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Are you in the market for a new laptop?
Then, we’ve got two great news for you.
First is that there are a plethora of options available for you on the market.
Second is that you don’t have to pay north of $1,000 to get a quality daily driver for basic use – you won’t even have to spend more than $750!
These days, even when you’re on a tight budget, you no longer have to make a lot of compromises, especially in terms of quality, when shopping for a new laptop.
From browsing the internet to storing files, as well as the occasional reports, research, and even some light gaming, these are, in no particular order, the 10 best laptops available out there on the market for basic, lightweight use.
1. Acer Chromebook Spin 11
Chromebooks have come a long way, and with the Acer Chromebook Spin 11, you’ve got, arguably, the best basic laptop for kids and teenagers alike.
Why? Because, among other things, this 2-in-1 convertible can withstand all sorts of abuse, including but not limited to drops and water spills.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 11 also comes with a wacom stylus, as well as two of each of USB-C and USB 3.0 ports.
Not to mention, it runs on Chrome OS, as well as boasts compatibility with Android apps, which is great.
The only con is that the Acer Chromebook Spin 11 has a below-average low-resolution 11.6-inch screen with a stylus that’s rather easy to lose.
With the affordable price, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.
2. Acer Chromebook 514
Budget machines aren’t supposed to look good nor be durable, but the Acer Chromebook 514 is both and comes with a great price.
A big touchpad, as well as a comfortable backlit keyboard gives off the illusion that this isn’t your typical budget laptop.
Unfortunately, what’s housed inside could do a bit better, such as its rather turtle-like Intel Celeron N3350 processor and a pair of spotty speakers.
So long as you can live with both, the Acer Chromebook 514 isn’t half-bad.
3. Acer Aspire E15 (E5-576G-5762)
In a world where manufacturers are saying goodbye to DVD drives, legacy ports like HDMI outputs and Ethernet jacks, as well as the ability to let end-users add a new memory stick or two or a larger hard drive, the Acer Aspire E15 stands out as a modern fossil.
Mind you, this fossil has a lot of power under the hood.
With a 15.6-inch Full-HD screen, as well as a Intel Core i5-8250U and an Nvidia MX150 graphics card, the Acer Aspire E15 is a workhorse for those looking for nothing more than a capable and trusty laptop with solid everyday performance.
With a justified price, the Acer Aspire E15 is an easy sell and tough to recommend against.
4. Lenovo Flex 11
Entry-level 2-in-1 laptops on Windows can have all of the basics down pat but will either feel cheap or lack the power to let you slog through most of your basic productivity tasks.
The Lenovo Flex 11 and it’s lower-range price tag is one of the lone exceptions.
Yes, it doesn’t have a stylus.
It also has tiny, mediocre speakers.
Not to mention, the display’s viewing angles leave a lot to be desired. But, for all the corners that the Lenovo Flex 11 cut, it’s still able to deliver arguably the most affordable 2-in-1 on the market that will handle all of the basic processes that you throw it.
So long as you keep your expectations tempered, the Lenovo Flex 11 is a winner.
5. ASUS Transformer Mini
If you’re looking for a workhorse that you can ride on for complex and heavy processing tasks, the ASUS Transformer Mini isn’t it.
But, if you want to have a beautiful svelte machine at a medium range price tag with wide display viewing angles, it’ll be difficult to find any other 2-in-1 on the market that can offer you a comfortable experience, regardless of whether you’re sitting on your desk or lying down on your bed.
6. ASUS VivoBook F510UA
What happens when you stick a capable Intel Core i5 7th generation laptop processor to a slim and sleek laptop with a large 15.6-inch Full-HD display, as well as a couple of bells and whistles that you wouldn’t expect from machines at the higher-end price point?
You get a fairly capable desktop replacement, or, in this case, the ASUS VivoBook F510UA.
If you’re looking for a daily driver as much as you’re looking for an alternative to having a desktop, you’ll that there’s very few that can go toe-to-toe with the ASUS VivoBook F510UA.
7. Lenovo Thinkpad E590
Equipped with the latest Whiskey Lake Intel CPUs, the latest Lenovo Thinkpad business laptop, the E590, continues the tradition from its predecessor is the complete package, with a serviceable CPU and GPU combo, as well as a Full HD IPS display panel and finally, a backlit keyboard with the signature travel that Lenovo’s ThinkPad line of laptops have long been known for.
The Lenovo Thinkpad E590, at its most basic configuration, is less of a basic laptop and more of a basic business laptop.
Then again, who cares anyway?
Lenovo has a winner with the Thinkpad E590 once again, and if you need a daily driver with a bit more oomph than the others we recommended on our list, then this is what you go with.
8. Acer Swift 3 (SF315-41G-R6MP)
Any one of the many configurations of the Acer Swift 3 will give you a lot of value within the medium-high price range, making it one of the most complete packages in the segment.
The one we’re looking at, in particular, houses the AMD Ryzen 7 2700U and a Radeon RX 540 GPU, making this Acer Swift 3 excellent for both gaming and productivity.
But, it’s not just the components that make the Acer Swift 3 worth the money, it’s all how everything inside it is housed.
Weighing just 4.6 pounds and just a little over half an inch thick, the Acer Swift 3 is thin, light, and powerful, all without being held back by its thermals.
Everything else, like the above-average surround sound experience thanks to Acer’s TrueHarmony sound system, as well as a backlit keyboard and a surprisingly responsive gesture-supporting touchpad, are bonuses that make this deal even sweeter.
9. Dell Inspiron 14 5481
The Dell Inspiron 14 5481 boasts a bevy of configurations that you can choose from, and each one is a steal at the sub mid-range price point.
A 2-in-1 convertible laptop that’s equipped with the latest Whiskey Lake processors just don’t come this cheap. This is especially true if it’s equipped with a speedy 256 SSD, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, as well as support for 10-point multi-touch, and not to mention, it can bend up to 360 degrees.
Put simply, unless you need more real-estate on the go, the Dell Inspiron 14 5481 is the quintessential daily driver.
10. Lenovo Yoga 730
The latest Lenovo Yoga 730 continues Lenovo’s Yoga line of laptop’s promise to deliver stylish yet powerful laptops that are relatively easy to carry on the go.
A 2-in-1 with a 15-inch screen and powered by an Intel Core i5 8th-generation processor plus a 256GB SSD, it’s safe to say that the Lenovo Yoga 730 will let you do both basic and advanced tasks – and plenty more should you require it to.
Power isn’t the only thing that makes the Lenovo Yoga 730 worth every bit of its high-range price tag, however.
From its lightweight chassis to its exceptional battery life, as well as a wide slew of added features like a finger print scanner, this is a 2-in-1 that’s capable of punching well above its price range.
Basic and Affordable Doesn’t Have to Mean Flimsy and Slow
These days, we’re blessed with multiple manufacturers at each other’s throat, looking to one-up each other every opportunity they can get so people will buy what they are offering.
This tight competition has led to better quality at much lower price points than ever before.
Basically, what we’re trying to say is, there’s no better time to buy a laptop than it is today.
So, what are you waiting for?
The 10 laptops we recommended for basic use are varied enough to give you plenty of options to choose from, allowing you to walk away with the laptop that you need that’s bought at the price point that you can afford.
