Ah yes, back to school. I remember when September used to roll around and I’d feel compelled to load up on school supplies and a new wardrobe. These days, going back to school also means that you may feel compelled to load up on some new technology. If you happen to be on a student budget, however, you’ll want the best bang for your buck.

Possibly the most expensive purchase that you will make as you head back to your classes is your laptop. You need a computer to write those essays and punch out those PowerPoint presentations (and read Mobile Magazine), so what are the best laptops for the job? Well, it depends on your needs.

Crunchgear has compiled a list of several notebooks and netbooks that are (almost) all under $1,000. You can read the full article for details, but here’s the Coles Notes version for the attention-deprived.

• Best Mac Notebook: MacBook
• Best Big-Screen, Still Sorta-Light Notebook: Toshiba L305D
• Best Tablet Notebook: HP Pavilion tx2500z Series
• Best Notebook for the Price of a Netbook: Acer Extensa EX4420
• Best ‘Let’s Get Down to Business’ Workhorse: Dell Latitude E6400
• Best All-Around Netbook: Asus Eee 1000H with XP and 6-cell battery
• Best Vista-Based Netbook: HP 2133 Mini-Note
• Best Netbook Deal Around: Acer Aspire One with XP and six-cell battery
• Best Big-Screen Netbook for Under $500: MSI Wind
• Best Netbook You’ll be Least Apprehensive to Buy: Dell Inspiron Mini 9