Acer is locked and loaded for the holidays—it plans to stock retailers with a series of laptops priced under $600. The Acer Aspire 4710-2013 ($600 street) may not be as cheap as the ASUS Eee PC 4G ($399), but with it you get a Windows operating system and good-enough processing parts. All in all, you might just be convinced to bypass the Dells and HPs and lay down $600 for this laptop.

Now, there are other value laptops, such as the $1,099 Dell Inspiron 1420 and $830 Sony VAIO VGN-NR160, that will give you enough bang for the buck. When you get down to the dirt-cheap ($600) price point, though, you begin to worry about the machines’ shortcomings. Cheap laptops are usually synonymous with heft and ugly designs. The Aspire 4710-2013, happily, is an exception. The 5.5-pound frame is as light as it is attractive, and the design somewhat belies the price. Both the Inspiron 1420 and the VGN-NR160E weigh closer to 6 pounds, though their makers put more thought into their designs. Think of the Aspire 4710-2013 as a smaller version of Acer’s Aspire 5920G Gemstone series. Its cover design may not be as fancy, but its round edges and overall look make it seem less bland and boxy than the usual bargain laptop.

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