Consumers are looking to get more value out of their laptop purchases this year as the recession continues on and unemployment stays hovering around 9%. To help budget shoppers this year get the best laptop their money can buy we will be reviewing laptops that we believe to be the best laptop computers under $500.

One of our best laptop computer pick is the Toshiba Satellite L305. This onyx blue finish laptop has the slower 54G 802.11b/g WIFI capability. At this price range it is really hard to complain on the lack of the latest technology. When the need arises you can always get an 802.11n USB WIFI dongle to increase WIFI coverage and speed. The 15.4 inch LCD display has a dimension of 1280×800; a standard wide screen resolution for laptops. One of the unique features is the Express Media Player that allows you to play CDs and DVDs without accessing the Windows operating system.

The internal processor is an Intel 2.0 Ghz dual core. A 250 GB hard drive is enough to store your applications, files, and music collection. It comes with 2 GB of RAM which can be upgraded to 4 GB. I strongly advise upgrading the memory which can reduce hard drive access and therefore improve battery life for mobile road warriors. The integrated Intel GMA 4500M graphics is a capable chip for typical laptop use but playing intense 3D games may be stretching its abilities.

The budget laptop comes with Vista 32 bit. You may want to wait till October when Microsoft releases Windows 7 which is supposed to be faster and feature new productivity features that Vista lacks. If you cannot wait then make sure the purchase comes with a free upgrade to Windows 7. Bear in mind you will only be able to access 3GB of memory on a 32 bit Windows even if you installed 4GB. This is a limitation of the 32 bit operating system. So if you are planning on upgrading the memory make sure to upgrade your operating system to 64 bit Windows. Otherwise having only 2GB and using Windows 32 bit is perfectly fine.

The laptop comes with a DVD±RW drive so you can burn DVDs and CDs. Standard connections and expansions include 54g WIFI, 1 ExpressCard 54/34 slot, 3 USB ports, VGA output, audio / mic input and outputs, 10/100 Ethernet, 56K analog modem, and a 5-in-1 memory card reader supporting Secure Digital, Secure Digital High Capacity, MultiMedia, Memory Stick, and Memory Stick Pro. Software that are included are Microsoft Works 9.0, Google Toolbar, Ulead DVD MovieFactory 5, Norton 360 All-in-One Security 30 day trial, and Microsoft Office 2007 Home and Student Edition 60 day trial.