Updated August 16, 2005

School's starting soon, and you need a good computer at a good price. We feel your need. We've rounded up four well-rounded budget laptops that will do the job whether you're at the library, in class, or in your dorm room. Whether it's the multimedia-friendly HP Pavilion dv1000 or students' favorite, the Apple iBook, you'll get a decent amount of performance for conducting Web research, pounding out term papers, and watching a few DVDs on or off campus. Best of all, these systems' prices hover at about $1,000, so you can spend your student loan money on important things, such as textbooks (and downloads from the iTunes Music Store). If you've got a little extra cash, check out our top-of-the-line laptops for students.

More resources

CNET's back-to-school gift guide  Editors' top notebooks

CNET's notebook buying guide