Taken from PC World Magazine, April 2008 Edition

Budget Price? Expect Budget Speed – Cheap machines are fast enough for everyday jobs such as e-mail and Web surfing, but they can be noticeable slow at handling heavier workloads such as multitasking in several windows at once, especially if one involves some type of multimedia.

Fewer Upgrades – With any laptop, cheap or not, you almost always have only two upgrade options: replace the hard drive or add memory.  With a budget PC, however, you will likely sacrifice some expandability.  For example, don’t expect to find the expansion slots you see in power and gaming towers.

Missed Connections – Though you should have more than enough to get by, you’ll have fewer slots, ports, and features in general.  For instance, many sub-$1000 laptops lack Bluetooth or Firewire.  Also expect fewer Firewire and USB ports on desktops, and generally none of the new, high-end connections like eSata.

Cheap PCs Got No Game – Budget PCs rarely have dedicated graphics cards, which are necessary for games and multimedia applications.  The cheaper the system, the more likely it will rely on video memory that is shared with main system RAM, and that’s especially true with laptops.

Plainer Looks – Cheaper laptops tend to come enclosed in a lower-grade plastic, and some desktops have cheap cases with small, buzzy fans and components that are held in by cheap screws.  Though some budget computers clearly look a bit more elegant than others, most have designs that that trend toward the utilitarian, to put it politely.