With a budget under 850 USD, you can still own some laptops and notebooks that offer great value for money. The products listed below start at just 599 USD, yet maintain high quality.
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| Source: Businessweek |
1. Hewlett-Packard Pavilion ze2000
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| Source: Businessweek |
Rating: 
Pros: Beautiful, bright screen, excellent sound quality.
Cons: Short battery life. Awkward hinge placement.
Conclusion: An acceptable product for the price, as long as you’re not overly concerned about battery longevity. Remember to get an additional mouse for yourself.
Price: 669 USD.
The large 15-inch screen has a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels and utilizes a technology called BriteView, similar to Toshiba’s TrueBrite. This allows for anti-glare properties and visibility from various angles, making it much easier on the eyes compared to some other screens. Enjoying videos on this screen feels very natural, almost like watching TV at home.
Another undeniable advantage of the Ze2000 is its excellent sound system. A pair of Altec Lansing speakers embedded within the chassis produce clear, crisp sound with a high volume, surpassing even Toshiba’s offerings. The keyboard is well-arranged and large enough for those “banana fingers.”
The HP Ze2000 runs on an AMD Sempron 3000+ processor with a speed of 1.8GHz. It also integrates an ATI Radeon Xpress 200M graphics card, along with a 40GB hard drive.
However, the most criticized aspect of this laptop is its short battery life. When playing a DVD movie, the machine will automatically shut down after just 83 minutes. Additionally, it has only two USB ports and lacks a 4-in-1 card reader. Weighing in at 6.29 pounds, the HP Ze2000 is the second heaviest in this Top 6 list.
2. Averatec 3700-EH1
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Source: BusinessWeek |
Rating: 
Pros: Excellent screen for the size of the device. Relatively long battery life, “super” sound.
Cons: The price of the 3700-EH1 is somewhat high compared to similarly sized machines. The keyboard is a bit small.
Conclusion: Inside a small, beautiful product is impressive power and admirable battery life.
Price: 850 USD.
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| Source: Businessweek |
Rating: 
Pros: Stunning display, very loud speakers, and good sound quality.
Cons: Short battery life due to the power-hungry screen.
Conclusion: Performance is top-notch, but the battery life is disappointing. If you can overlook this inconvenience, the Toshiba Satellite is truly a no-brainer choice.
Price: 650 USD
As a competitor to Sony, Toshiba’s Satellite notebook PCs can be considered on par with Sony Vaio in terms of design and especially multimedia features.
In the Top 6, the L25-S119 boasts the best display. The 15-inch screen uses TruBrite technology, allowing users to see clear images from multiple viewing angles. It also features a special anti-glare coating, reminiscent of a home television.
Regarding sound: the L25-S119 lacks bass and depth, but it is very clear and crisp. The specifications are quite perfect for a machine priced under 850 USD. It uses an Intel Celeron M370 chip, operating at 1.5GHz, with 256MB of RAM (somewhat low), but has a hard drive of 60GB, not to mention support for up to 2GB of external memory.
However, the battery life is terrible. When watching a DVD movie, the machine shuts down after just 53 minutes, half as long as the Gateway laptop.
4. Gateway NX200S
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Source: Businessweek |
Rating: 
Pros: Long battery life, lightweight, compact, and portable. Wide screen.
Cons: Screen darkening at edges and bezels. External speakers are nearly inaudible.
Conclusion: For its affordable price, the performance of the NX200S can be considered excellent.
Price: 599 USD.
Minimal cost, slim design, lightweight, and practicality are all that the NX200S offers you.
The battery life is surprisingly good. After inserting a DVD movie and adjusting the screen to maximum brightness, the Gateway lasts for up to 2 hours and 9 minutes, the longest in the Top 6.
Running on an Intel Celeron 1.4GHz chip, with 256MB of RAM and a 40GB hard drive. A welcomed feature is the 4-in-1 card reader, supporting four types of memory cards: SD, Memory Stick, Memory Stick Pro, and multimedia card.
5. Acer Aspire 3000
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| Source: Businessweek |
Rating: 
Pros: Convenient USB ports, headphone jack, and speaker connections.
Cons: Dull, dark screen, short battery life, unattractive design.
Conclusion: For a low price under 850 USD, this notebook offers only basic features. If you are looking for a multifunctional multimedia laptop, it’s best to spend your time searching elsewhere.
Price: 699 USD.
Despite its low price, you can still find most of the essential features in the Acer Aspire 3000, such as WiFi connectivity, a DVD/CD-RW drive for burning CDs and reading DVDs. This system runs on AMD’s Sempron chip, featuring a 15.4-inch wide-angle screen with a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels.
The “immediate” downside of the Aspire 3000 is its excessively dark screen and unacceptably short battery life. Among the Top 6, this is the machine with the shortest battery life. Not to mention, its design is relatively bulky and heavy compared to other models in the same category.
6. Compaq Presario V4000
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Source: Businessweek |
Rating:
Pros: Excellent sound quality, long battery life.
Cons: Heavy, not compatible with dynamic memory cards.
Conclusion: An average machine, but it seems other budget laptops might offer more.
Price: $749
It seems unusual for a major brand like Compaq to release a budget notebook. This can be seen as a product that is nothing remarkable, apart from bearing the HP logo and a price tag of around $749.
The machine primarily offers basic features, lacking the polish and shine of a high-tech notebook, as well as the appealing aspects that other products in the same category possess. The 15.4-inch screen is large but overly dim.
In terms of battery life, the Compaq only trails behind the Averatec 3700-EH1, lasting nearly 114 minutes. The sound quality is quite good. The JBL speakers embedded within the chassis deliver a robust volume. The volume control keys are conveniently placed right on the keyboard.
The V4000 lacks a card reader and only has 2 USB ports—meaning you have to choose between a mouse, printer, and digital music player if you want to connect them simultaneously. It is powered by an Intel Celeron M370 chip, clocked at 1.5GHz. Weighing in at 6.54 pounds, it is the heaviest among the other models in the Top 6.
Fate
