There are not many variations in all the laptops that are priced below 300 dollars, that are available for sale today. You cannot expect great specifications for this price, and you must accept the fact that you may be getting a slightly inferior machine…
If you’re looking to buy a laptop which costs less than 300 dollars, then you must be prepared to compromise on certain qualities and specifications about the machine that you are purchasing. In all likelihood, the machine will be a second hand one and will have been used by someone else. Finding new machine at this price is very difficult, and even if you can locate one, the specifications will be very low indeed.
Once you are aware of this, you can go ahead and make a choice regarding the machine you want. There are plenty of sources to get used and refurbished laptop computers, and you will need to pick one wisely. The most obvious source for such machines is the Internet, and you can get some truly great deals here if you search well. Purchasing a machine from your friend, or a computer store known to you is also a good idea.
When you go ahead and buy refurbished a laptop, you need to have some basic knowledge about the hardware and software components of the machine. With this knowledge, you can upgrade the machine yourself as and when you see fit. Now, since it is impossible to make a list of used laptop computers under $300 that you can find from these sources, we will be listing some new machines that are available in the market for sale in this price range. Do not expect a very advanced machine in this price range though.
Cheap Laptops Under 300 Dollars
First, we need to understand that most of the big and well-known brands do not manufacture machines in this price range. And even if they do, they will be very basic machines that would be unsuitable for performing advanced tasks and running heavy applications on. Consider the purpose for which you need a laptop carefully, before you decide on a budget for yourself.
Asus Eee PC 1005HAB Netbook
With an Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive space, Windows XP operating system and a 10.1 inches display screen all available for less than $300, this machine represents true value for money.
Acer Aspire One AO531H-1440
Acer is one of the best brands. This machine will cost you about $279, and comes with an Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor, 160GB hard drive space, 1GB RAM, Windows XP operating system and a 10.1 inches display screen. There are many more models of Acer that you can look at, like the Acer Aspire One AO531H-1766, Acer Aspire One AOD250-1962 Netbook and the Acer Aspire One AOD250-1924 Netbook. All these machines belong to the Acer Aspire One series and offer similar configurations at an affordable price that falls under $300, and these are some of the most popular cheap laptops for students.
Lenovo IdeaPad S10-3 0647-2AU
Lenovo is another good brand to consider if you’re looking for cheap laptop computers. This machine has an Intel Atom N455 1.66 GHz processor, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive space, a 10.1 inches display screen and Windows XP operating system. If you’ve noticed, the specifications for screen size, RAM and hard drive space is pretty similar for all these machines. Expecting more than this for less than $300 would be highly unrealistic.
Toshiba NB305-N301 Netbook
If you search well enough, you can get some good laptop deals on Toshiba as well, though their performance is not as good as Acer or a Lenovo. This machine will cost you slightly less than $300, and it comes with a 1.0 GHz Intel Atom N450 processor, a 10.1 inches display screen, 1GB RAM, 160GB hard drive space and an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator as well. The graphics card is a bonus, but the downside is that the configuration is not sufficient enough to facilitate heavy graphics on the machine.
Apart from these machines, there are some other brands that you can find as well. The Samsung N150 will get you one of the best laptop deals, the Gateway LT2023u is also great value for money, and if you search well enough, you could even find a Dell laptop or even better, an Apple MacBook in this price range. As hard as it may be to believe, but you can also get deals under 100 or 200 dollars.
However, the configurations on all these machines will be similar to the ones mentioned here, and the screen size will also be much smaller. This is a compromise you will have to make if you are buying a new machine. A used one can give you better specifications, but also the knowledge that it has been used before, and this could affect its performance.