Don't get too discouraged reading about specs and performance on these budget-friendly laptops. For most shoppers, a laptop serves as a web browsing machine, used more for social media and occasionally typing up some documents than it is for anything requiring a more capable model. And with the right laptop, you'll still get plenty of usability, even with lightweight processors and minimal specs.

We've reviewed plenty of budget laptops in the $600 or $700 range, along with reasonably priced laptops for kids and laptops for college students. These can be especially enticing if student discounts are available to knock off part of the expense. We find that the price range is the real sweet spot for basic Windows machines.

Plus, it doesn't cost a whole lot more to step up in power and performance. Our recommendations for Chromebooks and the best laptops for under $1,000 open up a lot of possibilities, at prices that are still quite attainable. You can even find some cheap gaming laptops for three instead of four figures.

If you want a no-fuss laptop under $500 that just gets the job done, the Acer Aspire Go 15's got you covered. Solid everyday speed, a sharp 1080p screen, killer battery life (almost 12 hours!), and a comfy keyboard, all for under $300.