Lenovo B50 Windows 7 Laptop (4th Gen Intel Core i3, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD)

One of the computers on sale this Black Friday is the Lenovo B50 Windows 7 Laptop (4th Generation Core i3, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD). It maybe isn’t the best deal for the given components, since many notebooks have similar specs at lower price points than B50’s $379.99. However, it is one of the rare choices for those who want a cheap laptop with Windows 7 operating system version instead of newer but controversial Windows 8.

To make the Windows 7 laptop deal even sweeter, the included edition is Professional, delivering certain features suitable for use in business environments.

Hardware-wise the Lenovo B50 (item #59423000) is pretty much decent. The included Intel Core i3-4010U 1.9 GHz dual-core processor is an optimal solution for the daily chores of home and business users alike. It can handle Microsoft Office apps, web browsing, and multimedia without a glitch. You can also occasionally throw something more complex like video editing at it. 4GB of RAM is quite enough for normal multitasking, while hard drive space always can be larger. Nevertheless, included 500GB is a standard capacity. When you add the built-in DVD writer and a full-size keyboard with numeric pad to the mix, you get a fully-featured old-school laptop.

The display is a standard one, with 1366×768-pixel resolution. It isn’t touch-enabled and doesn’t have wide viewing angles of the IPS-powered panels, but matte anti-glare finish is a rare and welcomed feature.

Lenovo’s B50 has stereo speakers with Dolby Advanced Audio v2 technology, a 720p HD webcam, dual monitor connections via HDMI and VGA video outputs, three USB 3.0 connectors, a media card reader, Wi-Fi wireless, wired Ethernet LAN, and Bluetooth.

The chassis is made of matte black plastics. It has a very simple and utilitarian look, without any unnecessary bells and whistles. Overall, it resembles business-class seriousness of the popular Lenovo ThinkPad series. The casing is 1.1″ thick and the notebook measures 5.1 pounds. It provides reasonable portability, despite the relatively big 15.6-inch screen size.

The battery life is up to five hours, according to Lenovo.