Before we proceed to the ten best laptops for basic use, let me tell you what a basic use of a laptop means to me.
It will save you time deciding if you will find a suitable computer for you or not.
Here are the basic uses for which the following laptops will be a great fit.
The basic uses of a laptop are to type documents and spreadsheets, use social media, send emails, listen to podcasts, watch videos, play basic games, run basic business tools, take online classes, do basic video editing, and work from home as a freelancer.
Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
It has so many great features that if I kept on counting manually, it will take a full article.
But I can summarize that Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R3CZ Slim is an all-in-one solution for basic and personal use.
Here are some eye-catching features that make it compatible with all kinds of uses.
An eye-catching 15.6 inches large screen with an HD IPS display, AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, 8GB fast memory for multitasking, 256 GB storage, Backlit KB, WiFi 6, Bluetooth, and counting.
These features are enough if you need a laptop for small business tasks, educational purposes, entertainment, social media, and similar basic level use.
This laptop doesn’t regret its buyers.
If you have similar tasks like entertainment, small business tasks, educational purposes, and basic gaming, the following laptops are a great fit for you.
And the amazing part is that the machines we picked are affordable for all. We don’t want you to spend more than needed.
Here are the 10 best laptops for basic personal and business use.
The list is now up to date, we have added top-rated laptops in 2022.
Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K Slim Laptop
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Review
Here is how I can summarize this machine as the best laptop for basic use.
The large screen, fast processor, reasonable memory, long battery life, and economical price make Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K Slim the best laptop for basic use.
At a first glance, this laptop looks like a very decent top-notch laptop.
The slim size, decent screen, powerful CPU and GPU, and fast memory doesn’t even let you feel that it’s a budget laptop. When used on a personal or basic level, it will process everything in the blink of an eye.
You can open over 20 tabs on different browsers, open Zoom, Meet, and Skype, and play some basic level games simultaneously. 8 GB RAM DDR4 RAM can manage even more than that.
Although, if you buy this laptop with 4GB RAM (the available option on Amazon) it won’t suit you for gaming.
Secondly, when it comes to working from home jobs or freelancing, this machine is matchless for such jobs.
Its memory and processor are good enough to manage all your small business tasks. You can use it for Microsoft word, work on SaaS, enjoy online meetings, and everything that’s relevant to working from home jobs.
All this makes it a perfect choice for students. Students can attend online classes, enroll in training and courses, play games, browse the web, let’s say interact with friends on social media, etc.
But that’s not over.
There are so many other features that you will never regret your purchase. The backlit feature, fast Bluetooth and Wifi, and different useful ports are additional eye-catching features that make it an all-in-ne solution for basic and personal use.
When it comes to its price. It has different variants available on Amazon and the price ranges from $350 to $550 with a 15% discount.
Overall, among all laptops for basic and personal use, the Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R3CZ Slim Laptop is our top pick.
Apple MMGG2LL/A MacBook Air 13.3-Inch Laptop
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Apple MMGG2LL/A MacBook Air is the best Apple laptop for basic use. The gadget we have picked here is a renewed product so that you could easily afford it.
This Macbook has a 5th generation CPU along with a powerful GPU, the RAM of the machine is 8GB and its storage is 256 GB, all of this makes this machine a perfect choice for basic use.
With 8GB RAM and Intel HD graphics 6000, you can run basic business apps, 3D software, and some games, and use them for other educational purposes. Let’s say you can run Zoom, Meet, and skype to attend courses, meetings, and training.
As memory and storage are advanced so everything will happen in the blink of an eye. So you wait for booting or browsing the internet or your computer.
The only drawback that I can see is that it’s a renewed Macbook.
As you know these cheap Macbook Air models are old so you can only get the used machines. We have also reviewed these Macbooks in our ten best Macbooks under 500 list.
As it’s renewed, you get a huge discount on these machines. This machine is available for under $300 only. That’s basically the minimum to pay for a good laptop. That’s what everyone can pay to buy a laptop for everyday use.
Well, here I would like to add something. As it’s a renewed Macbook, it doesn’t mean it will be broken or damaged. This machine is tested by Amazon vendors, and they have found it to be fully functional and no damage is there. So if you make up your mind, don’t worry about the damages.
Last but not the least, as it’s a small fast machine along with full day battery life, say, 10 hours, it’s a great choice for students, bloggers, and other travelers.
HP Chromebook 14-inch Laptop with 180-Degree Swivel
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HP Chromebook 14-inch Laptop is an extremely cheap laptop for simple use.
If you are under budget, and you need a simple laptop for basic daily tasks, then the HP Chromebook 14-inch is available at $200.
Other than storage, all other features are good for simple use. Overall, it’s one of the best cheap laptops for basic use.
It has a fast processor and memory that makes it quick and sharp. Additionally, it has built-in Wifi and battery life is good enough.
ASUS VivoBook 15 Thin and Light Laptop latest version
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It’s a highly appreciated laptop for personal use and education. If you are a student or someone who loves decent-looking laptops then it’s one of the best laptops for all education-related and other uses.
It’s designed specifically for Zoom meetings, online classes, and other relevant stuff. Its ergonomic backlit keyboard makes typing comfortable even at night.
The other appealing thing about this machine is that its highly powerful processor and huge memory make it one of the fastest laptops under $500.
Even Intel card makes it an even more good choice for gaming lovers than most students are.
There are many other features like a fingerprint sensor, and many ports that make it more useful for small business tasks, and personal use.
Samsung Chromebook Plus V2, 2-in-1
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It’s a good machine for personal, business, and gaming at the basic level.
If you love Samsung because of its durability, but don’t want to spend much on your computer then Samsung Chromebook Plus V2, 2-in-1, is a good laptop for basic computing.
It has many reasons to buy it, and my favorite ones are, the built-in pen, dual camera, and 2-in-1 design. You can use it for many purposes especially relevant to entertainment, basic business needs, and art.
Although its storage space is just 64Gb it can be upgraded to 400GB with a microSD card. But if it’s just internet use, then it’s the best laptop for basic internet use.
If the display size isn’t suitable for you, but you want to get this machine, then you can attach a cheap business monitor with this laptop.
This Samsung laptop is available for under $400.
2020 HP 14-inch HD Touchscreen Premium Laptop PC
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It’s the best laptop for basic gaming, business tasks, and personal home use.
Sometimes, we get great deals at an affordable price. 2020 HP 14-inch HD Touchscreen Premium Laptop is one of those great deals.
When it comes to basic level use, this gadget is good enough to handle any kind of task. AMD Radeon Vega 3 is good for gaming, and also for other basic graphics-related tasks.
Secondly, the speedy processing along with speedy storage makes it an appealing choice for business use. If you need a laptop for small businesses at an affordable price, then I strongly suggest the 2020 HP 14.
The touchscreen is an additional factor that you can enjoy in many tasks.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 15
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This laptop is good for moderate-level gaming.
This is not really for basic level gaming, and not even for pros. So if you need a machine to enjoy your favorite games at an affordable price, then the Lenovo Ideapad Gaming 3 is one of my favorite machines.
The most appealing things in this machine are dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 and fast memory and storage. All those make it a fine choice for many other graphics-related jobs (other than gaming).
So if you are a gaming lover, and you have many other tasks to do on your computer, then Lenovo Ideapad 3 is worth considering.
As we know gaming machines are never cheap, and so is the case here. It’s available for under $800. Well, one thing is for sure, it will be worth your money.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 3 11″ Laptop
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This is the best laptop for basic use from Lenovo.
If you are looking for a simple laptop for internet use, and basic personal use at a cheap price, then this machine is matchless.
It’s the best basic laptop by Lenovo. If you are looking for a safe machine for your education or your child’s homeschooling then it’s the finest choice available at a cheap price.
This cheap laptop has a reasonable memory and storage that is enough for simple word processing.
The other best use is for entertainment because it’s a 360-degree convertible laptop, and it’s pretty thin. You can easily hold it when watching videos or in online classes.
Overall, it’s the best computer for simple use and it’s available for $200.
Lenovo IdeaPad 3
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This laptop is the best one for any kind of basic use. It can be gaming, small business, or other regular use. And it’s available for $500.
As the price is not cheap, so is this machine.
You can expect an eye-catching machine with fast booting, and processing.
No matter whatever you want to do at a basic level, it will never disappoint you. It can handle dozens of tabs, along with some other online or offline apps.
It’s also good for light gaming because AMD Radeon Vega 8 will give you a great visual experience. It’s also good for programming because of compatible specifications.
Its lightweight and many other features make it a great choice for travelers.
HP 14″ Touchscreen Home and Business Laptop
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It’s another best touchscreen laptop for basic business needs. Not everyone can afford top-notch business laptops. For those, HP 14” laptop is the best alternative.
Not only for small businesses but it’s also a great choice for personal use.
It has a speedy processor along with fast memory and solid-state storage type. All that makes it a perfect choice for multitasking, and any other tasks. 8GB fast memory can handle tons of tabs for multitasking, and it would not let you down, even for a while.
I have personally experienced it in my small business tasks. It will definitely make your day.
The touchscreen is an extra feature that you may or may not need for your business tasks. But it makes the use even easier in browsing the laptop or surfing the web.
Overall, it’s one of the best laptops for basic use.
Laptop buying guide for basic needs
If you are still confused about which laptop should you buy then this simple guide will help you.
In this guide, you will learn which specifications matter the most, and which one is more suitable according to your personal tasks.
Here is how specifications affect your performance.
Display
The display can affect your performance if it’s graphics related task. The graphics-related tasks are usually entertainment, meetings, online classes, and gaming.
If you have graphics-related tasks, then the wider the better.
Processor
Processor speed measures how quickly your computer will process your data. Once you give instructions, how quickly it will give your output, all depends on the processor.
It definitely affects your performance, and it should always be good.
Memory
Your RAM controls how many tasks will your computer handle at a time. If your use is more about multitasking, then you need a computer with higher RAM.
It should not be less than 4GB because below that it will be even for your basic use.
Keep in mind that DDR4 is a faster type of memory than traditional RAM.
Storage
Storage is the place where you keep your data. If you don’t have much data, then do not worry about storage. Even the above-given 64Gb cheap laptop is good for basic needs if you don’t have to store anything.
There are also two types of storage, one is the traditional hard drive, and the other is the faster solid-state drive (SSD).
If you looking for fast laptops then focus on SSD and DDR4.
The other specifications like battery life, keyboard, camera, and design also matter but all those are secondary things for basic use.
So the mentioned specifications are enough for you to find one of the best laptops for basic use.