Amazon has officially announced the dates for its Prime Big Deal Days, and early deals are already rolling in. Right now, you can score amazing discounts on laptops ahead of the Prime Day-like October event.

If you’re in the market for a new laptop, you’re in luck. Although the Prime Big Deal Days event is set for October 8-9, 2024, we’ve already found some excellent discounts on top brands like Apple, Acer, Lenovo and HP.

Best laptop computer deals ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

If you’re looking for an Apple MacBook, mid-to-high-end Windows laptop computer or a low-cost Chromebook, the time is right to shop. We’ve found great deals on some of the best laptops of 2024, perfect for your own use or giving as a holiday gift.

Apple 2024 13″ MacBook Air (256GB) with M3 processor: $949 ($150 off)

Available in four colors — starlight, space gray, silver and midnight — this is an entry-level MacBook with a 13-inch Liquid Retina Display. It comes configured with 8GB of unified memory and a 256-gig SSD for storage. 

This laptop offers up to an 18 hour battery life, runs the latest version of MacOS Sonoma and comes with the same collection of preinstalled apps as all other Mac computers. And it integrates seamlessly with Apple iCloud.

If you’re looking to make the switch from a Windows laptop to a MacBook, this is a low-cost way to get started. The computer is also the perfect companion to an new iPhone 16, iPad and Apple Watch 10. 

This fall, you can upgrade to the newest version of MacOS Sequoia and take advantage of the Apple’s new AI-powered functions. 

15″ Apple MacBook Air (256GB) with M3 processor: $1,199 (save $100)

Even if you don’t need the performance of a MacBook Pro, you might still benefit from a laptop with a 15-inch display, which is what this configuration of the new-for-2024 MacBook Air offers.

The additional on-screen real estate makes multitasking easier, so you can boost your productivity. Or if you’re running just one app at a time, you can see more on the screen at once. The larger display is also great for streaming TV shows, movies and gaming.

This configuration of the 2024 MacBook Air features a 15-inch Liquid Retina Display, runs using Apple’s powerful M3 processor and comes with 8 gigs of unified memory and a 256-gig capacity SSD for storage.

13″ Apple 2022 MacBook Air (256GB) with M2 processor: $849 (15% off)

Perfect for a middle school or high school student, or an average user looking for an affordable “starter MacBook,” we recommend this 2022 Apple MacBook Air. It’s a slightly older version of the MacBook Air, but it still runs the latest version of MacOS and comes with all of the same preinstalled as current MacBooks. However, it runs using Apple’s M2 processor, as opposed to the newer (and faster) M3 silicone.

This MacBook Air is light, ultra-thin and ready to help you tackle your everyday computing tasks. It offers a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display and comes equipped with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for internal storage. You also get a backlit keyboard and a 1080p FaceTime HD webcam, so participating in video calls, online classes, or virtual meetings is easy.

Choose between four casing colors — midnight, silver, space gray, or starlight. When purchasing this laptop on Amazon, if you feel that 256 gigs isn’t enough storage, you can upgrade the SSD to offer 512 gigs of storage. 

This version of the MacBook Air is currently on sale for $849, which is 15% off its usual $1,199 price.

What we link about the 2022 MacBook Air:

• It’s both lightweight and affordable, making it a great option for students and everyday use.
• The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display offers a brilliant viewing experience.

Acer Aspire 3: $300

This configuration of the Acer Aspire 3 laptop runs Windows 11 Home. It features a 15.6-inch full HD (1,920 x 1,080 pixel) display and runs using an AMD Ryzen 3 7320U quad-core processor with AMD Radeon graphics. It’s bundled with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD for storage. And for wireless connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi 6. 

The computer weighs just 3.92 pounds and when folded is a mere 0.74 inches thick. Battery life is up to 11 hours. For a limited time, Amazon has the 2023 version of the Acer Aspire 3 on sale for $300 ($30 off).

Why we like the Acer Aspire 3:

• The keyboard is backlit.
• The 15.6-inch display offers a 16:9 aspect ratio and a very narrow bezel.
• The computer is powered using an AMD Ryzen 3 7320U quad-core processor with AMD Radeon graphics.

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3: $739 (18% off)

This is a 2022 edition of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 laptop, which as its name suggests, is designed with PC gamers in mind. However, it’s also highly capable of handling a wide range of general computing tasks. 

The computer is powered by an AMD Ryzen 5 6600H processor with Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 graphics. It also comes with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB NVMe for storage. The 15.6-inch display offers 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution with a 120Hz refresh rate.

The computer measures 14.16 x 10.49 x 1.02 inches, but is a bit on the heavier side, weighing in at 7.55 pounds.

Why we like the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3:

• The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3’s screen has an anti-glare coating.
• Games will look ultra smooth, thanks to the display’s 120Hz refresh rate.
• The rapid charging feature allows the computer to recharge up to 40% in 15 minutes.

Acer Chromebook Spin 513: $225 (25% off)

Harness the power of a full-featured laptop computer with the convenience of a tablet when you use the Acer Chromebook Spin 513. This is a Chromebook, so it runs ChromeOS (not Windows). This means it’ll run any apps available from the Google Play Store. 

This particular model is configured with a 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen display, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage (eMMC, not an SSD). The keyboard is backlit. For a processor, the Spin 513 utilizes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c. 

Like all low-cost Chromebooks, this one has minimal internal storage, so it relies heavily on cloud-based applications and comes with 100GB of Google Drive online storage space. So, to get the most out of this 2-in-1 computer, it’ll need a continuous Internet connection via Wi-Fi. 

Why we like the Acer Chromebook Spin 513:

• The entire 2-in-1 device measures 12 x 8 x 1 inches and weighs 2.65 pounds.
• The 13.3-inch touchscreen display offers a 1,920 x 1,080 pixel resolution.
• The screen and keyboard have a hinge between them that rotates up to 360 degrees.

What is Prime Big Deal Days?

Prime Big Deal Days is basically like another Amazon Prime Day, but in the fall. (The regular Prime Day occurs mid-July every year.) Think of it as the unofficial start to the 2024 holiday shopping season, or Amazon’s early version of Black Friday.

Like Prime Day, Prime Big Deal Days lasts two days and features deals across a variety of the brand’s shopping categories, including fitness, home, tech and much more. Prime Big Deal Days is Amazon’s second biggest sales event of the year (the first is Prime Day, of course), so we expect the deals to be among the best the retail giant has to offer.

When is Prime Big Deal Days 2024?

Amazon has announced that Prime Big Deal Days 2024 will be held on October 8 and 9, 2024.

Do you need to be a Prime Member to shop during Prime Big Deal Days?

Yes. Like Prime Day, the best deals at the Prime Big Deal Days sales event will be exclusive to Amazon Prime members.

Don’t have Prime? We highly encourage you to try the service (in our opinion, it’s worth it). Amazon Prime is mega-popular for a reason — not only do you get fast free shipping (two-day, one-day or even same-day shipping, depending on the products ordered), but you also get access to Prime Video, where you’ll find a plethora of award-winning movies and TV shows, discounts at Whole Foods and more.

If you’ve never tried Amazon Prime before, the retailer will likely offer you a 30-day free trial to test out the service (your trial offer may differ). And if you’re a college student or a shopper between the ages of 18 and 24, you can try out Prime for six months free, then afterward pay a discounted rate of $7.49 per month.

An Amazon Prime membership is $14.99 per month, or $139 per year if you choose to pay annually (the monthly rate for that is about $11.50). 

Do products on sale during Amazon Big Deal Days sell out?

You bet they do… and sometimes things sell out within hours. If you see something on sale that you want to get your hands on during the Amazon Big Deal Days sale, order it right away. Often, quantities are limited. Once a product is sold out at the sale price, Amazon won’t always restock right away and when it does restock, the sale price likely won’t be offered.

Can products bought from Amazon during Amazon Big Deal Days be returned?

Unless it specifically states in the product description or near the “add to cart” and “buy now” buttons that the product being offered on sale is a final sale or not returnable, Amazon’s regular return policy for that product will be honored. 

On the right side of a product description on Amazon, just below the “buy now” button (and where it says “ships from and sold by”), look for the heading that says “returns.” 

If the text says, “eligible for return, refund or replacement within 30 days of receipt,” that’s the return policy that will be honored. However, you may be responsible for paying return shipping to Amazon, unless you drop off the product at a Whole Foods or Kohl’s, which accepts some Amazon returns.

Jason R. Rich

Jason R. Rich (www.JasonRich.com) is an internationally recognized consumer technology expert with more than 30 years’ writing experience. He’s also an accomplished author and photographer. Two of his most recently published books, “iPhone 16 Pro Max Digital Photography” ($19.99) and
The Remote Worker’s Handbook: How to Effectively Work From Anywhere” ($24.99, Entrepreneur Books) are now available from Amazon and wherever books are sold.