How to Buy a Laptop on a Budget

Here's a question no one will ever ask you: Would you like a free laptop with that burger? Portable computers will never get so cheap they start coming with Happy Meals, but you might be surprised at just how inexpensive laptops are these days.

With many available for less than $1000, laptops are more attractive than ever for people who need to do computer work on the go, whether for work, school, or finishing The Great American Novel down at the coffee shop. But what can you get for your money when you don't have much to spend? These days less money buys more laptop than ever.

Will you regret low-balling an important investment like a laptop? The answer is probably not. Even the least-expensive portables have a lot to offer. Let's start at the bottom of the price scale and work our way up. (Note: PC prices change faster than the stock market, so prices noted in this story might be different by the time you check them out for yourself at the vendor's site.)