Five Value Laptops for Under $1000 Bucks

Finding a good laptop system for under a grand doesn't have to be hard.

Value laptops don’t always have to mean you end up with a hunk of junk and a blinking cursor staring back at you. Great notebook computers exist out there for under $1,000, having become more and more of a reality as prices on components like processors, RAM and hard drives continue to fall. While not all computers in this price range will have Windows Vista installed on them, some are ready to update when you are. And if you aren’t in a hurry to upgrade, you can find some great deals on Windows XP laptops. For some ideas on interesting laptop systems for under a grand, check out our list below.

Hewlett Packard Pavilion dv6105us
The Hewlett Packard Pavilion dv6105us, which debuted in September 2006, is an entertainment focused laptop sporting a 15.4-inch screen with a 2 GHz AMD Turion 64 processor. Though it comes loaded with Windows XP Media Center Edition, it is Windows Vista capable. It has as storage including an 80 GB hard drive and can support up to 2GB of RAM. Compare prices

Hewlett Packard Compaq Presario V6000T 
The HP Compaq line has as one of its more budget friendly models the Presario V6000T. This model family can be configured a variety of ways, sporting options like Windows Vista Home Premium, an Intel Core Duo processor, wireless 802.11, a 15.4-inch widescreen display, a DVD±RW/R drive and a high tech glossy finish. Compare prices

Lenovo 3000 C200
A budget entry in the Lenovo line up of notebooks, the Lenovo 3000 C200 series are targeted towards small business owners. Depending upon the configuration, some of the C200 models can sport either an Intel Celeron M or Intel Core Duo processor, Windows XP, a 15-inch display, 512 MB of memory, up to 80 GB of hard drive space and a CD-RW/DVD-ROM combo optical drive. Compare prices

Sony VAIO VGN-N130G/W
Style meets budget with the Sony VAIO VGN-N130G/W. This VAIO N series laptop has a nice contemporary white look to it and sports a 15.4-inch widescreen display. Other tech features of note include a 1.8 GHz Intel Core Duo Processor T2050, 1 GB of installed RAM, an 80 GB hard drive, Windows Vista Premium Ready, 802.11 a/b/g wireless technology and a built-in DVD burner. Compare prices

Toshiba Satellite A135-S4467
This under $1,000 Toshiba Satellite model is one of the most inexpensive of the new Windows Vista laptops to hit the market. For your dollars you get a 15.4-inch widescreen display attached to a body that houses 1 GB of RAM, 160 GB hard drive, a DVD drive which can read and write to a variety of formats, integrated 802.11 wireless technology and S-video out, among other features. Compare prices

Other systems worth checking out:

• Gateway NX570
• Dell Inspiron 1501
• Refurbished Apple Laptops