Three bills. That’s all you need to get a quality laptop. It won’t be a laptop with a huge screen or an ultra-fast processor. It won’t run complex video-editing programs or graphics-intensive games. But it can be a laptop that’s lightweight, well-built and more than capable of performing the basic array of computer tasks — emailing, web surfing, streaming videos, running spreadsheets and word processors, et al — if you know which ones to buy.

Spot Cool Stuff took a look every laptop computer that’s available for $300 or less. Here’s a review of our three favorites:

• The Acer C720, which, amazingly costs less than $200!

• The HP Chromebook 14, with head-turning looks and a 9-hour battery life.

• The Gateway LT41P04u, which runs a full version of Windows 8 and features a touchscreen.

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What took so long? In a technological world in which all manner of gadgets can run apps and connect to the internet it wasn’t until late 2009 that someone came out with a printer capable of such—HP did it with their Photosmart Premium TouchSmart Web All-in-One Printer.

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In the United States, nearly 60% of computer-owning households have more than one computer. The figure is even higher in Sweden and South Korea, and nearly as high in Germany, Canada and England. For all those multi-computer households—especially households with a mix of laptops and desktops or a mix of Mac and PC—the HP MediaSmart Server is a very cool, and wise, investment.

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