BEST SUB-$500 LAPTOP OVERALL: ACER ASPIRE 5
With its affordable price point, decent performance, and robust build, the Acer Aspire 5 is an excellent sub-$500 option. The Intel Core i5 processor keeps things relatively zippy, and performance is fast enough for general-use tasks like writing emails and browsing the web.
The 14-inch LCD 1080p display is reasonably sharp and vibrant, which is great for working on documents or streaming video. This machine also comes with
8GB of RAM, which is plenty for quickly firing up applications. The keyboard is rather nice, too.
In our review, the tester was pleasantly surprised by the keyboard’s “durable feel.” It has a spacious layout, which is perfect for longer typing sessions. Although the keyboard lacks backlighting (not surprising given the price) and the touchpad is a bit difficult to use, we feel the pros far outweigh the cons here.
If you’re shopping around for a solid everyday laptop that won’t break the bank, the Aspire 5 is definitely worth a look.