Apple SVP Eddy Cue and director Ben Stiller took to the SXSW stage to discuss Severance, Apple’s hit sci-fi thriller. Cue talks about how Severance has become a core of Apple TV+ and an example of how focusing on just a few shows promotes quality.
The in-person stage experience included two clips from the upcoming S2E9, but these are cut out of the recorded version. Otherwise, you can watch the full interview after the break …
Not everyone needs a super-expensive, top-of-the-line laptop, and the good news is you don’t have to break the bank to get a solid machine. Whether you're a student, a casual user or just looking for an affordable device for everyday tasks, there are plenty of great options out there. The trick is finding the best cheap Windows laptop that balances performance, build quality and battery life without making too many compromises.
A good budget laptop computer should still be fast enough to handle web browsing, office work and streaming, which means looking for models with a decent processor, a solid state drive (SSD) for speedy boot times, and at least an FHD display so everything looks crisp. Some affordable options even come with a dedicated GPU, which can help with light gaming or creative work. Whether you need a lightweight notebook for school, a workhorse for productivity or an affordable FHD laptop for entertainment, there’s something for everyone. We’ve rounded up the best cheap Windows laptop choices available today, covering different price points and features to help you find the right fit for your needs.
You may be inclined to recommend a Chromebook or a tablet to anyone considering a budget Windows laptop computer. Those instincts aren’t wrong, but Chromebooks and tablets aren’t the best buy for everyone. Tablets have the most portability, but they will only work for the most mobile-competent users like kids who have been grabbing smartphones out of their parents’ hands since they’ve been dexterous enough to do so. Tablets can also be just as expensive as some of the cheapest Windows laptops, and that’s without a mouse or keyboard.
Chromebooks are a good alternative for those that basically live in a browser, the trade-off being you must give up the “traditional desktop.” And Chrome OS is a more limited operating system than Windows when it comes to the programs you can install and run.
What Windows laptops do well
What can you realistically accomplish on a cheap Windows laptop? Quite a bit, especially if you’re doing one thing (or a limited number of things) at a time. They’re great for everyday tasks like web browsing, checking email, video streaming and more. All of those things can be done on Chromebooks as well, but Windows laptops have a big advantage in Microsoft Office. While yes, there is a browser based version, the native, desktop apps are considered a must have for many and will run smoothly on even the most bare-bones budget laptop. The only caveat is that you may run into some slowdown on low-powered devices if you’re multitasking or working with large data sets in Excel or a lot of photos and graphics in Powerpoint.
When it comes to specs, a bright spot for Windows laptops is storage. Even the most affordable devices tend to have at least a 128GB solid state drive. That will come in handy if you prefer to keep your most important files saved locally on your laptop's hard drive. In contrast, cheaper Chromebooks often have less storage because they’re built on the assumption that you’ll save all of your documents in the cloud. Not only is that less convenient when you need to work offline, but it also limits the size of programs and files that you can download. So, Chromebooks aren't the best for hoarding Netflix shows before a long trip or for use as a gaming laptop.
Windows also has thousands of apps that you can download from its app store. Chromebooks have some Chrome apps, numerous browser extensions and the ability to download Android apps, but quality control is… inconsistent. Android apps, in particular, often haven’t been optimized for Chrome OS, which makes for a wonky user experience. Windows may not have as many apps as Android, but at least the experience is fairly standard across the board.
Windows also gives you the ability to download and use programs from other sources, like direct from the developer. You can run things like Adobe Creative Suite, certain VPNs and programs like GIMP, Audacity and ClipMate on a Windows device, which just isn’t possible on Chrome OS. Chromebooks limit you to the apps and programs in The Play Store and the Chrome Extensions store, reducing any others to unusable, space-sucking icons in your Downloads folder.
What to look for in a budget-friendly Windows laptop
While you can do a lot even when spending little on a Windows laptop, you must set your expectations accordingly. The biggest downside when purchasing a budget laptop (of any kind, really) is limited power. Many Windows laptops under $500 run on Intel Celeron or Pentium processors, but you can find some with Core i3/i5 and AMD Ryzen 3/5 CPUs at the higher end of the price spectrum.
Specs to look for in a sub-$500 Windows laptop
Intel Core i or AMD Ryzen 3 processors
At least 8GB of RAM
An SSD with at least 128GB of space
1080p FHD display
Mostly metal designs
We recommend getting the most powerful CPU you can afford because it will dictate how fast the computer will feel overall. RAM is also important because, the more you have, the easier it will be for the laptop to manage things like a dozen browser tabs while you edit a Word document and stream music in the background. However, with sub-$500 laptops, you’re better off getting the best CPU you can afford rather than a laptop with a ton of RAM because the CPU will have enough power to handle most everyday tasks that cheap Windows laptops are designed for (If you’re editing RAW images or 4K video, you’ll want to invest in more RAM… and a laptop well above $500).
When it comes to storage, consider how much you want to save locally. If you primarily work in Google Docs or save most things in the cloud, you may not need a machine with a ton of onboard storage. Just remember that your digital space will also be taken up by apps, so it may be worth getting a little extra storage than you think you need if you know you’ll be downloading big programs. A final side note: solid state drives are ubiquitous at this point, not to mention faster and more efficient than HDDs, so we recommend getting a laptop with that type of storage.
You also don’t have to settle for an entirely plastic notebook either. There are options in the sub-$500 price range that are made, at least in part, with metals like aluminum. Those will not only be more attractive but also more durable. As for screens, there’s a healthy mix of HD and FHD options in this price range and we recommend springing for a notebook with a 1080p display if you can. Touchscreens aren’t as common in the under-$500 space as standard panels, but you’ll only really miss one if you get a 2-in-1 laptop.
It’s essential to prioritize what’s important to you. But at the lower end of the budget, a good laptop may not offer everything you need, whereas a great one might. Although most machines come with features like Bluetooth, built-in Wi-Fi and additional ports, you might find not all of them come with the specifics you require, like an SD card slot, webcam, charger, and so on. Be sure to check the spec list of any laptop you’re considering before you buy, especially if you need specific connectors and capabilities.
A final note before we get to our picks: The best cheap laptop models change all the time. Unlike more expensive, flagship machines, these notebooks can be updated a couple times each year. That can make it hard to track down a specific model at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart or any other retailer. Also, we’ve seen prices vary widely depending on the configuration and retailer you’re looking at. We’ve listed some of our current favorite models below, but if you can’t find any of them available near you, just keep in mind our list of specs to look for in a cheap laptop – they’ll guide you to the best laptops available at the moment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-affordable-windows-laptops-123000512.html?src=rss
A new WSJ report suggests that Saudi Arabia’s now eight-year-old Neom project — a futuristic, carbon-neutral, 105-mile-long linear city envisioned by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — has become a financial sinkhole. Plagued by delays and cost overruns, the country, which has already shelled out $50 billion, could reportedly face another 55 years of construction, […]
When Amazon killed its TikTok-style feed, Inspire, last month, most advertisers were unsurprised. In their eyes, it just didn’t seem to have gained any real interest.
“It never really felt like it had enough traction, in terms of scale, to invest more than an initial test for many brands,” said Joe O’Connor, senior director of innovation and growth at Tinuiti. O’Connor noted that his team didn’t see much adoption from their clients, so they weren’t shocked that Amazon sunsetted it.
And while Amazon was nowhere near reliant on the video feed to generate any significant revenue, it’s still a little surprising that even the biggest e-commerce player couldn’t make social commerce work.
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A little over a month ago, a bombshell report documenting ad tech’s shortcomings in stopping the monetization of child sexual abuse material raised the ire of senior politicians and prompted leading names to tighten up their operations.
Since then, the industry debate has been intense, with a growing chorus calling for more vendor transparency. And with that has come some confusion as to how the industry’s leading demand-side platforms will respond.
IAB CEO David Cohen made his philosophy clear on how the industry should move ahead. “Instead of pointing fingers, it may make sense to talk about the misalignment of incentives … move the conversation from efficiency at all costs to effectiveness and starve bad actors from monetization,” he said in a LinkedIn statement.
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Being a working mother has never been easy — but in today’s world, the challenges are piling up faster than ever.
International Women’s Day (March 8) is a moment to celebrate progress — but also to confront the realities that women, particularly working mothers, still face every day.
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For Austin, Texas-based ad agency GSD&M, throwing a party during SXSW is a must.
The agency has called the city home for 53 years, according to GSD&M CEO Duff Stewart, and the party is a way to participate in the the South by Southwest festival and represent its hometown. What started as backyard concerts in 2009 has morphed into a mini-festival on the Monday night of SXSW, where somewhere between 3,000 and 5,000 attendees will make a stop at the agency’s fete. Throughout the years, acts like The Hold Steady, Gary Clark Jr., Toro y Moi, Charley Crockett and Reggie Watts have taken the stage at GSD&M’s party.
The shop will kick off its 13th annual party at its headquarters in downtown Austin tonight, with Band of Horses headlining. Ahead of this year’s event, here’s the story of how the parties came to be, how they’ve grown, handled the pandemic and continue to this day, straight from the people who’ve built them.
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Roblox is ramping up its advertising push in 2025 — but the platform’s creator studios say they’re paying the price.
As Roblox has started selling more ads and sponsorship opportunities directly to brands, in-game creator studios argue that the shift is cutting into their own earnings — fueling growing frustration over how monetization is being shared.
For years, Roblox’s creator studios — in-game agencies that employ individualcreators to build custom-branded worlds or integrate clients’ brands into their pre-existing experiences — have been among the metaverse platform’s most staunch supporters. Many of them have official partnerships with Roblox through the Roblox Partner Program, and have charged brands such as Vans and Nascar hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years to design and build bespoke experiences and items.
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As Google continues its legal battle in the search antitrust case, the giant is moving forward with expanding new search features powered by generative AI.
Last week, Google debuted an experimental “AI Mode” for search to let users ask follow-up questions. The feature, powered by the company’s new Gemini 2.0 model, will provide answers, real-time information, multimodal answers, and links within AI Overviews. The feature also uses Google’s ranking system from its knowledge graph with real-time data about places and products.
Google’s updates came just days before the company and the U.S. Dept. of Justice on March 7 filed final remedy proposals before a scheduled hearing in court next month. The DOJ’s proposal includes forcing Google to divest its Chrome browser, increasing transparency for its search ads business and introducing rules for data transparency and search partner interoperability. Google’s proposal includes barring exclusive pre-install deals for search, chrome and its Gemini assistant.
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A common story around the world of media agencies — notably holding company shops — is one of bolting on digital and lower-funnel expertise to their historical brand-building chops. In the case of iProspect, that expertise is flowing in the opposite direction, at last in its North American offices.
Digiday has learned that North American CEO Liz Rutgersson, who took over in fall 2023, has moved three Dentsu veterans onto her executive leadership team — all three of whom bring broader more traditional chops to the team to widen out the agency’s ability to deliver up and down the funnel for its clients.
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Last week, Apple introduced the new . It brought a new sky blue finish, and introduced a higher-resolution 12MP camera with support for Center Stage. However, it also included a much more important upgrade: a lower starting price.
That’s right, the MacBook Air now starts at $999 again. That’s a big deal for two reasons. One, you no longer need to buy last-gen tech for that price point, and two, it means there’s now incredible clearance deals on older models.
Among all of the Apple Intelligence features announced at WWDC24 last summer, notification summaries are likely one of the more controversial ones. Users have noticed a number of inaccurate summaries, which has resulted in Apple tweaking the design of notification summaries, as well as disabling it for news stories.
While these summaries will never be absolutely perfect, there is one way Apple could easily improve the quality and accuracy of them, and I’d like to see them take this idea into consideration for iOS 19.
