You can't install the full Office software on a Chromebook, but Microsoft makes both web-based and Android versions availablein the ChromeandGoogle Play stores, respectively.
Plus, if you're shopping for a Chromebook for remote learning with Google Classroom, a Mac or Windows PC will work as well.Ĭhromebooks are not natively compatible with Windows or Mac software, thoughcurrent models can run Android appsand there are also web apps that are available throughGoogle's Chrome Web Store.
Even if you don't immediately need a particular piece of software, it's nice to have the option. That said, a Windows laptop or MacBook can run the Chrome browser as well as other software supported by those operating systems. Take stock of everything you do on a daily basis, and you may find there's nothing you can't accomplish with Chrome at its most basic level. Read more about screen size and pixel density.Ī lot can be done entirely on the web these days, though you can use Chromebooks offline in some cases. But my rule of thumb for laptop screens in the 14- and 15-inch size class: FHD is fine, QHD is better and 4K is usually overkill. You can easily calculate the pixel density of any screen at DPI Calculator. Those determine how sharp the screen looks (though there are some other factors), as well as how big elements of the interface, such as icons and text, can appear.
What you really want to optimize ispixel density,the number of pixels per inch the screen can display, or its reciprocal, pixel pitch.
Resolution, the number of vertical x horizontal pixels that comprise the image, is inextricable from screen size when you're choosing a screen. One of the reasons I like 14-inch more than 15-inch displays is because they strike a much better balance among price, size and performance while sacrificing only about 0.6 inches (15.2mm) horizontally and 0.8 inches (20mm) vertically of screen real estate (although you lose more like 2 inches (50mm) horizontally if the comparison is between a 16:9 aspect ratio screen and 3:2). You can find more detailed advice following our recommendations for specific models.
We update this list periodically with new products and information. So we've limited our choices to powerful laptop models that are still current and that we've tested (or tested fundamentally similar older models with refreshed configurations). If you do opt to go ahead, think about recycling it. Specs, price and availability are often in flux, especially these days due to chip shortages and shipping problems, so if you decide to postpone your purchase, here are some tips for stretching the life of your old laptop. Design, both aesthetic and functional, including keyboard layout and feel (lots of people want a backlit keyboard and a numeric keypad on their laptops), build quality, upgradeability and reparability and so on.Features for a given weight class, such as the combination of laptop screen size, type (touchscreen or not) and resolution (4K, QHD or FHD), ports (such as an HDMI port, Ethernet port and the type and number of USB connections), webcam and fingerprint reader.Performance and battery life for a given set of specs and intended use, where the configuration specs include the amount of SSD storage and memory, main processor (CPU) and graphics processor (GPU) and operating system (Mac OS or Windows).These are the laptops, from budget to premium, we consider to be the best based on: