While notebook computers never quite get as cheap as their desktop counterparts, some systems--such as Acer's Aspire 3680 series--get pretty darn close. We found this laptop for around $450 from a variety of vendors, making it one of the least expensive portable computers on the market.

So, what can you expect from a sub-$500 laptop? Quite a bit, actually. They're not going to be extreme powerhouses, so the 1.6GHz Intel Celeron M 420 budget processor is not a surprise; nor is the 512MB of 533MHz DDR2 memory. This is about the lowest core power that would let you reasonably run Microsoft Windows Vista, even the Basic edition that comes preinstalled on the 3680 series. Luckily, these laptops support up to 2GB of memory, so you can add more RAM if you want a performance boost later.

The storage room from the 80GB hard drive is on the low end for new laptops, and again, that wasn't a huge surprise. But it's a decent amount of room for multimedia file storage and application installations for the average budget user. The combination DVD-ROM/CD-RW drive is the default optical drive, letting you play DVD movies and burn audio and data CDs. It doesn't offer any DVD writing capability, however, so if that's something you need from your laptop, you'll have to look elsewhere.

What impressed us the most about the low-cost Aspire 3680 was the sharp 14.1-inch widescreen. With 1280x800 resolution, it delivered a crisp and clear image for everything from Web browsing to movie watching. And it features Acer's own GridVista technology that makes it easy to have multiple applications open at once. And the widescreen display leaves room for a large keyboard that made typing a comfortable process.

This laptop is also surprisingly thin and light, not something you often find in the budget arena. It's not much more than an inch thick and weighs in at just over five pounds, so it's quite transportable. And there are some nice extras, including a 5-in-1 media card reader that makes it easy to transfer files and photos from a compatible PDA or digital camera.

Graphics are integrated, so these aren't great gaming machines, but to get a gaming laptop you'd expect to spend a lot more than $500. There's also only a Type II PC Card slot instead of the newer ExpressCard interface that you find on a lot of current generation laptop computers.

Communication is respectable with built-in 802.11b/g wireless, an integrated network interface, and a modem. There are also three USB ports for connecting high-speed peripherals or USB thumb drives and an S-video output port for sending video to a compatible television or other device.

But again, the best thing about the 3680 is its price. If you're looking for an extremely inexpensive Vista laptop that still handles most applications and activities well, the Acer Aspire 3680 is one of the best bargains out there.


Pro: Excellent price, fairly thin and light
Con: Basic components and processor

Warranty
1-year limited