If you think the $899 Surface Pro is too rich for your blood, don’t sweat it: there are plenty of cheaper quality alternatives out there. Consumer Reports has been testing out several low-cost Windows 8 laptops and has found that they aren’t just priced well but that they perform well too. Among the winners were ASUS’s (2357) S56CA-DH51, a 15-inch laptop that costs $650 and that Consumer Reports praises for “very good performance and excellent ergonomics”; Sony’s (SNE) VAIO SVT-13122CXS, a 13-inch ultrabook that costs $625; and Acer’s (2353) M5-581T-6807, a $600, 15.6-inch laptop that Consumer Reports says has “excellent performance and respectable battery life.” With so many quality laptops priced under $700, Consumer Reports hopes that it’s a sign that “more inexpensive touch screen laptops are coming soon.”
Forget the Surface Pro: Consumer Reports finds plenty of great low-cost Windows 8 laptops
Published Feb 22nd, 2013 6:10PM EST
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Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.
