Reality Check: 3 Cheap Business PC Laptops for the Price of One Tablet

The Street’s Jonathan Blum observes that when the Apple or Research in Motion spinmeisters dreamed up the notion of low-cost tablet computers, hr seriously doubts they expected their brainchild would not just be pricier than a normal notebook, but a lot pricier.

However, Blum invites us to do the math. While the base Wi-Fi iPad 2 starts at $499, true ready-for-business tablets such as the 64 GB Verizon Wi-Fi and 3G iPad can top $800 — and that’s before the cover, the keyboard and the $30 spare charger.

Meanwhile, he notes, over at Fry’s electronics superstore, there’s a nice online service to help your chances of finding a $300 Toshiba Satellite 15.6-inch notebook in stock somewhere, and these days, with just a bit of effort, a perfectly solid business-ready portable computer can be had for way less than $400, so his inner cheapskate wondered: “How many legitimate work PCs can I get for what I would spend on a $1,000 tablet?”

Three, as it turned out, if you go a measly $7 over budget.

Compaq 15.6-inch Presario ($278 from Walmart.com)

Toshiba Satellite 15.6-inch Notebook ($300 at Fry’s — in-store only)

Lenovo ThinkPad SL510 series ($429 at TigerDirect) – That’s a 15.6″ display ThinkPad running Windows 7 for $70 less than the cheapest iPad.

For the full story, visit:
http://bit.ly/qA0neX