For whatever reason (we won't ask) you are not looking for the top of the line laptop computers on the market right now. The only thing on your mind is to find cheap notebooks with a decent amount of processing power at a minimal price point. The computer manufacturing industry does acknowledge the low end laptop as a worthwhile sector of the market and many leading companies are working to offer products with less of a bite to the wallet. Famous brands like Acer, IBM, eMachines, Dell and Gateway are trimming down the luxuries a little and offering models below US $500 with enough standard features to handle typical applications. By installing a slightly slower CPU, a little bit less RAM and hard drive memory, and a smaller screen the costs go way down and you are still able to surf the web and compose business presentations on the go. Drawbacks such as size, weight and hardware compatibility are becoming less of an issue because the big companies have gotten really good a putting together a neat package in the mobile computers.

One of hardest things in building cheap notebook computers is the LCD screen and the connection through the hinge down to the base and researchers are looking for creative solutions. There is also great interest in developing technology for extremely cheap laptops (US $100 is the goal) to give out to all young students, and even to hand out to children in impoverished regions of the world. Although these laptops will not be for sale on the open market, the spin-off technology will drive prices down on future models that will be available.

If you can't wait for the next generation of inexpensive retail notebook computers you might consider buy used or manufacturer refurbished. Computers actually do have quite a long life span, and many older models far outlive their usefulness as new applications and operating systems are unveiled. Standards for computing power quickly rise up to meet new speeds and memory requirements. Older notebooks may still work perfectly for many years, but they won't make much use with the newest programs. If you're content using older applications and if you still have patience to use the slower processors you can save a lot of money on used equipment. You can find these for sale at some computer shops or in the classified ads, but online auction sites are great too. Another great option is to look for notebook computers that have been repaired and upgraded at the source to meet the current technology standards. These are usually priced much lower and have been quality tested to make sure they're up to the task.