Top 5 Cost Effective Yet Fully Loaded Notebooks

Laptop has become more of a necessity for students, entrepreneurs, employees and entertainment lovers. This portable computer provides the ease of having all the needed data even when one is on the road, flying or sitting thousand miles away form the home. There are many verities of laptops according to price and performance. As a lot of population is struggling hard to earn bread and butter; there is dire need of cost effective as well as high end laptops to be produced. Though there aren’t many options yet, but we still have few. Today, I will focus on good performing inexpensive notebooks that provide full functionality to the user and do not put burden on their pockets.

You should not forget that lesser money will provide you with lesser levels of performance.

· Asus U50F-RBBAG05:

This laptop comes on top of my rating of budget and inexpensive laptops. With a nice i3 processor and 4GB of memory, this notebook is bound to take you by surprise with relatively nice price of $649.

Specs:

· Manufacturer: Asus

· Laptop type: Budget, Mainstream, Mid-size

· Dimensions: 15.2” x 10.5” x 1.3”

· Weight: 6.4 lbs

· Color: Dark Brown

· Processor: Intel Core i3 i3-330M / 2.13 GHz

· Technology: dual core

· 64 bit computing

· Data bus speed: 1066 MHz

· Chipset type: Mobile Intel HM55 Express

· Cache memory type: L2 cache

· Cache size: 3MB

· Installed RA size: 4GB

· RAM Technology: DDR3 SDRAM

· Storage controller type: SATA

· HDD: 500 GB, Serial ATA 10 – 5400 rpm

· Portable hard drive

· Optical storage

· 8 in 1 card reader

· Display type: 15.6” TFT active matrix

· Max resolution: 1366 x 768 WXGA

· LED backlit, widescreen display

· Graphics: Intel D Graphics Dynamic Video Memory Technology 5.0

· Audio output type: Sound card

· High def audio

· Integrated webcam sensor resolution: 1.3 mp

· Input devices: Touchpad, Keyboard

· WLAN, Networking supported

· OS: MS Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit edition

· Software: Microsoft Office, Adobe Reader 9

Features:

Its design is not very flashy, yet it isn’t appalling either. You can see the glossy and shiny brown lid with black trim and Asus logo, and the inside matte brown finish will make you like it. You will find that the keyboard is a little raised above the surface. Top most row hosts speakers as well as two control buttons for power on/off and Asus quick launch OS. The battery is nicely located at the underside in the middle of both hinges, and does not give a bulging effect. It is a six cell battery. Keyboard has a number pad, too. Though the raised keyboard seems nice; keys are a bit narrowly spaced and constricted. Touchpad is pretty spacious and has multi touch features.

Let’s come to the display now. The LED display is 15.6” in size and has native resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. Videos as well as still images look bright, vivid and crisp. You should not expect full HD at the price this laptop is being offered. As far as speaker sound is concerned, it is pretty respectable, though it isn’t extraordinary. Express card slot and eSATA port are nice additions. Keep in mind that Bluetooth is absent.

Product’s Unique Selling Points:

· Core i3 processor

· Nicely priced

· Relatively lightweight

· eSATA port

Limitations:

· Battery life is not up to the mark

· Gateway NV7915u:

This latest laptop is equipped with Intel Core i3 processor and has a large display. Moreover, the price tag is appreciable for the features and specs we are offered. Let us have a look at the specs of this laptop.

Specs:

· Notebook type: Mid size laptop

· Color: night-sky black

· Dimensions: 16.2” x 11.0” x 1.4”

· Weight: 7.4 lbs

· Processor: Intel Core i3 330M / 2.13 GHz

· Data bus speed: 1066 MHz

· Cache memory type: L2 cache

· Cache size: 3 MB

· Installed RAM size: 4 GB / 8 GB (Max)

· RAM technology: DDR3 SDRAM

· Storage Controller Type: SATA

· HDD size: 500 GB

· Optical storage

· Display size: 17.3”

· Display type: TFT active matrix

· Max resolution: 1600 x 900

· Features: Ultra bright tech, High-def Widescreen

· Video memory: 128 MB

· Audio output type: sound card

· Input devices: keyboard, touchpad

· Fax modem

· OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium

· Software: Drivers & Utilities , Microsoft Works 9 , Microsoft Office Home and Student 200

· Price: $599.00

Features:

This is a laptop that will put a wide smile on your face due to its features, display size, performance and price tag. Glossy black and silver makes the outer lid, whereas the inside has decent matte finish. Above the keyboard, you will find a shiny black strip running across the length of keyboard. With the huge 17.3” display, it is surely a desktop replacement, and is thinner and lighter than most desktop replacements.

You wont be able to find the power button on the inside pane, as it is not located there. Instead, it can be found on the side of right hinge. Keyboard is adorable with quiet, flat keys. A number pad is also present. A strip of touch sensitive function keys rests on top of the keyboard, on the glossy black strip. The multimedia buttons are there on the Function keys. With multi touch technology in touchpad, you can easily zoom in and out, scroll your web pages and move back or forward while in browser.

Display is pretty big with 17.3” size and features 16:9 aspect ratio and LED backlighting. You will be pleased with the size while working on documents or browser windows side by side, as well as while watching movies. Webcam has 0.3 MP resolution and works okay. Speakers make us really happy as the sound is very nice both for movies and music.

With the nice price tag it bears, 500 GB HDD and Core i3 processor are high above our expectations. Multitasking is done in a good manner.

Product’s Unique Selling Points:

· Nicely priced

· Intel Core i3 processor

· HDMI port

· Nice keyboard with flat and wide keys

· Touchpad offers multi touch gesture support

· Very nice audio quality

· 500 GB HDD

Limitations:

· Tasteless mouse button bar

· Below average battery life

· Asus Eee PC 1001P:

Let us talk about the students’ needs. They have to work on MS Office or browse the internet for research purposes. For them, netbooks are the best choice. These mini laptops offer all of the major attributes of a notebook minus few features that can be compromised. Asus Eee PC 1001P is one such example of a computing device that lies inside the budget line of students, along with offering full functionality.

Let us have a look at its specs.

Specs:

· Type: budget

· Color: white texture

· Dimensions: 10.3” x 7” x 1”

· Weight: 2.8 lbs

· Processor: Intel Atom N450 1.66 GHz

· Data bus speed: 667 MHz

· Chipset type: Intel /nm10 Express

· Installed RAM size: 1 GB / 2 GB (MAX)

· RAM Technology: DDR2 SDRAM 667 MHZ

· HDD: 160 GB

· No optical storage

· Display type: TFT active matrix

· Display size: 10.1”, Widescreen display, LED backlit

· Graphic processor: Intel GMA 3150 Dynamic Video memory Technology 4.0

· High def audio

· 0.3 MP integrated webcam

· Input devices: keyboard, touchpad, webcam

· Multi touch touchpad

· OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Starter

· Price: $299

Features:

This time, the netbook-fame Asus has come up with a great performing netbook bearing a modest price tag of $299. The matte checkerboard design gives it fancy and expensive look. Inside, the keyboard has flat keys, placed a bit closely. Inside surface is also designed with checkerboard. The touch pad works pretty fine and has multi touch functionality. Display is okay and not very vivid. Wi-Fi is there, but you will miss BT and optical drive.

Product’s Unique Selling Points:

· Outstanding battery life

· Very nice price

· Attractive design

· Touch pad with multi touch functionality

Limitations:

· No Bluetooth

· Gateway NV5933u:

All of us know that getting a BD on laptop will cost us way more than an ordinary notebook. Gateway has solved this issue with its NV5933u which has a Blu-ray drive, HDMI out port and yet it’s a budget notebook. Let us look at its specs:

Specs:

· Dimensions: 14.66” x 10.99” x 1.46”

· Weight: 5.84 lbs

· Processor: Intel Core i3 330M, 2.13 GHz

· RAM: 4GB, DDR3 SDRAM 1066 MHz

· HDD: 320 GB

· Blu-ray Drive

· Display: 15.6” LED UltraBrite Widescreen display

· OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition / XP Professional downgrade

· Price: $649

Features:

Would you believe that you are getting a machine with Core i3 processor, 15: widescreen display and BD for only $649? Also, it has great looks with nice colors like cherry red, nightsky black, coffee brown and midnight blue. The flat and wide keys offer a nice typing experience. Touchpad has multi touch functionality. A touch sensitive LED-backlit panel lies above the keyboard for some functions like volume, Wi-Fi etc.

Display is nice, but not up to the mark when Blu-ray drive is kept in consideration. Audio is also okay.

Product’s Unique Selling Points:

· Blu-ray Drive

· HDMI out port

· Nice price

· Good color options

Limitations:

· Bad battery life

· No Bluetooth

· Screen resolution is not full HD, despite of Blu-ray Drive inclusion

· Mouse button are uncomfortable

· Dell Inspiron 15R:

This laptop offers good battery life and pretty design at a nice price.

Specs:

· Dimensions: 13.5” x 9.7” x 1.2”

· Weight: 6.7 lbs

· Processor: Intel Core i3 M350

· RAM: 4 GB DDR 1333MHz

· HDD: 500 GB

· Optical storage

· Display: 15.6”

· Graphics: Intel GMA HD

· OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit

· Price: $529 – $639

Features:

The lid has shiny finish with Dell logo in the centre. Wrist rest is metallic silver in contrast with matte black keyboard. Touch pad has matte finish with multi touch functionality and two mouse buttons below it. Display is quite nice. There are plenty of options for upgrading (as well as “degrading” like moving to a Pentium processor).

Product’s Unique Selling Points:

· Customization options

· Good design

· Nice price

· Good performance

· Great battery life

Limitations:

· Better upgrading options cost a fortune