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Surface Book

Recently, interest is growing among long-fourth dimension MacBook Pro users in what their Windows options might be, if they wanted to switch. Many of them are feeling neglected, judging by how many have started asking me for suggestions on Windows laptops. Now, I don't regularly use a Mac, so I'm not qualified to venture an opinion on whether someone should switch. But for those desiring to do and so, I've picked out some of the improve Windows alternatives that would exist worth a look.

Dell XPS 13 and XPS 15

Dell claims the title of world's smallest 13-inch laptop for its XPS 13Possibly the first Windows laptops to truly echo the elegant pattern of the MacBook Pro, Dell's XPS family has long featured solid build quality, excellent displays, and top-of-the-line operation. Dell continues to button difficult on the technology in the XPS series, with updates each yr to the processor, screen, and internals. These are Dell'southward premium machines, so they pack a lot of performance into their sleek packages.

When it comes to the trade-offs Apple made in the recent MacBook Pro models, Dell has done the opposite in several cases. For instance, Dell allows y'all to cram 32GB of RAM into the XPS 15, forth with a bulky GPU up to an Nvidia 960M — at the cost of the battery life Apple wasn't willing to sacrifice. Similarly, the machine has a land-of-the-fine art multi-touch screen, that Apple has eschewed, and a multifariousness of ports. I've owned several generations of the XPS 15, and each one gets amend. They are not cheap, simply then again neither are MacBooks. You too get Dell's Premium back up, which has actually been very good when I've needed to become something fixed quickly.

The Airbar can be magnetically attached to the lower portion of your laptop screenSpeaking of affect screens, I wasn't convinced initially, just I have come up to be quite dependent on them. Not as a replacement for keyboard, mouse, or touchpad, just as an added convenience. They are especially handy when I sitting back and simply reading long-form documents. The expert news is that fifty-fifty if yous aren't looking to buy a new laptop, y'all may be able to get the benefits of impact. I've been using the new Airbar USB-fastened peripheral that makes whatever Windows laptop screen into a touch screen on i of my older machines, and it works really well (I'thousand always a little surprised when something I see in a whizzy demo actually works well in exercise). It is an cheap way to make an older laptop feel a little newer.

Razer Blade and Bract Stealth (2016)

The Razer Blade Stealth and optional Razer CoreRazer is best known for its crawly gaming laptops. But recently, it has become a favorite of techie route warriors. The Blade and Blade Stealth offer impressive performance in class factors that belie their gaming laptop heritage. The higher-end Blade actually fits a relatively-high-end GPU, the Nvidia 1060, into a .seven-inch thick, four.25 pound chassis. Its 14-inch screen can exist ordered either with 1080p or a 3200 x 1800 bear on-friendly version. All configurations offer 16GB, with SSDs ranging from 256GB to 1TB.

The lighter-weight Stealth doesn't have a discrete GPU, but information technology does feature Intel's latest Kaby Lake CPU. It'southward smaller 12.5-inch brandish can exist ordered either in 2560 10 1440 or total 4K. Similar to its bigger sibling, SSDs range from 128GB to 1TB. Both models offer a gaming-friendly, customizable, per-central backlit keyboard. One wrinkle is that you can get the Stealth with Razer'southward Core external GPU instance (for an actress $399), which y'all tin load upwards with a high-end GPU to give you maximum operation when you're docked.

Lenovo Yoga 910

If y'all're looking for something smaller and lighter, Lenovo combines tight design with spunky performance in the Yoga 910. Its "watchband" swivel — composed of a stunning 814 pieces — makes for easy positioning all the way from a traditional laptop shape, through media kiosk, to lay-flat touchscreen simply. You requite up some ports compared with some of its comThe Lenovo Yoga Y910 is slim, sleek, and powerfulpetitors, only you go a thin machine that looks and feels good. I've been working with i for several weeks, and have actually enjoyed it. It fits nicely in betwixt my workhorse Dell XPS fifteen — that's too heavy for me to want to carry it to virtually meetings — and my Surface Pro 3 — which is great, just the keyboard is tiring for all-day apply, and information technology is lacking performance for some of the prototype processing I need to do while working.

The xiii.9-inch screen is placed unusually, with almost no bezel (5 mm) around the top and side, simply a large one at the bottom. The reward of this is putting your display closer to eye level. The disadvantage is that the webcam is essentially pointing up your olfactory organ. Personally, I don't utilize webcams that much, then I adopt the slightly higher placement of the display. The keyboard is exceptionally easy to use for a small laptop, although the short-travel on the keys compared with a larger automobile like my Dell XPS 15 leads to a bit more fatigue over time. At that place is an integrated fingerprint reader (I accept found that fingerprint readers become addictive very apace!), and a smooth trackpad. As with many loftier-end laptops, the Y910 has moved to PCIe-based SSDs for improved performance.

For ports, the Yoga 910 has a headphone jack, USB 3.0, USB-C for charging, and another USB-C to connect an external monitor. Microsoft'due south wireless brandish technology is also supported. The 4K screen (in that location is also a 1080p version) is delightfully crisp, and fairly vivid. I didn't accept much luck trying to get it to play sample 4K video footage at full resolution without stuttering, only that isn't an uncommon trouble.

Speakers are from JBL and the organization includes Dolby Audio Premium. Indeed, when I played Netflix'south surround audio test footage, I could hear the modify in apparent location of the center and environs speakers compared with the main channels. The Yoga 910 didn't testify a big functioning improvement in the PCMark Work Conventional benchmark over its predecessor. Its 2622 was most the same every bit the 900S, and below that of the class-leading 3,286 of the Spectre x360. Its 7th-generation Cadre i7 CPU provides improved battery life, though.

HP Spectre x360 and x360 15t

The HP Spectre x360 is one of many Windows laptops to add the option for a touch screenIf you don't need higher-resolution than 1080p, HP'south Spectre x360 is an excellent choice in xiii-inch laptops. Named an Editors' Choice by our sister publication PCMag, it is ane of the best offerings in HP'south high-end Spectre line. You lot can get it with the latest-generation of Intel i7 CPU, and up to 16GB of RAM. It is a definite pace up over Lenovo's older Y900, but whether you'll like it amend than the new Lenovo Y910 is a matter of personal and make preference.

The x360 keeps up the trend of aluminum summit and bottom chassis pieces. Its geared hinges also do a skillful task of helping information technology remain stable in a variety of orientations. At 1/ii-inch thick, and 2.eight pounds, it is easy to tote around. The foldback swivel allows yous to use it in a full-on tablet style only, like the Y910, information technology is pretty heavy to concord that style for long. The glass-covered touchpad should make a lot of Mac users who expect excellence from their touchpads quite happy. Typists volition like that the keyboard is backlit. The webcam is compatible with the facial-recognition login feature of Windows Hullo. As with an increasing number of new laptops, connecting an external monitor requires a USB-C adapter or cable.

If you need more than than 1080p for your display, or merely want a larger screen, then the 15t version of the x360 might work for you.

Microsoft Surface Book (2016)

The Surface Book's combination of active stylus and detachable keyboard make it unique among laptopsMicrosoft'southward Surface Volume pushes the definition of convertible laptop a step further than anything else on the market place. It is a full-fledged laptop when used normally, simply tin can exist turned into a loftier-terminate tablet by removing the keyboard. That gives is a leg up over the Y910 and x360 for anyone who otherwise would need to carry both a laptop and a tablet. Like other products in the Surface line, the Surface Volume includes total active-stylus back up for its display. Simply most the merely thing not to similar about the new Surface Book is the cost. The new version is besides a little heavier than the original, at 3.63 pounds. Along with that weight you do get an SD slot, two USB 3.0 ports, and a Mini DisplayPort connector.

Endmost thoughts

It used to be that choosing a Windows laptop meant giving up on style for the sake of performance and application compatibility. It also used to be that nearly Windows laptops had fairly like features, and much of the differentiation was based on build quality and value. Now, at that place is a vibrant ecosystem of wildly varying designs, ranging from two-in-i tablet-laptop hybrids, all the style up to gaming powerhouses. Many of them are stylish. Even models targeted at the enterprise accept picked upward a lot of elements of style, as companies increasingly allow their employees to either purchase or specify their own machines — and then design counts. The good news is that anyone moving over from a MacBook Pro will have enough of choices. Perhaps the just downside is that with less and less places to really try out a variety of machines, it may be harder to choose between them.

Now read: Best laptops for engineers and engineering students: When work requires a real workstation