A laptop for under $200 is almost always synonymous with… a Chromebook. Chromebooks are great for basic productivity and general web use, but they run Chrome OS which means you can’t install regular Windows applications. If you’ve ever shopped for an actual Windows laptop at this price, you know how unheard of it is-virtually impossible, really.
But Amazon is breaking all the rules with a great deal on the HP 14″ laptop (model 14-dq0040nr) with 4GB RAM and 62GB storage that’s now discounted to just $178 from the regular $229: That’s already a fantastic 23% off, but the game-changer is what comes with it: a one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Family which is a subscription that on its own would set you back $129 per year. That is, if you factor in the value of software that comes with it, the laptop itself is practically free.
Good for Day to Day Tasks
The HP 14″ Laptop is powered by an Intel Celeron N4020 processor which is a dual-core processor that can reach up to 2.8 GHz. This isn’t a barn burner for serious gaming or video editing, but it’s more than adequate for general use like web browsing, document editing and streaming video. The 4 GB of DDR4 RAM delivers smooth performance for these activities so you can keep several browser tabs and applications open without annoying lag.
Storage is provided by a 64 GB eMMC drive, which, although not large, is fast and reliable for essential files and programs. And, with a year of Microsoft 365 (not to be confused with Microsoft Office 2024), you have cloud storage available via OneDrive, so it’s easy to keep your important documents handy and backed up.
The 14-inch HD screen features a micro-edge design which means the bezels are ultra-thin and you get more screen space in a compact form factor. The 1366 x 768 resolution is standard for this price but the image is crisp and vibrant. The laptop’s overall form factor is thin and lightweight (weighing in at just over 3 pounds and measuring less than 0.8 inches thick) so it’s easy to slip into a backpack or carry around all day. Battery life is also strong, with up to 11.5 hours of video playback or 9 hours of wireless streaming.
It features Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.2 for fast wireless connectivity and a suite of ports: USB-C, two USB 3.1 ports, HDMI, headphone/microphone combo jack, and memory card reader. The built-in HP TrueVision HD camera and dual array microphones are sufficient for video calls and online classes and the stereo speakers offer clear sound for streaming and music.
But the great news about this deal is the one-year subscription to Microsoft 365 Family. The subscription gets you complete access to Microsoft Office’s full suite of applications-Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more-on multiple devices, in addition to 1 TB of OneDrive cloud storage per user. Normally, this alone would be $129, so subtracting that from the $178 sale price, you’re really getting the HP 14″ laptop for only… $49. That’s an unheard-of deal for an actual Windows PC, especially from a name brand like HP.
