WHO SAID laptops are a dying breed? Well, once upon a time, about five years ago – when people were buying tablets like the British buy sun cream in a heat wave – industry experts said laptops would soon perish thanks to the likes of the iPad, which piqued the interests of just about anyone who knew what a smartphone was (everyone, then).
“Who wants a cumbersome keyboard when you can simply prod the display instead?” the critics cried. Well, most people, it now seems. It’s 2017, and tech companies are still making laptops. Why? ‘Cos we’re still bloody buying ’em.
Laptops aren’t going anywhere soon, and despite the more affordable and compact appeal of tablets, the idea of throwing away a sturdy physical keyboard, waving goodbye to a reliable clamshell design and compromising on a nice big display just isn’t in the interests of mainstream users.
Instead, we’ve seen tablets decline in sales of late and evolve with designs reminiscent of traditional laptop machines in order to survive. Just look at any high-end tablet on the market these days: fold-up physical keyboards a-plenty.
So, if you’re in desperate need to know which laptop is the best for you, here’s our list of the best devices out there, in no particular order. Instead, we’ve listed them by the type of user you are. Go forth and inform yourself.
For the true traditionalists: Dell XPS 13 (2016)
Available from £989 at Amazon
There’s a market full of funky laptops right now. From your 360-degree hinged ones, to your foldable keyboard ones, and even “I turn into a tablet” ones, too. But if it’s a no-fuss, good old clamshell laptop design you’re after, then the Dell XPS 13 is the machine for you.
It’s not only one of the most solidly built laptops we’ve ever tried, but it”s got a beautifully tiny bezel that makes you want to just hug it. That’s right, Dell managed to squeeze a 13.3in screen into the XPS 13’s 11in frame.
And it’s by no means all about the looks. On the inside there’s an Intel Core processor up to i7 alongside HD Graphics 620 and a 512GB SSD.
Dell’s lovely laptop is easily one of the best traditional laptops you can buy right now; the only thing you won’t love about the XPS 13 is the need to remortgage your house after forking out for it.
For those who want their laptop to be a tablet: Microsoft Surface Pro 4
From £749 at Microsoft
Okay, so it’s not strictly a “laptop” per se, but the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 is still a decent laptop replacement in our eyes. It no spring chicken, though, and in fact, we’ve been eagerly awaiting the release of an updated device in the line for a while now, but that doesn’t go to say it’s not still a worthy contender.
For most tasks, including basic design work, the Surface Pro 4 will do the job well while providing a level of security, connectivity and visual fidelity that most convertibles, including those made for the enterprise, just can’t match.
With a starting price of £749 for the basic model, it’s about the same price as your above-average laptop, and with the added convenience of a fold-up keyboard, that makes it a much better travel companion. By far still one of the best 2-in-1 laptop/tablets you can get.
For gamers: Razer Blade Stealth
Available from £999 at Razer
With an Intel Kaby Lake Core i7 processor, the latest Blade Stealth is by far powerful and power-efficient enough to not only run all the Word documents you’ve ever opened in your entire life simultaneously, but it’ll also handle some pretty graphically intense games, too. All on a stunning 4K 12.5in IGZO LED-backlit multi-touch display.
On the inside there’s an Intel Core i7 processor with HD Graphics 620, up to 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. So much power for such a slim machine.
And if you’re REALLY in the mood, the Blade Stealth lets you change the lighting of each key on its keyboard, with more than 16.8 million colours to choose from. Just think of how many hours of your life you could waste doing that. You’d definitely be getting your money’s worth, that’s for sure.
For those that believe less is more: Acer Aspire S 13
From £649 at Acer
If you always wanted a MacBook Air but could never quite pluck up the courage to leave Windows OS behind, it’s not too late! Apple might have ceased production of the Macbook Air, but Acer’s evident rip-off, the Aspire S, hasn’t – and the latest version happens to be one of our favs.
It’s a real shame the Acer Aspire S 13 price point isn’t determined by weight. Weighing in at 1.3kg, you definitely don’t feel like you’re getting your money’s worth when you first take it out of the box. Especially since it weighs about the same as the chocolate bar you scoffed at lunch. Nevertheless, once you switch it on and get a feel for its power for such a compact size, all your financial concerns will be put at ease.
The Aspire S 13 is powered by an Intel Core CPU up to i7, Intel HD Graphics 620 and a maximum of 8GB of RAM. The 13.3in Full HD screen with anti-glare touchscreen IPS technology is also a delight. And despite the efficacy of the CPU, Acer’s MacBook Air imitation even manages a battery life of just under 8 hours. We love it.
For the super-serious Windows users: Microsoft Surface Book
From £1449 at Microsoft
If you’re a spec-hungry benchmark whore, then we have the laptop for you. Microsoft’s first ever laptop, the Surface Book, is not only one of the best designed convertible laptops ever created thanks to its ability to snap out of the keyboard dock and turn into a tablet, but comes with some seriously powerful insides.
The top spec machine touts an Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 256GB PCIe3.0 SSD hard drive.
It’s 13.5in, 3,000 x 2,000 PixelSense Display might not appeal to all users – especially considering its somewhat peculiar 3:2 aspect, which is a little outside of the norm for most Ultrabooks. Nevertheless, you can’t argue with specs, and if its power you’re after, look no further.
For the creative type: Lenovo Yoga Book
From £450 at Lenovo
If you’re in the market for a laptop that could not only be mistaken as belonging to one of The Borrowers but is also full of unique features for creative types, then you should have a gander at Lenovo’s Yoga Book.
The device sports a compact 10in display which is not only big enough for work on the go, but small enough to fit in a chassis that can be taken anywhere with you. Yep, the whole thing is super slim and super light, measuring 9.6mm thick and weighing just 690g, perfect for throwing in a small rucksack for those short business trips.
But what makes the Yoga Book unique is its zero-travel backlit touch Halo keyboard, which doubles up as a digitizer so you can draw or write using a stylus. There’s also a Real Pen feature, allowing you to switch from a digital to an ink tip to record a digital copy of whatever you draw or write on real paper. Is there anything this laptop cannot do?! Apparently not, as it packs a powerful punch, too. On the inside there’s an Intel Atom quad-core processor and 4GB of RAM. Buy it!
For the power-hungry hipster: MacBook Pro (2016)
From £1449 at Apple Link
When money is no object and you’re beginning to tire of setting alight to your collection of 50 dollar bills, it’s time to consider investing in Apple’s top notch laptop, the MacBook Pro. Yes, it’s expensive, we know this already. But one thing Apple provides with the MacBook Pro where many others fail to deliver is exceptional build quality.
When you finally decide to take the plunge into the risky limbo state of “am I ready to declare bankruptcy or not?” and purchase a MacBook Pro, you’ll feel instantly better about your decision once your fingers come in contact with that silky, cold aluminium chassis that oozes luxury.
And once you’ve stopped drooling over it, you’ll find it actually works like a charm too. Its 15in LED-backlit Retina display with verging-on-ridiculous 2,880 x 1,800 resolution is by far one of the best we’ve seen in a laptop. And thanks to its Intel Core i7 CPU and AMD Radeon Pro 460 graphics, it’s powerful enough to edit photos and videos with ease, and there’s even the innovative Touch Bar, which makes completing simple tasks blazingly fast.
For those on a budget: HP Chromebook 14
From £200 at HP
It might not be the smallest or lightest Chromebook on the market right now, but with a vivid 14in Full HD display, and impressive keyboard and track pad, the HP Chromebook 14 is definitely one of our favourites. For just £200, the Chrome OS-powered machine strikes a decent balance between portability and screen size.
On the inside, there’s a 1.83GHz Intel Celeron N2940 processor joined by Intel HD Graphics and 4GB of RAM, by far enough for you to complete those daily tasks, such as browsing the web, tapping away on word documents and streaming an array of delightful content on Xtube. µ
[“Source-theinquirer”]
