Value and performance add up for back-to-school laptops

Whether it's reading, writing and arithmetic, or 16th century English literature, thermodynamics and organic chemistry, a laptop computer has become an essential part of almost every student's education. For younger students getting their first computer, or those looking for a very portable laptop for in-class note taking and not much more, a netbook might suffice. Those needing more computational horsepower for engineering or science courses might want to aim for a high-end laptop, like the just refreshed Alienware M11x (the fact that it's a better-than-decent gaming rig as well doesn't hurt, right?). For everyone else, mainstream laptops costing between $300 and $800 hit the sweet spot between performance and value, making them great back-to-school choices. We profile the very best ones in our just-updated report on cheap laptops.

Low-cost, high-power laptops for students

Most students will love the Toshiba Portege R705-P25. That 13.3-inch laptop weighs just over 3 pounds, so it's easy to tote around from home or dorm to class. Once there, the screen does a good job dealing with reflections from harsh classroom lights. Performance is top-shelf, besting competitors that cost more -- sometimes much more. One negative is that battery life isn't particularly impressive. If that's a concern, and you're willing to sacrifice a little power and add a little weight, the Toshiba Satellite T235-S1350 outpaces the Portege R705-P25 by a couple of hours or so in battery-life tests and costs a bit less. It's not extensively reviewed yet, but Laptop Magazine likes the Toshiba Satellite T235-S1350 enough to name it an Editors' Choice.

If you need a computer that's going to spend most of its time on your dorm-room desk rather than in your backpack to and from class, the Toshiba Satellite A665-S6050 deserves a look-see. Intensive gaming and graphics work are no-nos, but for everything else, this Toshiba desktop-replacement laptop pretty much delivers. The big 16-inch screen is great for school work, and for watching videos afterwards. Above-average speakers (for a laptop) are another bonus.

Netbook replacements

If you only have a netbook budget, but need a laptop for school that's a bit more capable, our report on cheap laptops identifies several great candidates. Costing not much more than most netbooks (and actually less than some) the HP Compaq Presario CQ62-209WM is one pretty impressive cheap laptop. It won't win any performance awards compared to more pricey laptops, but its AMD processor still handily outclasses the Atom processor used in most netbooks. Again, you should look elsewhere -- and expect to pay much more -- if you need a laptop capable of heavy-duty number crunching for gaming, graphics, or other tasks, but the Compaq Presario CQ62-209WM is more than able to do just about anything else. Stylish design is a plus, as is a great 15.6-inch display and good audio. At 5.5 pounds, it's not as light as a netbook, but it's no boat anchor either, though portability is hampered a bit by short battery life.

For more comprehensive information, head over to our full report on cheap laptops.