LAPTOP’s Best Black Friday Bargains at Best Buy

Let’s be honest. Black Friday started early this year, with notebook makers offering heavy discounts ahead of the holiday season to jumpstart sales in the face of a weak economy. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t great deals to be had if you’re willing to wake up early this Friday. Best Buy in particular has some of the best deals we’ve seen in years, from a $379 dual-core Toshiba to an $899 16-inch VAIO with Blu-ray.

Most Best Buy locations will open their doors at 5 A.M., which means you’ll probably need to get there earlier, but at least Best Buy will offer tickets for those standing in line to ensure you get the gear you want. You can also try logging on at 12 a.m. (EST) on Friday to grab any one of these deals, but we expect them to sell out quickly.

We had a chance to get up close and personal with four of our top value-priced picks and wanted to give you the lowdown on each system. Below, we break down the best Black Friday bargains at Best Buy and what you get for the price.

And don’t forget to check out our hands-on video shot at a Best Buy here in New York City.

eMachines eMD620-5777
Price: $379
The eMD620-5777 is a good choice for those looking to just surf the Web, check e-mail, and do some word processing. For $379, you get a portable 5.3-pound Vista Basic system that features an ergonomic keyboard we found easy to type on. When it comes to specs, this is about as bare-bones as you want to go: a 1.6-GHz single-core AMD processor and 1GB of RAM, but the 160GB hard drive is decent for this price.

See our full review of the eMachines eMD620.

Toshiba Satellite L305-S8902
Price: $379 (Normally $649)
If you’re willing to wake up early (or shop online starting at midnight on Friday), the L305-S8902 will reward you with the specs you need for snappy Vista performance and other features you normally won’t find under $400. This 5.7-pound notebook packs a 2-GHz AMD Turion X2 processor, 3GB of RAM, and a 160GB hard drive, plus welcome amenities like a webcam, memory card reader, and DVD burner. We also like the glossy black design and textured touchpad.

HP Pavilion dv4-1114nr
Price: $499 (Normally $749)
Sure, the specs are solid — 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 3GB RAM, and 160GB hard drive — but it’s the design and premium features that make this 14-inch stunner a steal. The HP Imprint Finish sports a cool Intersect pattern, and you’ll find backlit media controls above the keyboard and even a backlit HP logo. Other perks include a pop-out remote control, HDMI port, and an eSATA connector for blazing fast backups.

Sony VAIO VGN- FW245J/HC
Price: $899 (Normally $1189)
High-def movie fans should snatch up this sleek and stylish Sony, one of the first notebooks we’ve seen at this price to sport a Blu-ray drive. And the latest flicks (including the copy of Casino Royale Best Buy throws in the box) will look great on the 16.4-inch, 16:9 widescreen. A 2-GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and 4GB of RAM offer brisk performance, while the 250GB hard drive supplies lots of storage.

See our full review of the Sony VAIO VGN-FW. Note our review unit contained a different list of specs.

We gave you some tips for buying a budget notebook in the video but we have a longer list of shopping tips that you should check out. And of course, Best Buy isn’t the only retailer offering great deals on notebooks this Friday, so make sure to peruse the other black friday notebook deals. Check out our Gadget Gift Guide for more holiday gift picks.