Our Experts CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. Price The current sweet spot for a reliable laptop to handle average work, home office or school tasks is between $700 and $800. For a model suitable for creative work or gaming, plan to spend $1,000 and up.
Every brand of laptop can be found discounted online at one time or another, so it pays to track deals to find the lowest price. Operating System For the most part, Microsoft Windows and Apple's MacOS do the same things, but they do them differently. Unless there's an OS-specific application you need, go with the one you feel most comfortable using.
MacBooks currently start at $999, so if you need a laptop for significantly less, it’s Windows. A Chromebook running on Google’s ChromeOS is an excellent (and less expensive) alternative, but it can’t run Windows or Mac software. Size Remember to consider whether having a lighter, thinner laptop or a touchscreen laptop with a good battery life will be important to you in the future.
Size is primarily determined by the screen, which in turn factors into battery size, laptop thickness, weight and price. Screen Considerations for the display include size, type (LCD or OLED in most cases), resolution, what types of content you'll be looking at and whether or not you'll be using it for creative work. Higher resolutions are better for fitting more on a screen and look for a d.