HP single-handedly revived the PC market in the second half of 2014 with not just one but two incredible low-end laptops, the Stream 11 and Stream 13. They're laughably cheap, attractive machines that are also surprisingly well made and unlike comparably priced Chromebooks, they run real Windows desktop programs and mobile apps as well.
Both laptops are small, thin and light enough to carry with you easily. They're not as durable as our top picks, but they are rugged and feel solid. They're also fanless, which is a good thing as they run cool and quiet.
The Stream 11 has a beautiful Horizon Blue color that fades down to a lighter shade of blue around the keyboard. It's an attractive touch that makes the laptop look more upscale than its budget price tag would lead you to believe. It's a nice contrast to the Orchid Magenta of the Stream 13, which is equally attractive but a little less vibrant.
Both laptops come with an Intel Celeron N2840 processor that runs at 2.16 GHz, with Turbo Boost up to 2.58 MHz, 2GB DDR3L SDRAM memory for snappy multitasking and a 32 GB eMMC solid state drive for speedy boot-ups and near instant wake from sleep. They're Energy Star qualified and have excellent battery life of up to 8 hours and 15 minutes. They also include 1TB of cloud based OneDrive storage for a year and come preloaded with Microsoft Office 365 Personal for a full year.