Compare Top 9 Budget Laptops

Other Budget Laptops to Consider

HP OmniBook 5 16 for $630: The HP OmniBook 5 16 shares a lot in common with the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i 2-in-1 16. It has right around the same size chassis and comes with the same Intel processor. It’s also dinged by a similar budget display that isn’t very color-accurate. It’s decent, but the discount on the $550 IdeaPad 5i above makes it the better option. I haven’t tested the Snapdragon X Plus version of the OmniBook 5 16, but based on my other reviews, I have a feeling that its current selling price of $550 is a crazy-good deal.

Lenovo LOQ 15.

Photograph: Luke Larsen

Lenovo LOQ 15 for $779: I tested the RTX 5060 model of the LOQ 15, which is an incredible deal. The RTX 5050 model is also a solid option. It’s not quite as cheap as the Acer Nitro V 16, but it doesn’t have the power adapter issue and has a better design. The LOQ 15 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) isn’t covered in RGB or harsh edges, meaning it also makes for a decent budget-oriented content-creation machine. That discrete graphics card will not only let you play modern games, it’ll also speed up other GPU-dependent workflows like video rendering or 3D modeling.

Acer Aspire Go 14 for $290: The Acer Aspire Go 14 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) won’t win any style or performance awards, but it holds up well as an incredibly affordable Windows laptop. The one major thing it has going for it is fantastic battery life. I was able to hit upwards of 14 hours on a charge, which could make this a decent budget option for students who need something that’ll last a whole day on campus. Just keep in mind this is a $300 laptop (occasionally less on sale), so the screen quality, sound, and webcam are far from great.

Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook for $490: Chromebooks have a reputation for being underpowered. To change that, Google launched Chromebook Plus in 2023, an umbrella category for a new class of devices from various manufacturers. The “Plus” stands for better performance—faster processors, more memory, more storage, and better video cameras. One of my favorites is Lenovo’s Flex 5i Chromebook Plus (8/10, WIRED Recommends). It’s among the fastest Chromebooks we’ve tested at this price, featuring an Intel Core i3-1315U CPU, 8 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of flash storage.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 for $380: This is one modest step up from the Asus Chromebook CX15 mentioned above in terms of performance, thanks to the Intel Core i3-1305U chip inside. So, if you need a cheap Chromebook that won’t slow down under your dozens of Chrome tabs or need to connect to an external monitor, the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 will do the trick.

Asus Zenbook 14 for $749: Asus’ Zenbook 14 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) offers good performance, great battery life, and an OLED display—all for a little over $1,000. Now, you might think that sounds a little expensive to be considered a “cheap laptop.” And it is. But Asus also sells a cheaper, Intel-powered model called the Zenbook 14 Q415. It’s selling for around $650, if you can believe it, as it’s a couple of years old. That model comes with less memory but otherwise offers the same portability, port selection, and comfortable keyboard

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from the clown-ass-GOP dept

I don’t understand sycophancy. Never have. I don’t know what it gets you in the long run other than a reputation for subservience. That’s worth nearly nothing in the open market. The only people who will hire you are people most people would never want to work for.

And yet, that is pretty much the entirety of the GOP under Trump: a massive collection of doormats the current president won’t even remember stepping on moments later. Sucking up to a goldfish brain like Trump makes you a fool, rather than the savvy pol you imagine yourself to be.

Welcome to the dom side of the sub/dom equation, Senator Marsha Blackburn. While she’s most famous here for trying to turn the internet into whatever the current iteration of the GOP wishes it to be (at least here at Techdirt), she’s stepped out of her comfort zone recently to publicly complain about a Supreme Court justice who attended an awards show where multiple people publicly criticized Trump’s anti-migrant actions.

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) called for an investigation Thursday into Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson for attending the Grammy Awards, where various artists criticized Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

[…]

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“Americans deserve a Supreme Court that is impartial and above political influence,” Blackburn wrote on social platform X. “When a Justice participates in such a highly politicized event, it raises ethical questions. We need an investigation into Justice Jackson’s ability to remain impartial.”

First things fucking last, Justice Jackson was not a presenter, nor was she a “participant” in any of the ICE criticism delivered by Grammy-nominated artists like Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish, and Justin Vernon. She was also not involved in any way with the production of the Grammy Awards ceremony, further removing her from anything that might be deemed “impartial.”

But beyond any of that is the fact that Justice Jackson had a perfectly legitimate, non-political reason to be there:

Jackson was nominated in the Best Audio Book, Narration and Storytelling Recording category for her memoir “Lovely One.” 

Jackson didn’t win (she lost to the Dalai Lama which, if you’re going to lose, is probably a loss you’ll never complain about publicly) but she was nominated. That alone gave her a reason to be there. The anti-ICE content may have been personally enjoyable, but she wasn’t there to soak up the stuff being said by others.

Not that it matters to the performative doormats currently employed as GOP politicians. Sen. Blackburn immediately started banging away on her keyboard and decided to take her disgruntled Grammy Awards forum comments to the next level by sending them off to Chief Justice John Roberts:

I write today regarding recent reporting about Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s attendance at the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, February 1, and the ethical questions raised by her attendance at such a highly politicized event. For the following
reasons, I urge you to conduct a thorough investigation into Justice Jackson’s attendance at this event and whether her presence at such an event complies with the obligation that a Supreme Court justice “act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity and impartiality of the judiciary.”

While it is by no means unheard of or unusual for a Supreme Court justice to attend a public function, very rarely—if ever—have justices of our nation’s highest Court been present at an event at which attendees have amplified such far-left rhetoric. Many of the attendees wore lapel pins that read “ICE OUT,” an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) adage. One Grammy winner that evening opened his acceptance speech by stating, “Before I say thanks to God, I’m going to say ‘ICE out,’” which was received with thunderous applause by the crowd. Another award recipient that evening noted in her acceptance speech that “No one is illegal on stolen land,” going on to say that “we need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting . . . And f*** ICE, that’s all I’m gonna say.” These statements were just two of many polarized, highly charged anti-law enforcement sentiments from that evening. It is important to note that Justice Jackson was present in the audience throughout the event.

Wow. Harsh words from someone who couldn’t be bothered to speak up while Justice Clarence Thomas received millions of dollars’ worth of gifts from right-wing benefactors over the past two decades. She was oddly quiet when it was revealed Justice Thomas’s wife was pushing election conspiracy theories. Truly an unexpected amount of yelling from someone who had nothing to say when Justice Alito’s wife was flying pro-Trump flags at Alito’s home.

Oh. Wait. Blackburn has something to say about both of those things in this letter to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court:

Unlike these meritless claims against Justice Alito and Justice Thomas, there are serious questions regarding Justice Jackson’s participation in such a brazenly political, anti-law enforcement event and her ability to remain an impartial member of the Supreme Court.

It was a Grammy Awards ceremony, not an anti-ICE protest. That people had negative things to say about ICE is completely expected, given how many people are opposed to how this administration is handling immigration enforcement. Blackburn absolutely knows she’s comparing apples to precision-machined aftermarket car parts. But like everyone else in this despicable political party, she doesn’t care and she knows it’s going to cause at least a small percentage of the converted to pretend to be offended on her behalf.

I assume John Roberts knows this as well. Let’s hope he’ll just roll his eyes and go back to binge-watching the kind of television I assume he enjoys: the no-one-asked-for-this 2023 reboot of Night Court.

Filed Under: grammys, ice, ketanji brown jackson, marsha blackburn, mass deportation, scotus, trump administration

Singapore’s appetite for alternative meat seems to be waning, with yet another lab-grown meat company biting the dust.

Cultivated meat company Avant Proteins is shutting down its Singapore operations, reported a notice on Singapore’s Government Gazette.

The seafood cell research company declared on Jan 30 that it was voluntarily winding up its business here due to its liabilities.

Alternative proteins are foods that have the same taste, texture, and experience of animal products that consumers love–just made in different ways. They comprise plant-based food, cultivated (lab-grown) meat or fungi-based derivatives from fermentation.

Avant Proteins is a research firm founded in 2018 by Hong Kong-based Avant, which calls itself Asia’s first cultivated fish company. The former had goals of producing fish meat without killing them.

As of Feb 10, the firm’s Hong Kong entity, Avant Meats Company, remains a private company limited by shares, according to the Hong Kong Companies Registry.

Avant Proteins’ departure from Singapore is the latest of at least three lab-grown meat companies that have struggled to scale operations in the Republic, years after it hit global headlines in 2020 as the first country to approve the commercial sale of cultured meat.

Cultivated meat is made by growing animal cells in bioreactors, a process similar to brewing beer.

This approach is considered more humane and sustainable than traditional farming, using far less land and labour.

However, the sector has faced hurdles since 2023, struggling to scale up due to difficulties in commercialising the technology, high costs, and uncertain consumer demand.

Avant’s co-founder Carrie Chan told The Straits Times in 2024 that investors had become “more conservative” due to economic conditions.

“Some are thinking (this sector) is more challenging, and they should not be investing in anything at the pre-revenue stage as the tech involved can be difficult to scale up quickly,” Chan said back then.

Checks on the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority’s database found that Avant Biotechnology was still live, while Avant Proteins is in liquidation, as at Feb 11.

Short life span in Singapore

After establishing itself in Hong Kong in 2018, Avant revealed plans in 2021 to expand into Singapore by opening a research lab in collaboration with A*STAR’s Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI).

The lab was launched to scale up production of food-grade cultivated fish fillets and fish maw.

A*STAR stated that the collaboration concluded as scheduled two years later, with Avant establishing its own pilot facility in Woodlands.

“Through this work, A*STAR BTI and Avant Meats gained valuable insights into upstream bioprocessing, production challenges and scale-up considerations,” it said.

According to its latest LinkedIn post, Avant subsequently ramped up operations at its Woodlands pilot facility, noting that it had contributed to public education on the future of animal proteins.

The post also highlighted that the company had commercialised skincare technology using cultivated fish cells and continued to advance its cultivated fish products toward approval by the Singapore Food Agency.

However, as of Feb 11, Avant Meats’ website—which showcased both its skincare line and lab-grown meat—went offline, though the site for its skincare technology remains active.

Restaurants are axing plant-based meat from their menus due to high costs and low demand

Once a prominent menu feature, plant-based meat dishes have quietly disappeared from several restaurants, while others have reduced their selections or moved them to optional add-ons at an extra charge, said a Channel News Asia report.

The global appetite for plant-based meat saw the sharpest rise between 2018 and 2020. During this period, numerous casual dining chains, even Asian restaurants, jumped on the trend, incorporating plant-based “Impossible” meat options into their menus.

Experts linked the surge to a combination of factors: aggressive marketing, rising consumer interest in health-conscious and sustainable eating, and, in Singapore, the government’s focus on alternative proteins to bolster food security.

They’ve also noted that the appeal of plant-based meats has declined once the novelty faded. Improvements in taste and texture still lagged behind expectations and struggled to justify their high prices.

Instead of imitating meat, some restaurants are shifting their focus to whole-food, plant-based options.

For example, vegan burger eatery Veganburg has emphasized whole-food vegan patties over highly processed meat substitutes. Its operations director, Blessed Chee, noted that the store discontinued Impossible plant-based meat due to cost considerations.

A 340g packet of minced Impossible beef retails for S$12.12 while 1kg of real minced beef costs S$11.35 on Fairprice’s website.

Is cultivated meat heading in the same direction to becoming a flop?

Previously, California-based Eat Just had suspended its cultivated meat production in Singapore, while local company Shiok Meats merged with Singapore-based Umami Bioworks, a specialist in marine cell cultivation.

For years, companies have promised that commercially-viable lab-grown meat was right around the corner, but repeated missed product launches and setbacks have eroded investor confidence in the space. From 2024 to 2025, total investment in the cultivated meat industry dipped by 74%, from US$139 million to US$36 million.

Only time will tell if lab-grown meat will follow in plant-based meat’s footsteps or carve a direction of sustaining a presence here in Singapore.

• Read other articles we’ve written on Singaporean businesses here.

from the good-deals-on-cool-stuff dept

Instantly become a color expert with the Nix Mini 3 Color Sensor. This portable device puts all paint fan decks in your pocket, offering access to over 200,000 brand-name paint colors and essential color codes like RGB, HEX, and CMYK. Perfect for designers, contractors, and homeowners. The Mini 3 features Bluetooth connectivity, Debris and splash resistance, and free access to the Nix Toolkit app for precise and convenient color matching. This newest version improves accuracy with 3x enhanced resolution over the Mini 2 and significant improvements to battery life and Bluetooth connectivity. The Nix Mini 3 ensures reliable color management for any project. Additionally, it matches premium libraries like Pantone, RAL, and NCS with monthly or annual subscription options. It’s on sale for $69.97 for a limited time.

Note: The Techdirt Deals Store is powered and curated by StackCommerce. A portion of all sales from Techdirt Deals helps support Techdirt. The products featured do not reflect endorsements by our editorial team.

Filed Under: daily deal

Whether you’re interested in background music for your next party or you’re looking to upgrade a stereo system, there’s a speaker set ready for you. Speakers tend to be designed with a specific purpose in mind. For example, you might need speakers for your TV, computer speakers or a set for a specific room. Or perhaps you need portable Bluetooth speakers to take on a trip. There’s a speaker for every situation.

from the taking-an-interest dept

In the last few years, the Supreme Court has been paying a lot more attention to the internet than it ever has before, and the cases keep on coming. This is already having a big impact on how the internet functions, and it doesn’t look likely to stop any time soon. Given all that, this week our own Cathy Gellis joins the podcast for a discussion all about the past, present, and future of SCOTUS and the internet.

You can also download this episode directly in MP3 format.

Follow the Techdirt Podcast on Soundcloud, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify, or grab the RSS feed. You can also keep up with all the latest episodes right here on Techdirt.

Filed Under: podcast, scotus, supreme court