I found a cheap Windows laptop that I would actually use for work trips – and it’s on sale

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Not everyone needs a decked out laptop with expensive hardware. For users looking for an affordable laptop that’s good enough for everyday use, the Acer Aspire Go15 – a more recent addition to Acer’s budget laptop line – fills that niche well.

At $300, the Acer Aspire Go 15 is a capable budget laptop for users without high performance requirements. The 15-inch screen is great for surfing the web, checking emails and using productivity software, while the built-in webcam is sufficient for taking business calls when you’re out of the office.

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At 3.75 pounds, this isn’t the lightest laptop, and the 15-inch screen results in a slightly bulky chassis, but the trade-off is a full keyboard with a number pad on the right (even if the keys are slightly smaller) and a screen that feels just big enough.

In fact, ‘just enough’ is the overarching theme for this laptop. It has just enough performance to meet basic needs, a good enough webcam, port selection and form factor, with the standout feature being a surprisingly long-lasting battery.

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If you look closely at these parameters you will see that they are quite well optimized, resulting in a laptop with limitations, but a device that also performs well within the scope of its capabilities.

So let’s take a look at what’s under the hood. The Aspire Go 15 has an Intel Core i3-N305, a somewhat low-end processor with only 8GB of RAM. This combination of hardware limits the capabilities of this machine. However, in my testing, the laptop was largely able to keep up with my web browsing (read: lots of YouTube tabs) and work-related apps, if not stuttering a bit once the CPU was taxed.

I used this laptop for a week, taking it to and from the office and switching between my main computer, and it handled basic productivity tasks well. However, performance drops once you have a handful of apps open and try to quickly switch between windows.

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As for the keyboard and trackpad, I have no complaints about typing on the Aspire Go 15. The keys are light, responsive, and quiet. If you like backlighting on your keyboards you won’t find any of these luxuries here, but the textured feel and springiness of the keys are fine. The trackpad doesn’t feel particularly high-quality, but it is well positioned and does its job.

The entire physical form factor of this laptop can be described in the same way. Upon initial inspection, the all-plastic casing feels a bit flimsy and the screen tends to wobble. The laptop’s silver and black color scheme exudes a neutral, unobtrusive aesthetic.

The 15-inch screen is quite plain and not very bright, but it does have nice viewing angle flexibility, unlike other Chromebooks or budget laptops. The 1080p full HD screen has sufficient contrast, even if the 60 Hz refresh rate is not phenomenal. I think anything below 75% brightness on this laptop is too dim.

The selection of ports here is also just enough. You get two USB-A ports, one USB-C, an HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a Kensington lock. The charger that comes with the Aspire Go 15 is a cheap-feeling proprietary jack, but the laptop can also be charged via the USB-C port.

The speakers are uninspiring, as you might imagine for a $300 laptop. While the speakers may be plenty loud, they are thin and tinny. Connect your Bluetooth wireless earbuds or connect the headphone jack to hear better sound.

So let’s talk about the battery life of this laptop. I used the device intermittently for a day and a half before I had to plug it back in. On a tougher battery test, the laptop lasted more than 10 hours with constant livestream video. This battery life leads me to believe that the hardware on this machine, even at the low end, is at least well optimized.

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However, this laptop won’t last more than a day of demanding, extended use. If you take the Acer Aspire Go 15 to the office and forget your charger, it will last you about seven to eight hours. But all things considered, this machine’s battery power rounds out the package nicely.

Buying advice from ZDNET

For the price, the Acer Aspire Go15 is a solid choice for users without high performance requirements or for those who need a secondary laptop for travel. It’s also a good choice for students looking for an inexpensive laptop to take around campus for taking notes and completing assignments. The device is included in our best laptops for college list.

The practical feature list, port selection and decent battery life give you everything you need and nothing you don’t. The laptop is well optimized to work within its capabilities. Plus, the price is right at just $300.