Laptops have come down a lot in price over the past few years. It isn't unusual to see them in the $500 range.

These won't be the most powerful machines around. I certainly wouldn't recommend them for photo- or video-editing, or gaming. But they're good enough for surfing, viewing photos and basic tasks. That fits most people’s needs.

Size probably won't matter to most people. But frequent travelers will balk at the weight. They can be real back breakers.

For this guide, we’re using an $800 cutoff for inexpensive laptops. There was a time when nothing was available for that price. But many laptops today make that cutoff.

Most of these machines are relatively heavy. Six pounds is common. That doesn’t sound like much, if you’ve never hit the road with a laptop. But ask any road warrior. They’ll tell you six pounds is really pretty heavy.

If you want something lighter, you’ll probably need to pay more. For instance, the MacBook Air is very svelte. It also costs $1,500. You could also look at netbooks. More about them soon.

Screen size is very important. This shouldn’t be a big problem. A number of laptops in this price range have 15-inch or greater screens. If you consider going lower than 15 inches, try a screen in the store.