Best Cheap Laptops For Programming

<p>There's no way around it—computers are expensive. As necessary as they are for work and leisure, the ideal machine doesn't cost a fortune, but is still fast and long-lasting. Does that even exist? Yes! Here, tech experts weigh in on the best laptops for your budget. </p>

Getty Images

1 of 9

Great Gadgets

There's no way around it—computers are expensive. As necessary as they are for work and leisure, the ideal machine doesn't cost a fortune, but is still fast and long-lasting. Does that even exist? Yes! Here, tech experts weigh in on the best laptops for your budget.

hp pavilion notebook

2 of 9

Compact Power

This Notebook—the most affordable HP that has both a touchscreen and a keyboard—is powerful for the price, says Dan Ackerman, section editor at CNET.com. It's super-light (a smidge over 3 pounds) and good for Skyping with friends because of its HP TrueVision HD Webcam.

HP Pavilion 11 TouchSmart Notebook , $389.95; Amazon.com

gateway laptop

3 of 9

Great for Grownups

"This is a sweet deal if you mainly want a system that can handle day-to-day computing tasks," like web surfing, writing or accounting, says Laarni Ragaza, managing editor for hardware at PCMag.com. It's less ideal for a teen who wants to use it to play complex video games or edit movies.

Gateway NE56R34u Laptop, $357.99; Amazon.com

samsung chromebook

4 of 9

Lowest Price

The price is so low because this device has little storage and runs Google Chrome OS, not Windows. But if you spend lots of time online and store your documents and photos in "the cloud" (an online storage service like Google Drive), then this model might be all you need, says Ragaza.

Samsung Chromebook (XE303C12-A01US) , $249; Amazon.com

acer aspire

5 of 9

Sleek Touch Screen

This thin, streamlined 15" laptop "is just about the least expensive midsize model with Windows 8 and a touch screen out there," says Ackerman. Plus, it's available in blue or champagne, giving it a bit more personality than a basic black laptop, and its backlit keyboard glows in dim lighting.

Acer Aspire V5 , $344.99; Amazon.com

sony vaio

6 of 9

Most Stylish

This handsome new line (the Fit 14 comes in steel silver, black or pink) runs the latest Windows 8. "It has a great design, a solid metal body and a higher screen resolution than any other laptop in its price range," Ackerman says, meaning it's good for viewing photos or watching movies.

Sony VAIO Fit 14 , $598; Amazon.com

asus vivobook

7 of 9

Best Bargain

The list price is about $500, but Ackerman points out that if you shop around, you can find this compact 11" laptop with a touch screen for around $400. It has similar features to the HP Pavillion 11 TouchSmart but has more storage and is part aluminum so it looks more expensive.

ASUS VivoBook X202E , $475; Amazon.com

microsoft surface

8 of 9

Try a Tablet

If you like the ease and portability of a smaller touch screen device, these next two tablets are great buys.

The Surface comes with Office 2013 RT, has great battery life and offers cool snap-on keyboards, so you can type on it like a laptop when you want to get some serious work done.

Microsoft Surface , $344.88; Amazon.com

dell latitude