In today’s digital era, laptops have become a necessity rather than a luxury. They’re essential tools for work, education, and entertainment. But, getting a high-performance laptop doesn’t always mean breaking the bank. You can find impressive laptops under 150, capable of handling everyday tasks efficiently.
This article aims to guide you through the labyrinth of budget-friendly laptops. It’s about finding that perfect blend of performance, durability, and affordability. Whether you’re a student, a working professional, or a casual user, there’s a laptop out there that suits your needs and fits your budget. So, get ready to explore some of the best laptops under $150 that don’t compromise on quality.
Laptops under 150
A laptop under 150 may not sound realistic, but it’s possible. The trick lies in knowing what to expect and what your needs are.
What Can You Expect in This Price Range?
In the under $150 price range, you’ll find laptops primarily belonging to two categories. Refurbished models, and new Chromebook or other low-cost options. Refurbished models of pricier brands often come with older specifications, while new low-cost laptops, typically Chromebooks or notebooks, mostly cater to essential functions like browsing the internet and word processing. Ipsos states, in its 2019 report, that refurbished laptops consist 22% of laptops sold in 2018.
Most of the laptops available in this budget are compact, usually ranging between 7 to 11 inches screen size. They run on low-power processors, mainly Intel Celeron or Atom. Solid-state drives (SSDs), which offer faster performances, are hard to come by in this range; instead, you’ll find traditional hard disk drives (HDDs).
Graphics are typically integrated, sufficient for basic tasks but not suited for heavy graphical tasks such as gaming or video editing. They normally come with a Ram of 2GB – 4GB, as stated by Statista in its 2019 Electronic Market Report.
Key Features to Look for in Laptops Under 150
With the prior knowledge of what laptops under 150 typically offer in terms of their main functionalities, specifics about operating system choices and hardware specifications come to the spotlight. This section highlights these features that ensure a smooth laptop operation even at this lower price range.
Operating System Choices
Majority of laptops under 150 come primarily with two choices for operating systems: Windows OS and Chrome OS. They both provide user-friendly interfaces, but their primary differences lie in their use-cases and software compatibility.
Starting with Windows OS, it’s prevalent in refurbished laptops under $150. This OS provides compatibility with a wider variety of software, making it suitable for diverse tasks. It is a a go-to choice for users who deal with Microsoft Office Suite, work on content creation software, or execute simple coding tasks.
On the opposite end, Chrome OS, typically seen in lower-end Chromebooks, offers a simple, fast, and secure operating environment, ideal for internet browsing, streaming multimedia, and using web-based applications, but is limited in terms of offline functionality and software compatibility compared to Windows OS.
Hardware Specifications
When exploring laptops under 150, it’s important to scrutinize the hardware specifications. Elements like processor, memory, storage and display significantly influence performance.
First, most laptops in this price range use low-power processors like Intel Celeron or Atom, or equivalent AMD processors. Although they aren’t the fastest, they’ve proven
suitable for light tasks like browsing, word processing, and streaming content.
Second, RAM, ranging between 2GB and 4GB, complements the processor by enabling the smooth execution of tasks, but one can’t expect to run heavy multitasking or demanding applications on such specifications.
Next, storage type and capacity also plays a pivotal role. Many budget-friendly laptops offer eMMC or SSD storage over traditional HDDs, providing faster load times but with limited storage space, typically 32GB or 64GB.
Lastly, display resolution and size can influence user experience heavily. In this category, expect smaller screens, around 11.6 to 14 inches, with resolution ranging from low to high definition, perfect for casual browsing and light multimedia use.
In the end, it boils down to understanding usage requirements and tightly aligning with a laptop that matches these parameters within the budget of $150.