There are many cheap laptops on the market take the HP Stream 14 as an example. It’s a great laptop for basic needs retailing for just over £300 at the time of writing this article. However, whilst it may be a great buy for the less needy, the laptop may start to struggle when performing tasks that need more resources. Laptops like this are perfect for browsing the internet, travel and basic Office work such as writing reports, working on spreadsheets and creating presentations. This article will summarise your options when searching for a budget laptop, the doos and don’t and my opinion as a Computer Science Graduate, an IT Specialist and an ex-laptop salesperson.

There are many options available to you but choosing the right one may be daunting, especially if you don’t know what to look out for when choosing your new device. The most important thing to consider is what the laptop will be used for. Understanding that will make your decision a lot easier. Below are some of your options…

Buy a new laptop Cheap

As mentioned above, there are many cheap options available. However, they may not be exactly what you’re looking for. Cheap laptops under the £350 price line are usually designed for basic internet browsing and the occasional office work, they usually have small screens and are of a lower spec compared to normal laptops at a higher price, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. For example, Bill is a father who already owns a smartphone and tablet, however, he needs a device that will enable him to write the occasional report and for his kids to do homework on. This is a perfect example of a user seeking a cheap new laptop. Users seeking an everyday laptop or a laptop for work need to find something a little bit better. Back in the Windows XP days, yes I know some were released with Windows 7, but you get the picture. Anyway, these laptops were known as netbooks and there was a reason, they were designed for browsing the internet, whilst many manufacturers have stopped using the phrases netbook and notebook, they are still around and you can usually spot one the size of it, the storage space which usually is under 64GB and the extremely small amount of RAM.

Advantages and disadvantages of buying cheap laptops