RAM and 160GB hard disk space. It costs $428

5. Lenovo Ideapad S10 Laptop: This laptop is available in two colors, black and grey. The major advantage is that it has got 6hrs of battery power. The screen size is 10.1”. The specifications are, a N280 Atom processor, 1Gb RAM and 160GB hard disk space. The operating system installed is windows Vista, which can change according to the user need. The cost of the product is $437.

Reader Question: What is the most inexpensive laptop (brand and model) that you’re bought and were you satisfied with it?  

Smaller and more convenient weighing in at 2 and a half pounds each, they feature a 10 inch screen and both come in a variety of bright colours. One would be surprised at how easy they are to use as well, seeing as they both feature a keyboard that is about 90% the size of a normal one.

Now for the differences folks. Price: Dell costs $239 and boasts 24 hour shipment and HP costs $229 and is available locally. The slight difference between the two does not indeed change the fact that these netbooks which work as well and as fast as a basic laptop cost half as much as their larger counterparts. Shopping for cheap new laptops is not hard when you know what each company offers.

One thought is that although they are a bit less beefy than larger screen laptop computers they are still only about a year behind and have a great price for the service they offer. RAM on each is 1GB and hard drive for each is about 60GB, great for a normal computer user.

The best function besides price is style. Compact, attractive and available in many colors they look great and somewhat futuristic at any age. WiFi makes it an ideal toy for checking email at the cafe or looking up quick facts at the lunchroom or library before a meeting.

Yes, there are a lovely variety of protective cases available for 10 inch netbooks, many of which are designed to look like a purse with art or floral patterns. If I were to choose a brand I would choose the HP in pink.

Although the Dell netbook has convenient options like payment plans, 48 hour delivery and a toll free technical assistance line for Dell owners, the HP has a slight edge in price and is generally of better quality and longevity. Dell has much better choice of colour in a multitude of strong candy-coloured casings but overall HP is still thinner, sleeker and more attractive. There are some cheap Dell laptops on the market though that might be just what you need.

If this does not sound like the type of device for you, then consider it for a young one on your gift list, as it is cheap and a fun starter computer. The best of luck selecting your next computing device.

Many computer companies will refurbish computers and sell them for a discounted price. The company Apple is well known for this. These computers are sent back to the companies, fixed, wiped clean of any viruses and personal data from the previous user, and sold. Something to take into consideration is that when buying these cheap laptops, most times they are sold without a warranty. Sometimes this is a deal breaker for some people and others are okay with this. It all depends on your comfort with the brand.

Buying a slightly older model -
When looking for a computer, sometimes older is better. Many computers these days have features on them that are useful to more tech savvy people. If you are not one of these people or simply use your computer to browse the internet or simple things like that, then you don’t need the extra bells and whistles that these computers come with. The HP computer brand is a good computer to do this with. They are constantly releasing a new computer model every 4 to 6 months so if you bought an older model, you wouldn’t be as behind on the newest technology. Most times, computer stores sell the older models of cheap laptopsfor a discounted price. Take advantage of this and find a good deal on a new but, older computer, that will most likely suit you better.

When offered a rebate, use it! Nowadays, so that you will buy from their stores, most offer some sort of reimbursement program or rebate offer. They tell you that as long as you buy a computer and some accessory, such as a laptop bag or skin to cover it, they will give you a card that you can mail in to get anywhere from 50 to 200 dollars back. Most of the time this works out in your favor. You get a new model laptop, an accessory, and you end up getting it cheaper than you would before. Many computer brands such as, HP and Compaq offer this.