Whether it’s for school, business, or just at home, a laptop is something that is becoming a staple in many Americans’ lives. There are so many companies with so many different models. It can be difficult to figure out which laptop will fit your needs. Well, if you’re looking for a laptop under $500, here are a few to consider.

Lenovo X100e
Starting at $499.99
The Lenovo X100e is one of the very few laptops under $500 to be part of the ThinkPad line. It rides the line between being a netbook and a notebook. It has a 11.6-inch screen, an AMD Athlon Neo MV-40 processor, 1GB of memory, ThinkPad keyboard with built-in TrackPoint joystick, and weighs under 3 pounds. If you feel that you need a little more power, for $50 you can upgrade to the dual-core Neo X2 processor.

HP Pavilion dm1z Series
Starting at $499.99
HP’s dm1z is very similar to the Lenovo X100. It has an 11.6-inch screen and AMD Neo processor just like the X100. It is different in the fact that it has a Radeon HD 4225 graphics chip that can handle HD video, 2GB of memory instead of 1GB, and up to 320GB of hard drive space. It is a great laptop for those seeking a little more power than the average netbook.

MSI X Slim X340-021US
Starting at $499.99
The X340 is really a less expensive copycat of Apple’s MacBook Air. It features a 13.3-inch screen that is 0.78-inches thick (only 0.02-inches thicker than the Air). It has a 1.4GHz Intel Core 2 Solo chip and integrated Intel graphics. Of course, these don’t measure up to what’s inside the Air, but for the price, who cares?

Compaq Presario CQ62Z
Starting at $379.99
The CQ62Z is a great bargain laptop with some great features. It has a 15.6-inch screen and a Radeon HD 4250 graphics chip. It comes standard with a AMD V Series CPU which isn’t great, so you can upgrade to the much faster Athlon II dual-processor for only $30.

Dell Vostro V13
Starting at $449.99
The Vostro V13 is very similar in looks to Dell’s ultra-premium Adamo XPS. The biggest difference is the price tag. The Vostro V13 features a 0.65-inch aluminum shell, 13.3-inch screen, and weighs less than 3.5 pounds. Now there are sacrifices that must be made because of the price difference between the Adamo XPS and the Vostro V13. The V13 has an ultra-low voltage processor and only two USB ports, but it’s still a great choice.

Gateway NV5387u
Starting at $499.99
The NV5387u is one of the most powerful budget laptops available right now. It comes standard with the AMD Turion II Ultra Dual-Core M600 processor, 4GB of RAM, 320GB of hard drive, a 15.6-inch screen, and an ATI Radeon HD 4200 graphics chip. The battery life is only about 3 hours, but for the low price tag it doesn’t really matter.

Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005PE
Starting at $377.99
This netbook’s most attractive feature is its 6-cell battery with an incredible 14 hours of battery life. This is the netbook that just keeps going. It also includes a 1.6 GHz Intel Atom processor and weighs about 2.8 pounds. It honestly is a fantastic deal.

HP Mini 5102
Starting at $415
This netbook is perfect for all of your business needs. It has the same standard parts on the inside for the most part, but it has some great business features. It features a magnesium chassis that is trimmed with aluminum, almost full-sized keyboard, and Corel Home Office already preinstalled.

Sony Vaio W Series
Starting at $449.99
The Vaio W is a slick looking netbook. It features a 1.83GHz Intel Atom Processor and a large battery capacity. It is extremely chic and comes in pink, blue, and white. You can even get the Billabong edition for an extra $50.

Asus Eee PC Sheashell 1201-NPU17
Starting at $479.99
Asus has really stepped it up with the design of their laptops. This netbook is sleek, shiny, and stylish. It comes standard with a 12.1-inch screen, dual-core Intel Atom processor, and Nvidia’s Ion graphics processor. It’s almost $100 more than the Asus Eee PC Seashell 1005PE, but it definitely has a few more features.

These are just a sampling of the many laptops, netbooks, and notebooks available right now. If you’re looking for a great deal, these are definitely some options to consider.

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