Making good laptops under 500 is a tough task for the manufacturers of laptop computers. They have to make sure, that they produce quality systems at the minimum cost possible, which many times may mean a trade off in hardware or software features. At the same time it cannot be denied, that each person may have a different idea, about what he/she wants in the laptop. For example, for some people CD-ROM drive may be necessary, which on the other hand may not be necessary for another person, who needs a bigger hard drive and a bigger RAM. The other factors can also be graphics, performance, portability and not to forget the price. Therefore, when you are scouting for a laptop, it is best to make sure, you try and not compromise on what you exactly want in your system. List of Best Laptops Under 500 When we talk about best laptops under 500, you will have to note down the exact nature of use, that you plan to make with the laptop. Because with laptops under 500, you will have to make some compromise, when it comes to features. If you make a list of the "must-have's" , it will be way easier for you to decide the features, you may make a compromise on. Some of the considerations include, battery life, processor capability, graphics capability, etc. For example if you are looking for a business laptop, then you may not really be worried about graphics, as much as you would be bothered about battery life, so that the battery does not die on you, in between some important task. If you are a student chances are high, that you would be working on multiple assignments at the same time, hence the best laptops for college students need to have good processor capability. Toshiba Satellite L645-S4102 If you are looking for a laptop, which fits your bill of being priced under 500 and yet is Energy Star certified, then this is the right laptop for your needs. It comes with a 4GB RAM with a processor speed of 2.13 GHz. The processor is a dual core Intel Premium processor. With 500 GB of hard drive, there is much more than necessary space to store your data. It has a large screen size of 14 inches and comes installed with Intel HD graphics card. Given the price range it is in, it definitely stands out. Price: $424 approximately Dell Vostro V13 The screen size of this laptop is 13.3". It has Intel Duo Core processor. It comes with a DDR3 SDRAM and it can be extended up to 4 GB. It has immense space to store your data with up to 500 GB SATA harddrive. It also has an optical external drive. It comes equipped with 5-in-1 card reader, an integrated 1.3 MP webcam and 6 cell Li-Ion battery. You can choose between Genuine Windows 7 Professional operating system or Genuine Windows 7 Home Premium operating system, according to your needs. Price: $449 onwards Asus Eee PC Seashell 1201N-PU17 This is a 12.1 inch netbook with an Intel Atom 330 dual core processor. It has a NVIDIA ION chipset type. It comes pre-installed with 2GB DDR2 SDRAM RAM and can be upgraded up to 8 GB. The hard drive of the laptop has storage capacity of 250 GB. It has an integrated 0.3 megapixel camera, while the battery is 6 cell battery. Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium operating system is installed on the laptop. Price: $483 approximately Gateway NV5387u This is a 15.6 inch laptop, which is perfect for someone, who is using the laptop for almost whole of the day. It has a large storage capacity of 320 GB and 4 GB DDR3 RAM. It has and Turion II Ultra Dual Core Processor. There is a built-in web camera along with 2-in-1 digital media card reader. It has ATI Radeon HD graphics card. The 6 cell Li-ion battery ensures, you are able to use the laptop for an extended period of time. The laptop comes with Windows 7 Home Premium operating system. The advantage of this laptop over the other laptops in the same price range is that it also has Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 trial pack installed on the system. In other words, you will not have to pay for Microsoft Office. Price: $499 approximately These are the best laptops under 500 of companies, we are aware about. Along with the specifications, it is also important that you find best laptop deals, before you purchase one. There also other laptops, which come from the not so famous companies. You will have to inquire with people, who have used the laptop to know, if they are indeed worth spending money on.