Best Laptop Under $1,000 for 2011

Laptops in the $1,000 price range are generally premium mobile computers with loads of memory, power and extra features, such as wireless broadband. We judged our picks based on the following categories: overall value, useful features, design, price and functionality. The provided links allow you to learn more or to purchase one of these great premium laptops.

HP Pavilion Laptop dv7-4285dx ($850) Link

The HP dv7-4285dx tops our list for best laptop under $1,000 because of its large vibrant screen, long battery life, speed, memory and ease of use. The Pavilion comes equipped with 6GB RAM, 640GB hard drive, Windows 7, decent graphics card, large 17.3" screen and mobile 4G broadband. The large 6GB of RAM is equivalent to mid-priced desktops and offers incredible multitasking ability for a laptop. The Intel Core i5 processor has speeds up to 2.8GHz, which equates to fast processor speeds for programs and startup. We like the premium aluminum casing and overall appearance of the Pavilion, which adds to its upscale feel. However, our favorite feature is the built in 4G mobile broadband (requires a monthly fee) because it allows for fast internet surfing and downloading within the mobile carriers coverage. Overall, the Pavilion is a great alternative to the higher priced completion without sacrificing functionality and value.

Dell Inspiron I17R-2950MRB ($800) Link

The Dell Inspiron closely resembles the above Pavilion as far as tech specs and usability, except for shorter battery life and Blu-ray player. The Inspiron comes equipped with the Intel Core i5 processor with speeds up to 2.8GHz, 6GB of RAM, 640GB hard drive, Blu-ray player, 1.3MP webcam, mobile broadband and Wi-Fi, Windows 7 operating system and more. We liked the ease of use with Windows 7, the large vibrant screen and mobile broadband. However, the lack of a rear bumper, used as a keyboard booster, makes typing slightly harder than the Pavilion. Our favorite feature was the built in Blu-ray player. This is excellent because if you are on the go you can bring the same movies you watch at home, regardless if they are Blu-ray or DVD. Overall, the Inspiron is slightly less expensive than the Pavilion, but comes with many of the same features. However, the 6-cell battery (Inspiron) vs. the 9-cell battery (Pavilion) is a huge drawback because it reduces battery life by about an hour of normal use.

MacBook ($999) Link

The MacBook did not make our list because of its amazing tech specs, or its superiority over the competition, but rather because of its simplicity and ease of use. The MacBook base model, which starts at $999, comes equipped with a Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of RAM, 250GB of hard drive storage, multi-touch trackpad and NVIDIA graphics card. The low 2GB of RAM and inferior hard drive storage mean that the MacBook is not the fastest laptop in this price range, nor will it store as many files as the competition. However, what did impress us was the ease of use and multi-touch trackpad. Having been a PC user my entire life, less an iPad, I quickly learned how easy the new MacBook was to use. Surfing the web was intuitive, while finding files was easier than using a PC. The real standout feature though was the trackpad. The trackpad allows you to scroll, right click, expand and "go-back" with the click of a few fingers. This feature alone made using the laptop without a separate mouse actually enjoyable and easy, especially when it came to internet surfing. However, the biggest drawback was still multitasking speed. The MacBook base model is not nearly as fast as the similarly priced competition. Overall, the MacBook is a great premium laptop for new users, or for users who value simplicity over the latest tech specs.

Sources:

Apple

HP

Dell