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The cheapest laptops | |
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 Justin Jaffe Senior editor |
Updated September 29, 2005 Most people simply don't need a $3,000 laptop. Unless you're a hard-core gamer, a multimedia pro, or an obsessive audiophile, you can probably make do with an inexpensive notebook. The good news is that today's average-performing systems are often powerful enough to give you what you need to surf the Web, spit out some e-mail, and watch a movie or two. We present to you the least-expensive laptops we've seen over the past year or so. Many of them are configurable and start well below $1,000. But don't be fooled: there are even less expensive options out there. CNET has been scouring the PC landscape for the cheapest notebooks money can buy. We've been evaluating bargain-bin systems from Dell, HP, Gateway, Toshiba, and others--all of which come in at less than $1,000. Stay tuned for the results. More resources
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| Product name |
HP Pavilion dv1000 |
Apple iBook G4 (12-inch) |
Acer TravelMate 2355LCi |
Toshiba Tecra A5-S116 |
Compaq Presario V2000Z |
Lenovo ThinkPad R52 1859 (Pentium M 740 1.73 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB HDD) |
Averatec 1000 |
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| Review date | August 27, 2004 | November 29, 2005 | September 20, 2005 | September 8, 2005 | August 22, 2005 | April 27, 2005 | June 28, 2005 |
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Editors' rating (Editors' rating explained) |
6.7
Good |
7.0
Very good |
5.1
Average |
5.0
Average |
5.3
Average |
6.2
Good |
6.2
Good |
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| Buying choices |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
Prices from online stores: Searching for pricing data... |
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| Product videos |
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| Review summary | The HP Pavilion dv1000 is a solid and sensibly priced system for students, families, and small-business users who want to work and play on the road. | Though it's less powerful than the PowerBook, the reasonably priced 12-inch iBook G4 has a well-designed case, long battery life, and great software, which make it a good choice for anyone seeking a solid entry-level laptop. | The TravelMate 2355LCi has enough power for basic productivity work, and you can't beat its rock-bottom price--but its battery life is well below average. | The Tecra A5 offers sufficient performance and a decent array of features for most business users, but you can find less expensive options. | The Compaq Presario V2000Z's feature set and low base price are appealing, but you can get superior speed and battery life from slightly more expensive mainstream notebooks. | Businesses seeking a sturdy, secure, portable workhorse should consider the IBM ThinkPad R52. | The well-designed, ultraportable Averatec 1000 has neither the endless battery life nor the high price of the competition. |
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| Product series | See all products in this series | See all products in this series | N/A | See all products in this series | See all products in this series | See all products in this series | N/A |
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| My Products | |||||||
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| User comments | 7.4 Very good (from 147 users) | 8.1 Excellent (from 71 users) | Be one of the first to rate this product! | Be one of the first to rate this product! | 8.1 Excellent (from 44 users) | 8.2 Excellent (from 6 users) | 6.7 Good (from 30 users) |
| Basic Specs | |||||||
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 13.1 in x 1.2 in x 9 in | 11.2 in x 9.1 in x 1.3 in | 13.2 in x 11.1 in x 1.4 in | 13.5 in x 9.5 in x 1.5 in | 9.1 in x 13.2 in x 1.3 in | 12.4 in x 10.2 in x 1.5 in | 10.5 in x 8 in x 1.4 in |
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| Weight | 5.26 lbs | 4.9 lbs | 6 lbs | 5.3 lbs | 5.4 lbs | 6.2 lbs | 3.5 lbs |
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| Processor | Intel Pentium M 1.5 GHz Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) | Motorola PowerPC G4 1.33 GHz | Intel Celeron M 360 / 1.4 GHz | Intel Celeron M 370 / 1.5 GHz | AMD Turion 64 2 GHz | Intel Pentium M 740 / 1.73 GHz | Intel Pentium M 733 / 1.1 GHz Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) |
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| Cache Memory | 1 MB - L2 cache | 512 KB - L2 cache | 1 MB - L2 cache | 1 MB - L2 cache | 256 KB - L2 cache | 2 MB - L2 cache | 2 MB - L2 cache |
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| RAM | 512 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - SDRAM - 266 MHz - DDR266/PC2100 | 512 MB (installed) / 1.5 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 333 MHz - PC2700 | 512 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 266 MHz ( 2 x 256 MB ) | 256 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 333 MHz - PC2700 | 256 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM | 256 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM - 533 MHz - PC2-4200 | 512 MB (installed) / 2 GB (max) - DDR SDRAM - 333 MHz - PC2700 |
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| Hard Drive | 80 GB - 4200 rpm | 40 GB - 4200 rpm | 60 GB | 40 GB - 5400 rpm | 40 GB | 40 GB - 4200 rpm | 80 GB - 4200 rpm |
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| Optical Storage | CD-RW/DVD | CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo - Integrated | CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo - Integrated | CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo | CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo | CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo - Plug-in module | CD-RW / DVD-ROM combo - Integrated |
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| Graphics Controller | Intel Extreme Graphics 2 | ATI Mobility Radeon 9550 - 32 MB | Intel Extreme Graphics 2 - 64 MB | Intel GMA 900 | ATI RADEON XPRESS 200M - 32 MB | Intel GMA 900 | Intel Extreme Graphics 2 |
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| Networking | Network adapter - Ethernet , - Fast Ethernet | Network adapter - Ethernet , - IEEE 802.11g , - IEEE 802.11b , - Fast Ethernet , - Bluetooth | - IEEE 802.11g , - Fast Ethernet , - IEEE 802.11b , Network adapter - Ethernet | Network adapter - Ethernet , - IEEE 802.11g , - IEEE 802.11b , - Fast Ethernet | - Ethernet , - Fast Ethernet | Network adapter - Ethernet , - IEEE 802.11g , - IEEE 802.11b , - Gigabit Ethernet , - Fast Ethernet | - IEEE 802.11g , - Fast Ethernet , - IEEE 802.11b , Network adapter - Ethernet |
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| Battery | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Lithium ion | Lithium ion |
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| OS Provided | Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition | Apple MacOS X 10.4 | Microsoft Windows XP Professional | Microsoft Windows XP Professional | Microsoft Windows XP Home SP 2 | Microsoft Windows XP Professional | Microsoft Windows XP Professional |
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| Product name | HP Pavilion dv1000 | Apple iBook G4 (12-inch) | Acer TravelMate 2355LCi | Toshiba Tecra A5-S116 | Compaq Presario V2000Z | Lenovo ThinkPad R52 1859 (Pentium M 740 1.73 GHz, 256 MB RAM, 40 GB HDD) | Averatec 1000 |
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| Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications | Full specifications |
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| Price range |
This product is no longer available.
View all HP Notebooks | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available |
This product is not currently available.?Click here for HP's latest offerings
| Email me when this product is available | Email me when this product is available |
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