Best budget laptops

Considering the total package of features and price, the Acer Aspire M5 feels like a safe bet if you want an all-encompassing Windows 8 laptop with touch that won't cost a fortune.

Dell's Inspiron line continues to look sharper than its budget reputation would suggest. The new touch-enabled version of the 15z works as a reasonably priced Windows 8 laptop with a big screen and an optical drive.

For under $700, the Acer Aspire V5 proves that a touch screen can work in a budget-priced Windows 8 laptop without cutting too many corners.

It's great to see more touch-screen Windows 8 laptops under $600, but note that the Asus X202E requires some compromises in performance and battery life.

With a great design for the price and some better-than-expected graphics power, the HP Pavilion TouchSmart 15z-b000 Sleekbook may be worth overlooking its shortcomings if you're on a tight budget.

The $249 Samsung Chromebook is a good extra computer for cloud-loving Google-centric Web users.