Want a ridiculously cheap Windows laptop this Black Friday? Lenovo has you covered

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Lenovo's super-budget Windows laptop just got super-budget...ier?

Lenovo IdeaPad 1i laptop on a green background next to a TechRadar badge reading 'BIG SAVINGS'.
(Image credit: Lenovo, Future)

Getting a cheap laptop can be tricky; if you're on a seriously tight budget, a lot of the most affordable laptops you can find will be Chromebooks. We're not knocking Chrome OS-powered machines, but many of us (rightfully!) prefer Windows. Enter the Lenovo IdeaPad 1i, reduced by $150 from $249.99 down to just $99.99 at Best Buy (if you're in the UK we've got a deal for you too).

We've seen a ton of Black Friday deals so far, but this one is eye-catching. It's certainly not a high-powered machine, with an Intel Celeron CPU and 4GB of RAM, but it's ideal for anyone who just needs a laptop for simple tasks, like web browsing and word processing (and perhaps a cheeky bit of Netflix).

The IdeaPad 1i isn't available with the same configuration and discount in the UK, but you can get the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 – which is essentially the same thing, as it matches the 'i' model with the same processor, memory, storage, and screen size. It's down to just £139.99 at Amazon, reduced by £90 from £229.99.

Chromebooks are great, but Windows is a comfortingly familiar operating system for many users. It also supports a wider range of software and customization than Chrome OS, and packs a webcam for video calls too!

Today's best Black Friday Lenovo IdeaPad 1i deals

Lenovo IdeaPad 1i:$249.99 $99.99 at Best Buy

Lenovo IdeaPad 1i: was $249.99 now $99.99 at Best Buy
Get more than half off the price of this budget-friendly Windows laptop from Lenovo. At just a hundred dollarinos, the IdeaPad 1i naturally isn't going to break any performance records, but it happily provides a capable Windows 11 platform for everyday work and surfing the web. An excellent Chromebook alternative for shoppers with tight wallets this Black Friday!

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Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14-inch:£229.99 £139.99 at Amazon

Lenovo IdeaPad 1 14-inch: was £229.99 now £139.99 at Amazon
Not quite as stellar a discount as the IdeaPad 1i above, but this IdeaPad 1 is essentially identical in everything but appearance – the chassis is subtly different, but the internal components are the same. It's also still one of the cheapest Windows laptops on sale in the UK this Black Friday, so don't dawdle – it could be gone soon!

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One thing to bear in mind if you pick up either of these budget IdeaPad laptops is that they come with Windows preinstalled in 'S mode'. If you don't know what this means, don't panic: we can explain.

'S mode' is short for 'security mode', and is essentially a locked version of Windows that only allows you to download software directly from the Microsoft Store. This won't be an issue for many users, since the MS Store has improved massively in recent years when it comes to the software it offers.

If you do want to install different third-party software, there's an easy fix: the MS Store features a page where you can permanently disable S mode, returning to the regular version of Windows 11 Home. So don't let that pesky S stop you from grabbing this bargain!

Scroll down for more Black Friday deals in the US and UK.

More US Black Friday deals

More UK Black Friday deals 

See our Lenovo coupon codes page for more of this month's best discounts at the official site.

Christian Guyton
Christian Guyton
Editor, Computing

Christian is TechRadar’s UK-based Computing Editor. He came to us from Maximum PC magazine, where he fell in love with computer hardware and building PCs. He was a regular fixture amongst our freelance review team before making the jump to TechRadar, and can usually be found drooling over the latest high-end graphics card or gaming laptop before looking at his bank account balance and crying.

Christian is a keen campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights and the owner of a charming rescue dog named Lucy, having adopted her after he beat cancer in 2021. She keeps him fit and healthy through a combination of face-licking and long walks, and only occasionally barks at him to demand treats when he’s trying to work from home.