If you want something to give you all the power of a desktop computer while being transportable with relative ease, look for a powerful processor and plenty of RAM (including models marketed as gaming machines) which have a powerful graphics card and a high-resolution screen. Mid-range laptops are aimed at regular computer users, families, students and business people, and can run most software and games, but may struggle a bit with high-end work such as video editing and games that require fast graphics processing. Look for an ultraportable (including Ultrabooks). If you want to take your laptop with you on-the-go a lot, you'll want something thin, light and easy to carry. standard definition video streaming) and are best suited to casual users and younger students. They can handle most basic multimedia tasks (e.g. These low-cost laptops are relatively low-powered, but capable of general computing tasks such as web browsing, email and general word processing. If you want a cheap laptop for basic tasks and occasional or lighter use and aren't overly concerned about performance, weight or battery life, you can find sub-$500 'budget' models that will do the job.
See laptops and tablets review Entry-level, mid-range or high-end laptop? Entry-level
