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Top Holiday Picks for Laptop Lovers

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Top Holiday Picks for Laptop Lovers

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Tech-related holiday gift giving usually focuses on ultra-portable devices like e-readers, tablets, MP3 players, and phones. But don’t forget about laptops. Tablets might have taken a huge bite out of their market share in recent years, but with new operating systems (from Yosemite to Windows 8.1) and unique feature sets, you might want to consider dropping some cash on a new laptop for your loved ones.

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But which one should you buy? For those on a budget who are buying for the always-connected teen or college student in your life, Google’s Web-based Chromebooks are a good bet. Apple’s Mac lineup, meanwhile, always has options for those who are willing to pay a little more for a meticulously designed machine with ultra-fast startup; Windows fans should look at ultrabooks for that.

But don’t forget the gamers and the business users. We didn’t. Check out our top five picks for holiday shopping, and be sure to peruse PCMag’s roundup of the 10 Best Laptops for more options.

1. For the Design-Conscious

For the Design-Conscious

Apple’s latest 15-inch MacBook Pro ($551.74 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) represents a slight upgrade to the best system mobile Mac power users can buy. The highlight is definitely the breathtaking Retina display with a resolution of 2,880 by 1,800. Its base configuration is a 2.2GHz Intel Core i7-4770HQ processor, with upgrade options for a more powerful device. The laptop also comes pre-loaded with the latest version of Mac OS X, Yosemite.

2. For Gamers

For Gamers

The powerful Origin EON17-SLX (2,177.00 Base Configuration at ORIGIN PC)(Opens in a new window) is definitely the gaming laptop to beat with a 17.3-inch, 1,920-by-1,080 display. The most important parts of the laptop are inside, and Origin puts the power where it counts with an Intel Core i7-4930MX, a 3GHz quad-core processor from Intel’s Extreme line, paired with 16GB of RAM. Complementing this processing power are two Nvidia GeForce GTX 780M graphics cards in SLI configuration, each with 4GB of dedicated memory. The combination resulted in powerful performance in gaming and non-gaming tests.

3. Ultrabook Shoppers

Ultrabook Shoppers

With a brilliant, bright WQHD screen and premium components, all housed in a chassis that weighs less than three pounds, the Toshiba Kirabook 13 i7s Touch ( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is a dream ultrabook, according to PCMag’s review. It sports a brilliant 2,560-by-1,440-resolution screen and comes with Adobe Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements.

4. For Kids/Students

For Kids/Students

With a bright, clear 11.6-inch touch screen and all-day battery life, the affordable Acer Chromebook C720P-2600 ($299.00 at Acer)(Opens in a new window) dominates among Chromebooks, and is PCMag’s latest Editors’ Choice for Chromebooks. It weighs less than three pounds, and sports a Haswell-based 1.4GHz Intel Celeron 2995U processor. It also has an updated 1,366-by-768 resolution and a 32GB local SSD and 2GB of RAM, plus 100GB of free Google drive storage. For more, see PCMag’s roundup of other top Chromebooks.

5. For Business Pros

For Business Pros

Though not a laptop in the traditional sense, the 12-inch Surface Pro 3 ($779.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) is “the tablet that can replace your laptop,” (namely, the MacBook Air), according to Microsoft. An integrated kickstand lets you prop up the Surface Pro 3 on a desk or airplane tray table; attach the optional Surface Pro Type Cover ($124.68 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) for easier typing. The Surface Pro 3 starts at $799 and comes in Intel Core i3, i5, or i7 configurations depending on your needs.

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Source link : https://www.pcmag.com/news/top-holiday-picks-for-laptop-lovers