Buying a laptop can be a scary decision. They're usually more
expensive than an equivalent desktop, but they're also meant to be
carried from place to place. That means that, for the accident-prone
among us, you're spending more money for something that could get
dropped and broken in an instant.When it comes to laptops, knowing which manufacturer and model to trust can be one of your toughest and most important decisions to make. You want something powerful enough to run all of your apps with a case that can take an accidental beating.
The final thing to consider is battery life. Most of your time spent on a laptop will probably be close to an outlet, but a long-lasting battery can make sure that you're never without a computer. As a laptop fan, I can tell you that I've never been more frustrated than when I forget to plug in my laptop the night before I head out on a trip.
Lucky for you, all of my mistakes have lead up to a massive backlog of brands that I trust. Here are the brands that you should trust with your mobile computing needs.
Top all-arounder: Apple MacBook
For all of the clashes between Mac and PC fans out there, it's hard to argue with the MacBook's design and consistency. For about $999, you can get a MacBook Air which comes with an ultra-HD screen, Solid-State Drive and an Intel i5 processor that will keep your apps running at blazing-fast speeds.
As a recent MacBook convert, the biggest thing I noticed was how natural my MacBook's touchpad feels. The gestures are easy to pull off and the drag-scrolling feature means that I never have to take my fingers off the touchpad.
My favorite thing about the MacBook, though, is that the kid can dang well take a punch. My son has borrowed my laptop more times than I can count, and let's just say that he has to ask before using it after the second time he dropped my MacBook on the tile floor.
Besides a few scratches and bumps, it still works. While I wouldn't go around throwing a MacBook for fun, I trust Apple's unibody laptop.
Support specialists: Dell
If you're looking for a Windows laptop or just want something a little cheaper, then Dell is probably your best option. That's not to say that Dell laptops are cheap, but that there's a wide enough variety of Dell laptops to fit almost any need.
If I was to recommend one thing in particular that stands out with Dell laptops, however, it'd probably be the company's two-in-one tablet/laptop combinations.
The Dell XPS Series is a two-in-one laptop and tablet. It brings the best of both worlds to your fingertips. Tablets are great tools, but being limited to an app store for all of your downloads can get kind of frustrating.
The XPS series, along with many of Dell's two-in-one offerings, make great all-purpose Windows PCs. The company is also known for its great customer service. Accidents and mishaps can be scary, but most Dell customers report that their calls to customer service are plenty reassuring.
Budget value: ASUS
While most of the laptop rankings that I could find go back and forth on the third-place slot, most of them pick either ASUS or Lenovo. I'm an ASUS girl, myself, but Lenovo makes a mean laptop, too. The people who should probably look at ASUS's offerings are the ones who want the best quality at the lowest possible price.
Specifically, I'm talking about ASUS's Chromebook. It's highly-reviewed, compact and exactly what a Chromebook should be. If you don't know what a Chromebook should be, you'll find more information in my how-to guide for buying the perfect laptop for under $1,000.
For now, all you have to know about Chromebooks is that they're lightweight, inexpensive computers built for browsing the Internet and a few other basic tasks. They're not meant for gaming or video editing. They're also one of the cheapest computers on the market. ASUS's Chromebook boasts 10 hours of battery life, a 13.3" screen and free access to 100GB of Google Drive storage for two years.
Least reliable brands: Acer, Gateway and HP
While you might find a laptop that you like with Acer, Gateway or HP: They have the highest failure rates of any other laptop brand.According to a study by SquareTrade, these laptops fail between 23 and 26% of the time, compared to ASUS's 15% failure rate.
Again, buying these laptops isn't a death sentence for your PC, but it's just something to consider before making an investment in something that can be dropped by just about anyone in your family.
Warranties are your friend with these laptops, but research is, too. Always take the time to figure out if the laptop that you've got your eye on is the right one for your family.
