HP Pavilion g7-1260

HP Pavilion g7-1260us

A well-equipped budget laptop, like the HP Pavilion g7-2160us ($629.99 list at Staples), can be a good fit for the dorm room or family home. It's great for completing day-to-day tasks, as well as casual gaming and light photo editing. It may not have all of the latest features, but it offers a large hard drive, an Intel Core i3 processor, and big, bright 17-inch screen, for a decent price. The g7-1260us has a sleek, simple look, the two-toned color scheme nicely contrasts its silver-grey lid and palm rest against a dark charcoal grey plastic chassis. The plastic construction flexes a bit, but still feels fairly rigid when you pick it up. The size of the g7-1260us (1.44 by 16.22 by 10.55 inches, HWD), making it more of a stationary desktop replacement. It weighs 6 pounds, which is lighter than the 17-inch Gateway NV77H05u ($629.99 list, 3 stars) (6.5 pounds), but still nowhere near as commuter-friendly as the lighter 15-inch Asus U56E-BBL5 ($649.99 list, 4 stars) (5.5 pounds). The g7-1260us has a large 17.6-inch widescreen that displays in 1,600-by-900 resolution, the same resolution offered on the Gateway NV77H05u.