Asus K53E-RBR4

Asus K53E-RBR4

There are plenty of budget laptops on the market, but the lower you move in terms of price the more limited your choices become. If you really can't afford to move beyond the $600-$650 range, you may be tempted by the Asus K53E-RBR4 ($629.99 list at Staples). It's a fine basic machine, with a handsome and austere design but no other bells and whistles to speak of, but a bit of comparative shopping will turn up more capable computers for about the same amount of money. The predominant hue of the K53E-RBR4 is a deep chocolate brown, and its lid is adorned with a textured pattern of interlocking horizontal and diagonal lines that gives the laptop a snakeskin feel. The only other feature on the lid is a silvery Asus logo, located just above center. You'll find that brown color when you open up the laptop as well, on the palm rest (where the texture continues) and the keyboard deck (where it gives way to a much smoother finish). There's plenty of black inside as well: glossy on the bezel surrounding the 15.6-inch, 1,366-by-768 widescreen display (which has a webcam embedded in the top portion), matte for the space between the Chiclet-style keys, the keys themselves, and the Altec Lansing speaker bar located just above them.