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This HP Pavilion at 55% off is the Windows laptop deal to beat right now

I'll confess: these days, I'm a MacBook user through and through. But whenever I come across a Windows laptop deal that makes me reconsider how much I invested into my Apple computer, I can't help but recommend it to everyone else. While this isn't a deal from Amazon's Spring Sale event, this HP Pavilion 16t-af0000 deal is too good not to share.
Also: The 150+ best Amazon Spring Sale tech deals live
Weird naming aside, this 16-inch laptop for $449 ($550 off) is an incredible deal that would make for a fantastic work, play, or casual browsing system for most users. I sure would've salivated over it more if I was still a college student. Here's what makes this HP offer worth it.
For starters, you're looking at decent specifications for the base model with an Intel Core i5, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and 8GB of RAM powering the system. There's 512GB of PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD storage, fast enough for most data transferring, and a sizeable 59Wh battery that should get you through a day without worry. You can opt for larger storage sizes at checkout, including 1TB and 2TB options.
I'm a little more enthusiastic about the 16-inch, 1,920 x 1,200, IPS display that's treated with an anti-glare coating. It doesn't get the brightest at 300 nits, but the matte finish should greatly reduce glare and ambient reflections, especially if you often use your laptop under direct sunlight.
Also: The best HP laptops: Expert tested
The HP Pavilion comes with the latest Windows 11 Home, but you can configure it to Windows 11 Pro, with all its business-centric, security-focused upgrades, for $70 more on HP's website.
All that said, at a starting price of $449, more than 50% off the retail price, I'm finding it difficult to find a better-value Windows laptop right now. Sure, you can buy a discounted Mac Mini for around that price, but the portability and versatility of the HP make it just as worthy of recommendation.
When will this deal expire?
Deals are subject to sell out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Considering this offer is for a refurbished product, inventory is even more important than timing, so keep an eye out for the stock of the model that interests you the most.
Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We're sorry if you've missed out on this deal, but don't fret -- we're constantly finding new chances to save and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com.