Back to school shopping is under way and if you're in the market for a new laptop, Staples has a 15.6" Acer model worth considering. Until August 14, you can order the Acer 15.6" Laptop with Intel Core i5-2450M, 6GB RAM, 500GB HD, USB 3.0, HDMI and Bluetooth for $499.98. This is a pretty solid deal for a notebook with this configuration and its affordable price is sure to make it a hot seller.

Despite it's subpar hard drive space, you're still getting a capable second-generation Intel Core i5 processor, above average amount of RAM and USB 3.0, HDMI and Bluetooth connectivity. It's not going to do anything for you in terms of gaming but it's a workhorse laptop that is going to perform well for work-related tasks. Battery life is also above average at 4.5 hours but its near 6 pound weight might turn off daily commuters.

If portability is your main concern, you'll probably want to check out the thinner and lighter, albeit more expensive, ultrabook models. If you're on a tight budget, however, this is still a pretty good value buy.

The deal is live now but expires on August 14. Free shipping is available.