Top 8 Laptops Under $1,000 -- (Except The Mac)
2008 guide to laptops
8 TOP PICKS
Acer Aspire 4720
This $600 number has a crisp 14-inch screen that's not too small and offers adequate video playback performance, if you don't push it too hard. If you can spare an extra $80, definitely double the memory to 2 gigabytes to take greater advantage of the Intel Core 2 Duo processor.
Asus Eee PC 900The king of the mini-laptops, the $650 EeePC 900 has a 9-inch screen that will have you scrolling a bit to see a full Web page, but the performance is a step up from last year's EeePC that defined this category.
Dell Studio 15For about $850, you can get a sharp 15-inch screen with a DVD writer, 3 gigabytes of memory and a long-lasting battery. It's a budget computer that doesn't feel budget.
Fujitsu LifeBook A6210
The 15-inch screen isn't the sharpest, but it comes with a DVD writer and 3 gigabytes of memory, for about $900. You'll get used to the slightly cramped keyboard but praise its durability.
Hewlett-Packard's $750 entry in the mini-laptop game is an established favorite.
MacBook, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air
You'll spend more for a Mac (at least $1,100), but they come loaded with hardware and software that cost extra on other machines, so you're ready to go right out of the box. Plus, they have an undeniable cool factor, and if you want, you can buy the Vista operating system from a store and install it on your computer to give you Mac-and-Windows flexibility.
A newcomer to the mini-laptop game, the $500 MSI Wind has a 10-inch screen that, like many displays in this price range, seems washed out in bright sun. With its bigger screen, more comfortable keyboard and comparable performance, the Wind challenges the Asus Eee PC 900.
The $900 A305 carries on the Toshiba Satellite tradition of providing all-around value. It's heavier than many of the computers on this list, but with a 320 gigabyte hard drive and 4 gigabytes of memory standard, it is a winner.