For Home Use, Spend Around $500 on a New Laptop
With so many different laptops currently being sold, it can be difficult to decide which specific brand and model to go with. For some, deciding how much to spend on a laptop can seem like a complicated concept. A decent laptop should not cost a fortune. It’s possible to purchase a laptop around $500 that is more than capable for use at home for things like email, HD YouTube, Word/Excel, photo and video management, Zoom calls, and casual web browsing. If taken care of, a new $500 laptop should last at least 5 years, if not more.
In our opinion… some of the best laptops around $500 available today include:
*Based on reviews gathered from Staples, Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Canada Computers, and other websites linked below.
This price range still ensures key features such as high screen resolution, long battery life, decent storage capacity (256 GB), and dependable performance (8 GB of RAM).
Nothing triggers buyer's remorse more than seeing a product go on sale just shortly after you purchased it at a higher price. Similarly, it's displeasing to purchase a new laptop and then watch as a more advanced model releases soon after. Nonetheless, the price on most laptops fluctuates, and newer models are constantly being released which raises the question: When is the best time to buy a laptop?
The best time of the year to purchase a new laptop at its lowest price is during back-to-school season (August to September) and the holiday season (November to December). Typically, companies release newer laptop models during the spring season (March to May), so you might find a deal on older models during that time.
Lastly, it’s important to test out the laptop you’re considering before buying it. You want it to “feel right”. Many laptops are available for testing in-person at stores allowing you to play around with the screen, touchpad, keyboard, and other components that substantially differ from model to model. With stores like BestBuy offering several models on display, it provides consumers the opportunity to compare their top choices with a real, hands-on experience of what each model offers. If going into a store to test out the laptop in-person is not a feasible option, purchase from an online source with a clear, trustworthy return policy.
In case you’d like to read up on the laptops mentioned in this post, check out our sources:
https://www.digitaltrends.com/laptop-reviews/hp-chromebook-14-review/
https://www.techburns.com/lenovo-ideapad-3-81w0003qus-review/
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Asus-M509DA-EJ025T.462758.0.html
- Kelly Tong (Technology Reporter/Researcher @ Tech Coaches)