Value Laptops 2022
Want the best value for your money on a laptop in 2022?
This is targeted mainly at students and bloggers; people who need a do-it-all laptop that won't bust even a modest budget.
I'm very pleased with the direction that the industry has gone in the last few years. I've long recommended computers with an SSD, or solid-state drive, because they truly are that much better than the old spinning hard drives. It's like comparing a 1975 Cadillac Sixty Special Brougham (they called them 'land yachts' for a good reason!) to a modern Shelby Mustang - in terms of performance or reliability, there's simply no comparison.
I no longer need to make that recommendation, because you'll be hard-pressed to find a laptop without an SSD these days.
You're probably looking for something that won't just be quick, but reliable and long-lasting, too.
Here's some reliability information by brand, from a service that repairs computers. It may not be perfect, but it's the best data I've found (not counting subjective scores given by magazines, who don't actually have to live with the machines for an extended time) https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2020-holiday-rescuecom-computer-reliability-report-301150436.html
Lenovo and ASUS typically score well, though they hit price points all over the board. Caveat emptor, especially with the lower-priced machines. But, you can find good laptops even at the lower end of the market, if you know what you're looking for.
If you're willing to part with more money, you might consider a machine made by Apple or Microsoft. These two manufacturers consistently rank near the top of the reliability lists.
HP and Acer consistently rank near the bottom; I generally recommend avoiding them.
Dell has ranged all over the place; sometimes they're at the top but sometimes they're near the bottom. So who knows?...
My personal experience has been with ASUS and Toshiba. The Toshibas tend to be
extremely long-lasting - but they bowed out of the consumer PC market in 2018, and finally
sold off the last of their stake in the Dynabook company in 2020. So the only Toshiba laptops you could possibly buy are outdated, if not used or refurbished.
I still own a Toshiba and an ASUS. While I'm not actively looking for a new machine at the moment, you can benefit from my experience and knowledge. Here are a few of my best picks:
Budget laptops
ASUS Vivobook F412DA, 14-inch; $400
A strong processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256 GB of storage should be plenty for most use cases. You could get better, but it'll cost you a lot more. I've found that $400-500 tends to be the sweet spot for good value on all-purpose laptops.
Just don't think you'll be playing graphically-intensive games on high detail, or editing professional-quality videos at this price point. For everyone else, this should be quick and capable.
This is a 14-inch laptop, which is a bit small for my taste and, importantly, lacks a separate number pad. But some people prefer the smaller form and lighter weight. It comes down to personal preference.
ASUS Vivobook Flip 14, 14-inch; $400
I've
written before that I thought touchscreens and 360-degree hinges were a dumb gimmick...until I bought the ASUS TransformerBook TP500LA.
It turns out that they really are useful, at least for certain tasks!
This one is good for people that want a touchscreen, though this particular model sacrifices some RAM and storage space (versus the other options on this list). Hey, at these prices, you can't get everything you want...
Lenovo IdeaPad 3, 14-inch; $450
This machine is very impressive; all the specs are very good and the reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Lenovo always gets good reviews for its keyboards, so people who anticipate typing a lot should be pleased as well.
This is a mid-range laptop at a low price, from a manufacturer with a good reputation for quality. Highly recommended!
Lenovo IdeaPad (2020 edition), 15.6-inch; $400
This model came out in 2020, but has attractive specs for the price. And it comes with Lenovo's reputation for good keyboards and reliability. Since it's still a brand-new machine, nobody will ever know that it isn't the current year's model.
ASUS Vivobook 15 (2020 edition), 15.6-inch; $500
While it's a 2020 model, this is still a new (that is, never-used) machine. With a pretty good processor and an astonishing 16GB of RAM, this computer should be plenty powerful for most purposes. The 256 GB of storage isn't too bad either.
Large screens
Lenovo IdeaPad 3, 17.3-inch; $500
Need a bigger laptop? This is probably the best deal I could find - enjoy your powerful, relatively light computer with large screen!
Seriously, it leaves nothing more to be desired. With 8 GB of RAM, a powerful mid-range AMD Ryzen 5 processor, and a nice-sized 512 GB SSD, this computer should be plenty capable of handling almost any need.
ASUS VivoBook S17 S712, 17.3-inch; $730
This one's more expensive because it's more capable, not just because it's bigger. It has tons of storage space, and enough RAM and processing power to handle just about anything! With its powerful setup, large Full-HD display and excellent customer reviews, I'm personally keeping my eye on this model.
Unless you have very specialized needs, this machine will tackle your work and play with aplomb. And, at 5.07 pounds, it's no lightweight - but it's not as heavy as you might expect, either.
Head-turner
ASUS ZenBook UX425EA, 14-inch; $830
While it's not exactly Froogal-approved, some people like to display high status.
With that in mind, imagine walking into the coffee shop and looking around at everyone else, who thinks "My MacBook makes me so cool"...that is, until you pull out this beauty!
I admit, I've been tempted by ZenBooks in the past, though I've never actually sprung for one.
At only 2.58 pounds, with top-shelf specs, military-grade durability certification, and a whopping 21-hour battery life - plus a virtual number-pad hidden on the touchpad - this device will let you lord it over the lemmings with their overpriced Apple computers...
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