Think you know what a $500 laptop looks like? We’re in a new era now

Laptops have come a long way in the last decade. There was once a time when $500 laptops would bite the dust in record time, forcing you to upgrade frequently or suffer with an underperforming hunk of junk.

These days, you can shop for laptops with a $500 budget and get away with something that’s far from the bottom of the barrel in terms of specs, even more so if you’re willing to shop around and score a deal.

Related: The best laptops under $500

Sure, you still...