These days a price tag of less than $400 usually means you're buying a netbook, rather than a full-size laptop. However the popularity of low-cost laptops combined with tough economic times has Acer resurrecting its eMachines laptop line with the eMD620-5777, available exclusively through Best Buy for $379 (and this is the current list price; the system has dropped below $300 in the past, and we wouldn't surprised to see it go that low again this holiday season).

With a single-core AMD Athlon processor and only 1GB of RAM, this thin-and-light's performance is nothing to write home about. Also, its battery life and paucity of ports hold this laptop back somewhat. However, if you're in the market for a lightweight 14.1-inch notebook, the eMD620-5777 is worth a look.

Functional Design

The eMD620 isn't going to win any design awards, but its basic build has a certain nostalgic late-1990s corporate style. When looking at the contours and overall design, it is clear that the eMachines eMD620 takes some styling cues from the Acer TravelMate line, including the black matte lid, ribbed plastic above the keyboard, and a thin silver frame that surrounds the touchpad.

The overall feel of the eMD620 isn't as cheap as one would expect for its budget price, but the system is primarily covered in a black plastic. Measuring 13.0 x 9.8 x 1.2–1.6 inches and tipping the scales at 5.3 pounds, this isn't the sveltest thin-and-light, but it didn't cause much strain on our shoulder when put into a messenger bag.