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The six best non-Apple laptop deals

Convertible laptop? Touch-style keyboard? Gaming system? If you want a laptop that offers a bit more customization, check out the deals on these unique machines.

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Jeff Chiu/AP/File
An Acer Aspire laptop, left, and a Lenovo IdeaPad U310 Touch are displayed at a demo table at a Microsoft event in San Francisco, Calif. in June 2013.
  • By Louis Ramirez Guest blogger

Though we've seen our fair share of budget touchscreen laptops, this week's best laptop deals include four power systems starting with Dell's XPS 11, a touchscreen convertible with a unique touch-style keyboard. We've also found deals on a gaming laptop from Lenovo and a mainstream 14" Haswell-based system from HP.

  1. Dell XPS 11 Intel Haswell Core i5 1.5GHz 11.6" 2560x1440 Touchscreen Convertible Ultrabook
    Store: Dell Home
    Price:$1,049.99 via coupon code "HDB?TLKS7SXTMM" with free shipping
    Lowest By: $250
    Expires: April 30

    Is It Worth It?: The XPS 11 is Dell's attempt to out-Yoga the Yoga, says CNET, as this laptop features a mechanism similar to the one found on Lenovo's popular Yoga series, which lets the lid fold back 360 degrees. However, the XPS has a touch keyboard — like the ones used with Surface tablets — to prevent keys from clacking under your fingers when the laptop is being used as a tablet. That means keys have no tactile feedback and "keystrokes don't always register unless you really press down on the keys," says CNET. Otherwise, this superslim notebook has everything you'd want in an ultrabook, including a Core i5-4210Y 1.5GHz Haswell dual-core processor, 11.6" 2560x1440 touchscreen LCD, 4GB RAM, and 128GB SSD.

    Update: The price for this has increased to $1199.99, making it $1149.99 after the coupon.

  2. Lenovo Essential G710 Intel Haswell Core i5 2.5GHz 17.3" LED-Backlit Laptop
    Store: Lenovo
    Price:$619 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $230

    Is It Worth It?: The Lenovo Essential G710 is the only desktop replacement in our roundup to flaunt its extra curves. The Haswell-based notebook features a 17" 1366x768 LED-backlit LCD, a Core i5 2.5GHz dual-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. While we wouldn't take this 6.4-lb. laptop on the road, for the non-traveler it offers solid power at a reasonable price.

  3. Lenovo IdeaPad Y410p Intel Haswell Core i7 2.4GHz 14" LED-Backlit Laptop
    Store: Lenovo
    Price:$799 via coupon code "USPY4105343" with free shipping
    Lowest By: $20
    Expires: April 9

    Is It Worth It?: If you missed Lenovo's gaming laptop last week, you're in luck because today it's $20 cheaper than our previous mention. The 5.5-lb. machine sports Intel's latest Core i7-4700MQ 2.4GHz Haswell quad-core processor, a 1600x900 LED-backlit LCD, 8GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive with 24GB SSD, and a dedicated NVIDIA GeForce GT 755M 2GB video card.

  4. Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Series Intel Haswell Core i7 1.8Hz 15.6" LED-Backlit Touchscreen Laptop
    Store: Dell Home
    Price: $749.99 via coupon code "HDB?TLKS7SXTMM" with free shipping EXPIRED
    Lowest By: $390
    Expires: April 30

    Is It Worth It?: "The Dell Inspiron 15 7000 Series offers impressively long battery life and solid performance in an elegant aluminum chassis," says LAPTOP Magazine. Even better, activate coupon code "HDB?TLKS7SXTMM" to cut $50 off this mainstream machine. The 5.7-lb. notebook features a Core i7-4500U 1.8GHz Haswell dual-core processor, 15.6" 1366x768 LED-backlit touchscreen LCD, 8GB RAM, and a 1TB hard drive.

    Update: The price has increased to $949.99, making it $899.99 with the coupon code.

  5. Lenovo Flex 14 Intel Haswell Core i7 1.8GHz 14" Touchscreen Laptop
    Store: Lenovo
    Price:$749 with free shipping
    Lowest By: $250

    Is It Worth It?: Though you might mistake this laptop for a Yoga, the Flex 14 is a different beast in that its screen doesn't flip back completely, but instead swings 300 degrees into what Lenovo calls "stand mode." "The net effect of stand mode is that the screen is closer to users touching the screen, and there is no keyboard surface distracting you when you're watching videos or looking at pictures," notes PC Mag. Hardware-wise, the Flex 14 features a 14" 1366x768 touchscreen LCD, Core i7-4500U 1.8GHz Haswell dual-core processor, 8GB RAM, and a 500GB hard drive with 8GB SSD.

  6. HP ENVY TouchSmart 14-k120us Intel Haswell Core i5 1.6GHz 14" Touchscreen Ultrabook
    Store: HP Home & Home Office
    Price:$784.99 via coupon code "DEALNEWS15HP" with $9.99 s&h
    Lowest By: $84

    Is It Worth It?: Packed with 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive, the HP ENVY TouchSmart 14-k120us offers better hardware than your typical 14" laptop. The Haswell-based system also features a Core i5-4200U 1.6GHz dual-core processor and 14" 1366x768 touchscreen LCD.

Louis Ramirez is a features writer for Deal News where this article first appeared: http://dealnews.com/features/best-laptop-deals/

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