Best Cheap Laptop For Writers

best cheap laptop for writers
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If you’re searching for the best cheap laptop for writers, you’ve landed on the right page. This post contains a list of the top 7 best cheap laptops for writers. However, the best cheap laptop for writers out of the featured 7 is the Acer Aspire 5. In addition to being the best cheap laptop for writers from our findings, as at the time of writing this post, it also ranks No1 in ‘Traditional laptop computers’ on Amazon’s best sellers ranking.

However, you’d find all the laptops featured in this post very perfect for you if you’re a writer or blogger on a budget.

We know that getting a powerful laptop without breaking the bank is one of the dreams of every writer.

Come to think of it, you can’t write effectively these days without a good laptop unlike in the past when pens and papers were the major writing tools.

Today, laptops are the most important tools for writers, this is why as a writer you need to ensure you get the best your money can buy.

Comparison Table For The Best Cheap Laptop For Writers

Here’s a quick view of some of the unique features of our 7 favourites for the best cheap laptop for writers.

Click on the image to purchase any of these laptops on Amazon.

S/NProductImageSpecifications
1Acer Aspire 5Processor: AMD Ryzen 3
Display size: 15.6"
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 128GB Weight: 3.97lbs
Battery life: Up to 7.5hrs
2Lenovo IdeaPad 3Processor: AMD Ryzen 5
Display size: 14"
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB
Weight: 3.3lbs
Battery life: Up to 6hrs
3Asus L406Processor: Intel Celeron N4000
Display size: 14"
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Weight: 2.87lbs
Battery life: Up to 12hrs
4HP StreamProcessor: AMD Dual-Core
Display size: 14"
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB
Weight: 3.2bs
Battery life: Up to 8hrs
5Lenovo ChromebookProcessor: MediaTek
Display size: 14"
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB
Weight: 3.3lbs
Battery life: Up to 10hrs
6Acer ChromebookProcessor: Intel Celeron N3350
Display size: 14"
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB
Weight: 3.97bs
Battery life: Up to 12hrs
7HP ChromebookProcessor: Intel Celeron
Display size: 14"
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 32GB .
Weight: 3.5bs
Battery life: Up to 12hrs

Compare The Top 7 On One Page

Features To Consider In The Best Cheap Laptop For Writers

Keyboard

The keyboard should be the first consideration when you’re about purchasing the best cheap laptop for writers.

Your keyboard should be comfortable because you’re going to be spending the best part of your day on it.

Therefore, you’d type more comfortably with smooth and well-spaced keys.

Also, a backlit-keyboard is an added advantage if you work long hours in dim-lit environments.

Portability

If you’re constantly on the move as a writer, you should most naturally go for a light and thin laptop that can easily fit into your bag without weighing you down.

Battery

You don’t want to lose your writing project mid-way because your laptop’s battery died on you.

Therefore, we recommend a laptop with at least 6hrs battery backup.

Screen

The larger your display screen, the better you’re able to work as a writer.

We’d advise buying a laptop that’s at least 13inch with good resolution, preferably full HD.

7 Favorites For The Best Cheap Laptop For Writers.

1. Acer Aspire 5 -Best Cheap Laptop For Writers

best cheap laptop for writersIf you’re on a budget and you need a really good laptop below $500, Acer Aspire Slim 5 is your best bet.

You can’t go wrong with it and from our findings, it’s the best cheap laptop for writers that clearly meets and exceeds all the benchmarks for writing.

Design

The portable all-aluminium top cover is finished in silver colour to provide a premium feel.

As a matter of fact, Acer achieved the goal of making this aesthetically pleasing to look at with a slim, sleek and beautiful form-factor.

Not that looks matter to writers but it boosts your confidence having an eye-candy that’s also a performance powerhouse.

Screen

It has a gorgeous FHD 15.6inch 1920 x 1080 IPS widescreen LED-backlit display.

Therefore, it offers you sharp and crisp visuals.

You have an even bigger workspace to write/type on because of the thin frames (bezel) surrounding the screen.

The Acer Colour Intelligence with Acer BlueLight Shield features come as an extra advantage.

Mainly, it protects your eyes from fatigue and strain which comes from staring at your screen for too long.

Keyboard

It’s equipped with a smooth and comfortable full-sized keyboard that allows your fingers to conveniently work without strain.

Furthermore, you have the backlight to help you see the keys clearly in dark environments as you type.

In addition to that, you can quickly login to your laptop anywhere without the hassles of inputting password with the fingerprint reader feature.

However, the touchpad might feel a bit lose in use, but nothing major to hinder your writing projects.

Software / Hardware / Connectivity

Inside the chassis, there’s the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Dual-Core processor, up to 3.5GHz, 4GB RAM and a super-fast 128GB SSD for storage.

With this combination, your MS Word documents would open with lightning speed and navigating between tabs is super-fast as well.

Also, you can open several tabs for your research while typing simultaneously.

It would handle it.

Furthermore, it runs on Windows 10 in S mode for security.

Also, Alexa would make your task easier by helping you to set reminders for submission deadlines, keep track of your deliverables, etc.

For connectivity, you have a good range of ports including HDMI, USB 3.1 and 2.0, Bluetooth, WiFi.

Weight

It’s relatively light at 3.97lbs.

Battery

You can type on the laptop for up to 7.5hrs before worrying about plugging in the charger.

PROS

  • Fast processing and storage
  • Bright screen
  • Backlit keyboard
  • Good battery life

CONS

  • The trackpad may feel loose in use.

Tap the link above to purchase on Amazon.

2. Lenovo IdeaPad 3 -2nd Best Cheap Laptop For Writers

best cheap laptop for writersHere’s another sub-$500 laptop which we consider to be a really good deal for writers.

Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a lot of functional features that belie its price-point.

Hence, it’s the next best cheap laptops for writers.

Design

Lenovo comes in a small, light, and portable plastic chassis that is easy to carry around.

The abyss blue colour provides a sense of uniqueness for you.

Also, it has a 180degree hinge which allows you to lay your laptop flat out, like a notebook.

This comes useful if you need to share your screen or current writing project with colleagues or friends, for feedback.

Screen

It’s equipped with a 14inch FHD widescreen display.

The screen has very slim frames, giving you a clean design and a larger space to type/write with less clutter.

With 1920 x 1080 resolution, the visuals are sharp and bright as you write.

Keyboard

The keys are large, evenly spaced and feel textured.

Also, the membranes provide a nice, solid and tactile feel to each key as you type.

Overall, you have a satisfying and comfortable typing experience on it.

However, it doesn’t come with a backlight.

Software / Hardware / Connectivity

It’s equipped with AMD Ryzen 5 3500U processor and 8GB RAM which delivers a powerful performance, even more than you need for your writing projects.

Also, if you like multitasking, gaming, listening to music or taking breaks in-between writing for movies, this laptop would handle all.

It’s powerful and snappy in processing.

With 256GB SSD, you have all the space you need to store your Word documents as you finish your writing projects.

Also, you have Windows 10 in S mode to improve your productivity.

Weight

It’s lightweight at 3.3lbs.

Battery

The battery would take you through 6hrs of typing.

PROS

  • Light and portable design
  • Comfortable keyboard
  • Bright screen
  • Fast processing, RAM and storage

CONS

  • No keyboard backlight

Click the above image to buy on Amazon.

3. Asus Laptop L406

best cheap laptop for writersAsus gets it right, most of the time.

This sub-$400 Asus Laptop L406 Thin and Light Laptop is one of those times.

It’s obviously designed to help you to be more productive, every day.

Hence, we’re profiling it as one of the best cheap laptops for writers.

Design

Although Asus L406 is the bigger version of the L203 profiled here, it’s very compact, sleek, durable and portable.

Also, it’s super-thin and lightweight with the frame sporting a mere 0.7″ in thickness.

You can very well slip this into your bag and move whenever your writing engagements take you out of the confines of your home or office.

With the fanless design, it’s made for noiseless operations which helps you concentrate especially if you have to type/work in libraries or quiet environments.

Screen

It has a 14″ 1366 x 768 HD matter display which is as clear and bright as you’d need it to be for your writing projects.

There’s also the NanoEdge feature seen in the display which gives you a wider screen to work with.

Keyboard

As you’d be spending lots of time on the keyboard, the ergonomic design relieves you of a great deal of pressure.

The keyboard is slightly lifted/raised upward at an angle to reduce strain on your fingers and wrists.

Hence, you enjoy a comfortable typing experience.

Software / Hardware / Connectivity

With the efficient Intel Celeron N4000 processor and 4GB RAM, you have a fast boot-up time and all your applications and tabs open up rapidly.

Furthermore, it comes with 64GB storage space which is just sufficient for your basic storage.

However, there’s always the option of storing files in the cloud or external drives if needed.

Weight

It’s extremely light and portable at 2.87lbs.

Battery

It gives you up to 12hrs battery life which varies with usage and settings.

PROS

  • Fast keyboard and trackpad
  • Powerful processor
  • Very lightweight and portable

CONS

  • The screen resolution isn’t the best.

Click the above image to buy on Amazon.

4. HP Stream

best cheap laptop for writersIf you’re regularly on the move as a writer on a budget, you should consider the HP Stream which is a sub-400USD laptop.

It one of the best cheap laptops for writers around.

Design

It comes in a compact chassis finished off smoothly in an incredibly stylish rose pink colour.

You’d especially love this if you need other exciting colours, besides black or grey.

Screen

The screen is a wide 14″ HD SVA BrightView WLED-backlit display.

Although we’d have loved to have a better FHD screen resolution, the visual output is sufficiently bright for all writing activities.

Keyboard

It’s equipped with a reasonably-sized keyboard that responds well to clicks and pressure.

The keys are large enough with even spaces in between them.

Also, the trackpad is smooth and responsive.

Software / Hardware / Connectivity

In this laptop, you have AMD Dual-Core processor, 4GB RAM and 32GB eMMC storage space.

Furthermore, it comes with Microsoft Office apps to increase your productivity and creativity as a writer.

The 32GB storage space would be barely sufficient for your storage needs but you have access to a free 1TB of OneDrive storage for one year.

Going further, it has BIOS recovery and protection that checks the health status of your laptop automatically and prevents unauthorised access to your sensitive writing projects.

Weight

It weighs 3.2lbs.

Battery

The battery would last up to 8hrs of writing before you’d have to recharge.

PROS

  • Compact and lightweight
  • Good keyboard
  • Relatively fast RAM and processor

CONS

  • Low storage space

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5. Lenovo Chromebook

best cheap laptop for writersAs a writer, it’s very easy to love Lenovo Chromebook S330 laptop.

From the sub-300 USD price-point to the portable frame and versatile design, it’s one of the best cheap laptops for writers.

Design

For a budget laptop, Chromebook S330 comes in a sleek and stylish package.

Less than 1inch thin, it’s perfect for your day-to-day writing activities and you’re able to effortlessly take this around with you.

You can use it in two modes, either as a laptop or as a notebook.

The notebook mode is particularly useful if you need to share your screen or writing project with anybody.

Screen

The screen is a fairly large 14inch FHD 1920 x 1080 display with clear, crisp and sharp output.

Keyboard

The keyboard feels great in use and the trackpad is also amazing in texture and use.

Software / Hardware / Connectivity

Chromebook S330 is equipped with MediaTek processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB storage space.

Although MediaTek isn’t as fast or powerful as Intel processors, the processing speed is good enough for your writing and basic computing activities.

Furthermore, the boot-up time is fast and tabs open quickly.

To further boost the available storage space, you can store your writing projects in the cloud or an external drive.

You’d be able to connect to all your favourite devices with a USB Type-C port, USB 3.0, MicroSD, Bluetooth and WiFi.

Writers spend time on the internet researching and downloading various information, Lenovo has inbuilt virus protection to keep you safe at all times.

Weight

It’s pretty light in weight at 3.3lbs.

Battery

Average battery life is up to 10hrs.

PROS

  • Very affordable
  • Fast processing
  • Great keyboard and trackpad
  • Good battery life

CONS

  • Non-IPS display reduces screen quality

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6. Acer Chromebook 514

best cheap laptop for writersIt’s easy to see why Acer Chromebook is one of Amazon’s top choices because it’s also one of our favourites and naturally, one of the best cheap laptops for writers.

Design

Typical of Chromebooks, Acer Chromebook 514 comes in a small and compact chassis.

It’s stylish, yet tough with the all-aluminium metal chassis.

This means it’s lightweight and at the same time, sturdy to withstand all the movements and rigours that might come with your writing engagements.

Screen

It sports a 14inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 widescreen IPS LED-backlit display.

The screen is sufficiently bright with crisp visual output.

This is enough to protect your eyes while also making your writing projects enjoyable.

Keyboard

The keyboard is reasonable in size and comfortable for typing.

Also, it has a sleek Corning Gorilla touchpad that’s very durable and responsive.

You can tap, scroll, swipe and zoom all day long without any hitch, unlike plastic touchpads.

Although the absence of a numeric keypad is hardly noticeable, it would serve as a little inconvenience if your writing requires constant use of numbers.

Software / Hardware / Connectivity

Going further, the Chromebook is powered by the powerful (pun intended) Intel Celeron N3350 Dual-Core processor and 4GB RAM.

When you write or try to open tabs or applications, you’d enjoy the snappy response, opening rate and super-speedy boot-up time.

Typically, it runs on Chrome OS which is an operating system form Google, built for the way we live and work today.

Particularly for writers, you’d find this a welcome feature because you have just the features you need for your writings without distractions.

Furthermore, it has 32GB storage space which is limited especially if you’re a very active and heavy writer.

However, you can also store your files on the built-in Google Drive with the free 100GB storage space that comes with the Chromebook.

The best part is that all your files are automatically backed up and you’re able to access them offline, without an internet connection.

Weight

It’s not too heavy at 3.97lbs.

Battery

The battery lasts practically all day long at 12hrs.

Hence, you wouldn’t have to bother about carrying your charger around with you, all day.

PROS

  • Great screen quality
  • Good keyboard and touchpad
  • Fast processor and RAM.

CONS

  • Low storage

To purchase on Amazon, tap the image above.

7. HP Chromebook x360

best cheap laptop for writersLast but certainly not the least in performance, HP Chromebook x360 is another sub-$400 HP model that qualifies as the best cheap laptop for writers.

Design

We particularly love the versatile and flexible design of this beautiful Chromebook.

It comes in a 2in1 form which means you can type on it in laptop form or rotate it 360degrees to use it in tablet form or even lay it flat out like a notebook to share your screen.

The 2in1 form is particularly useful if you have to type in a cramped space, on the go.

The chassis is smooth and beautifully finished in a ceramic white colour.

Although it’s aesthetically pleasing, this easily attracts dirt.

Overall, it’s light and easy to take around with you to when you have to write on the go.

Screen

The screen is a fairly-bright and responsive 14″ HD touch display with narrow frames.

Also, the touchscreen supports the use of Stylus but you’d have to purchase this separately.

Keyboard

The keyboard is fair in size and responsiveness.

It manages to balance being clicky with being quiet in use.

You’d find it relatively comfortable, typing long hours on it.

Software / Hardware / Connectivity

It’s equipped with Intel Celeron N4000, upgradeable 4GB RAM and basic storage space of 32GB.

Although the processing speed is fast enough for writing tasks, you’d be limited in storing your files on the available storage.

However, this is where external storage solutions come in handy to supplement the limited onboard space.

Also, it comes pre-installed with Chrome OS for better productivity.

Although it’s not without its own limitations in downloading apps, you’d find it pretty suitable for all you need to do as a writer.

Weight

At 3.5lbs, you can take the laptop anywhere and everywhere with you.

Battery

In terms of battery performance, you’d be able to work through 12hrs of writing or typing before you’d have to charge it.

PROS

  • 2in1 functional convertible design
  • Good keyboard
  • Fast processor, RAM and storage.

CONS

  • Less-than-perfect screen resolution.

To purchase on Amazon, click the image above.

Conclusion For The Best Cheap Laptop For Writers

All the featured laptops show that the best cheap laptop for writers doesn’t necessarily have to be inferior in form and performance.

We believe you deserve to get the best in terms of cost and performance from your laptop.

However, if you’re confused on the best option to go for buy one out of the 7 laptops featured, we recommend you go with Acer Aspire 5.

It’s the best cheap laptop for writers.

Click here to purchase Acer Aspire 5

Use the link to get yours now.