Welcome to Tiffany's Bargain Basement. This is the place where you can fulfill all your laptop needs for under $1,000. We're so confident of our power to save you money that we have already gotten bids from Wal-Mart to buy us out. Well, not really, but we're listening if there are offers on the table.

I am embarking upon a round-up of sub-$1,000 laptops for a feature scheduled to appear in the magazine early next year. In all, I am hoping to get my hands on six different sub-$1,000 laptops from a variety of manufacturers.

Admittedly, I am most excited about a notebook from Sony, renowned manufacturer of strictly high-end, executive class notebooks. I am also curious to see if Apple will respond with anything. Doubtful, but I've asked nonetheless.

The first evaluation unit I've received is a relaunch from Toshiba; it's a Satellite Pro A210, with a starting price of $699.

Now, I'm a gal who doesn't like to throw down a ton of money on her electronics. In fact, I still haven't bought an iPod because I still cannot justify spending the money on a device, albeit nifty, has been designed for obsolescence.

I start thinking, well, maybe I should hold out for an iPhone (but again, my endless frugality takes over), and then I think, well, how come Apple gets to dominate the MP3-player market, maybe I should get a Zune. And then I think, well, that'd be kind of lame wouldn't it?

That said, I am a gal who will immediately slap her debit card on the counter of Cole Haan for a pair of sale-priced boots, or praise the day when Burberry announces a sale "All cashmere sweaters, $200 and under," and I'll be first in line.

Yes, I guess stereotypes can fit as snugly as a pair of perfectly stretched Cole Haan boots.

As I was riding the bus this morning, I think I figured out why I'll spend money on fashion but not on electronics.

When a designer retailer puts things on sale, I know in my heart of hearts, it is because it needs to move stock. When a device goes on sale, I wonder what's wrong with it?

This probably goes back to the purchase of my first car stereo, when I opted for a cheaper model, only to find I COMPLETELY got what I paid for. (Why even have cheaper models available, if the CD-player is going to skip every time I drive over a manhole cover?)

With laptops however, this isn't always the case.

Just as desktop PCs prices have dropped considerably since the days they dominated computer purchases, it makes sense that now laptops can be snapped up for a bargain.

Of course, getting a deal doesn't mean it will have all the bells and whistles a fancier, more expensive model might yield, but I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how sweet a model you can actually get without forking over a mortgage payment.

Stay tuned. Testing has begun!