Latest news with #SurfaceLaptop7
Tom's Guide
22-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
Microsoft is all in on AI at Build 2025: 3 things you need to know
Microsoft's annual Build developer conference is happening this week (May 19-22) in Seattle, and I've been here in person to see it live. I trucked up to Seattle to attend Build 2025 because Microsoft occasionally debuts new hardware at its annual conference, like it did last year by unveiling the Surface Pro 11 and Surface Laptop 7 with Snapdragon chips inside. I was hoping to get a chance to go hands-on with new hardware, but I was out of luck—Microsoft unveiled a new smaller Surface Laptop and Surface Pro weeks before the event, and they were nowhere to be seen at Build 2025. Instead, all I heard about this week was AI. From the first minutes of CEO Satya Nadella's Build 2025 keynote it became clear that Microsoft is going hard on AI this year. Since Build is a developer conference much of the talk is about how to build and troubleshoot these systems, so it's been hard to parse how these new AI tools will impact the products and services we use every day. That said, here are the three most interesting things I've seen at Build 2025! Microsoft is rolling out a new coding agent for Github Copilot that is designed to work like an automated programmer, so ideally a coder could do things like assign annoying or repetitive tasks to Github Copilot instead of wasting human time doing the work. I got to see this AI agent in action several times during Build 2025, and it's a great example of the sort of "agentic web" that Microsoft employees have been talking up during the event. Put simply, Microsoft envisions a future where we have many AI agents running around doing work for us in the background—and the Github Copilot coding agent can do things like plan, write and test code on its own, so ideally programmers can assign it tasks they don't want to do, then check back later to review and verify the agent's work. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. The demos I've seen of this tool in action here at Build 2025 are impressive, and it raises interesting questions about how programming work will be done in the future. Microsoft Discovery is a new platform built on Azure that aims to help scientists conduct research more efficiently using AI agents. This is another example of Microsoft's "agentic" approach to AI, as Discovery is intended to let researchers create virtual teams of AI agents that can be instructed with specific data and guidelines to function as, for example, a "molecular properties simulation specialist" that can then assist with R&D and learn over time. Microsoft claims this technology is already being used at places like the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, where researchers have used it to discover a new, more efficient solid-state electrolyte candidate. I couldn't tell you what that means for science, but I can tell you this pushes Microsoft's AI further into the R&D business — and that means we'll likely see more scientific discoveries with AI help. This one is a bit technical, but I think it's worth knowing about because it helps reveal where Microsoft is trying to take the future of business. The new Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning features let you more easily create and fine-tune AI agents in Microsoft 365 Copilot Studio without knowing how to code them yourself. It's the kind of thing you'll only care about if you already use Copilot Studio, as the new Tuning features let users more easily create multiple agents and use company data to train them. So while you might not be using Copilot Tuning to fine-tune an AI agent to order your morning coffee, chances are that in the next few years your coffee shop and businesses like it will be using these kinds of agents in all sorts of ways. Microsoft gives examples of law firms creating agents that can quickly generate legal paperwork using data and processes of the law firm itself, for example, and I expect companies will find inventive ways to employ these agents when this functionality starts rolling out in June to members of the Microsoft 365 Copilot Tuning Early Adopter Program. If you made it this far, you know by now that Microsoft really was all about AI at Build 2025. I couldn't escape it no matter where I went, and the live demos I did see were pretty convincing. I still don't trust AI to reliably get things right, but I'm starting to see how it's being honed and adapted to try and fit into a broad variety of different businesses. As a writer I have my own concerns about AI agents getting involved in my industry, but I can't help feeling a little optimistic about projects like Github Copilot and Microsoft Discovery. More help for researchers is always a good thing (once they get these AI assistants to the point where they aren't making critical mistakes), and as someone who can't code his way out of a paper bag there's real appeal to knowing one day I'll probably be able to ask AI to do all my coding for me. Microsoft certainly thinks so, because the company is betting big on AI in 2025 and beyond.
Digital Trends
06-05-2025
- Business
- Digital Trends
Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Laptop both have amazing discounts
Table of Contents Table of Contents Microsoft Surface Pro 11 — $800 $1,000 20% off Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 — $800 $1,000 20% off If you want a device that will maximize the capabilities of Microsoft's Copilot, look no further than Microsoft's own Surface line. The good news is that the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 are on sale right now — they're both available for just $800 instead of their original price of $1,000 from Best Buy, for savings of $200 when you buy either machine. We're not sure how much time is remaining before these offers expire, but with the growing popularity of the AI assistant and the demand for Surface Pro and Surface Laptop deals, we highly recommend proceeding with your purchase quickly. Stocks of the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 may run out at any moment, and once these offers are gone, we're not sure when you'll get another chance at them. Microsoft Surface Pro 11 — $800 $1,000 20% off The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 received an impressive score of 4.5 stars out of 5 in our review, where we described it as simply 'spectacular.' It's also on top of our list of the best 2-in-1 laptops for the same reasons, including its gorgeous 13-inch PixelSense Flow OLED touchscreen, up to 14 hours of battery life, and great performance provided by the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor, Qualcomm Adreno GPU, and 16GB of RAM. The Microsoft Surface Pro 11 comes with a 256GB SSD, which should provide ample storage space for files and apps, and Windows 11 out of the box for access to Copilot. You're going to have to purchase the Surface Pro Keyboard if you want to use the device in laptop mode though. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 — $800 $1,000 20% off If you want to use Copilot on a traditional laptop, go for the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7. It's not a surprise that it headlines our roundup of the best Copilot+ laptops, and it also scored 4.5 stars out of 5 stars in our review. It all begins with the fast and efficient performance that's enabled by the device's Qualcomm Snapdragon X Plus processor, Qualcomm Adreno GPU, and 16GB of RAM. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 features a bright and beautiful 13.8-inch PixelSense Flow touchscreen with 2304 x 1536 resolution, a 256GB SSD, a solid keyboard, and a dependable haptic feedback trackpad. It also offers up to 20 hours of battery life from a full charge, for amazing portability.
Tom's Guide
05-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
New Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Laptop just leaked ahead of reveal tomorrow
Smaller variants of the Microsoft Surface Pro and Surface Laptop have reportedly leaked. According to the German website WinFuture (via Tom's Hardware), the Redmond-based company could unveil both of these new devices during its Surface announcement, which Microsoft confirmed on X is happening on May 6. To be clear, these new Surface devices aren't a new generation of machines. Rather, they're more compact variants of the existing Microsoft Surface Pro 11 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 7. The leak didn't specify many technical details or when these units would become available, though we're still provided with some clues of what to possibly expect. First is a 12-inch Surface Pro 11. This rumored 2-in-1 tablet will reportedly have a PixelSense Flow LCD touchscreen with an unspecified refresh rate. The alleged leak claims this Surface Pro 11 will have a Snapdragon X Plus chip, 16GB of RAM and configurable with 256GB and 512GB of storage. This machine will supposedly last for 16 hours when playing video locally, and sport two USB-C ports. Next, we have a 13-inch Surface Laptop 7 to sit alongside the 13.8-inch and 15-inch models currently available. This traditional clamshell laptop will also have a PixelSense Flow LCD panel, with a reportedly lowered refresh rate of 60Hz instead of 120Hz. WinFuture's report says this laptop will reportedly use the aforementioned Snapdragon X Plus chip, along with 16GB of RAM and your choice of 256GB or 512GB of storage. This notebook will reportedly have the same island-style keyboard, a glass touchpad, and a built-in fingerprint reader beside the keyboard. Like the rumored 12-inch Surface Pro 11, the Surface Laptop 7 will sport two USB-C ports, but it will also have a 3.5mm headphone jack. One interesting thing about this alleged leak is that neither of these devices will come with a power brick. If you want to charge them, you'll need to use your own USB-C charger with at least 27W of power. As always, take everything written above with a healthy dose of skepticism. Microsoft's Surface announcement is tomorrow (May 6), so we'll hopefully learn more about these machines, especially how much they might cost given the ongoing tariffs. We'll keep you updated, so stay tuned! Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Yahoo
Best Laptops of 2025
We test all kinds of laptops at CNET, from budget models for everyday tasks to high-performance laptops for gaming, content creation and everything in between. Each member of our team has decades of experience testing and reviewing laptops. We conduct performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and with extensive hands-on use. This helps us find not only the best laptop overall, but also the best laptop for your needs and in your price range, from a powerhouse gaming laptop to a simple Chromebook for getting work done without emptying your wallet. The Apple MacBook Air M3 has captured the top spot on our list, and now you can get the new M4 version in sky blue for just $999. It's the best laptop for most people. If you're looking for a do-it-all laptop that doesn't sacrifice portability and battery life for performance, I recommend the MacBook Air. It's available in 13- and 15-inch sizes, so you can choose between greater mobility or more workspace. Look for our full review of the M4 MacBook Air soon, but now is a great time to pick up the similar M3 Air -- it's dropped to an all-time-low price of $799 at Amazon. And for students and those on tighter budgets, I suggest the MacBook Air M1 that's still an all-around good pick for only $629. A Windows rival to the MacBook Air has arrived in the form of Microsoft's first Copilot Plus PC. Based on a Qualcomm Snapdragon X CPU, the Surface Laptop 7 offers strong application and AI performance and outstanding battery life. It was the first Windows laptop I've tested with a longer runtime than that of the MacBook Air. With a design that's on par with the Air's, the Surface Laptop 7 is one of the best laptops. So is the Asus Zenbook A14, which is ultralight with an even longer runtime than the Surface Laptop 7. Read more: How We Test Computers" target="_self Best VPN for Windows" target="_self Best VPN for Mac" target="_self There are a lot of Windows laptops. A lot. Which makes it more than a little tricky to narrow it down to just one. The HP Pavilion Plus is exemplary because it can meet the needs of a lot of people while still being affordable. It's available in 14- and 16-inch sizes. We tested the 14-inch model, which is small enough for travel but big enough that you won't feel cramped while working. HP offers AMD and Intel processors, and it can be configured with entry-level discrete graphics too. There are also multiple displays to match your budget, including a beautiful OLED panel. HP has discontinued its Pavilion laptops in favor of the OmniBook brand, and this model is still available at HP with Intel Core Ultra 100 series CPUs. It starts at a discounted price of $650, and the OLED display upgrade adds only $60 to the price. It's rare to find an OLED laptop this cheap. See at HP The Surface Laptop 7 reverses earlier Arm-on-Windows efforts that were plagued by lackluster performance and limited compatibility, with many x86 apps unable to run on an Arm-based system. This time around, performance has improved, and so has compatibility. We saw a strong overall performance from the Snapdragon X Elite processor and jaw-dropping battery life. The Surface Laptop 7 ran for nearly 20 hours in testing -- that's the longest runtime of any 13- or 14-inch laptop we ever reviewed -- including the M3 MacBook Air. The Surface Laptop 7 competes with the MacBook Air not only in performance and battery life but also supplies a similarly sleek and solid build. For general use, you probably don't need the 32GB of RAM of our test system and can save some money and configure the system with 16GB of memory. We wish there was an OLED display option, and you'll need to do a compatibility check for your mission-critical applications before embracing the Arm-based Surface Laptop 7, but if you can get past those hurdles, then you'll get a well-built, good-looking and long-running Windows ultraportable. See at Amazon Despite the availability of the newer -- and better -- M3 and M2 MacBook Air models, the M1 MacBook Air (one of the first to switch from Intel to Apple silicon) stays around, exclusively from Walmart, and that's a good thing. It returned with a price of $699, and it's now discounted to $629. As Apple's entry-level laptop, it's still a good choice for a MacOS laptop for basic everyday use. It has great performance, long battery life and is thin and light. The M1 processor and 8GB of RAM offer enough performance for school work, but you may need to embrace the cloud for storage because the 256GB SSD could fill up quickly, especially if you have a large photo and video library. See at Walmart For just $300, Acer's entry-level Aspire Go 14 holds its own against other budget models that cost twice as much or even more. The design cannot be described as enticing or exciting, but it's functional and unlikely to offend. Performance from the quad-core AMD Ryzen 3 7000 series CPU and 8GB of RAM suffices for basic use, and its battery life is surprisingly long. The 14-inch display features a modern 16:10 aspect ratio and is sufficiently bright, but it suffers from poor viewing angles that might take some getting used to before you settle on the right angle to position the display. Another drawback is the tight storage of the laptop's meager 128GB SSD. Neither drawback is a deal-breaker when you consider the bargain-basement price. The Aspire Go 14 provides great value with its acceptable build quality, capable performance and long battery life. See at Acer Two items help make the Microsoft Surface Pro 11 our favorite two-in-one detachable laptop: Qualcomm's new Snapdragon Elite X processor and an excellent OLED display. The Arm-based CPU delivers competitive performance and far fewer compatibility issues for mainstream use than previous Windows-on-Arm efforts. It helps the Surface Pro 11 deliver a long runtime. The 13-inch OLED display supplies a crisp, 2.8K resolution along with P3 calibration and real HDR capability. It's the best Surface Pro we've seen in a while, but you still have to pay extra for a keyboard and stylus. See at Microsoft Alienware rejiggered its midrange 16-inch m16 to fit more comfortably into its place in the company's gaming laptop universe. That meant lowering its configurations and redesigning it to meet the lower price target buyer. It's now easier on your wallet and to slip into a backpack. There are certainly more powerful gaming laptops, but the m16 meets the needs of a broader audience, so for the moment, it's our top pick. The line starts at $1,499 with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB DDR5-5600, 1TB SSD and the basic single-zone RGB keyboard. The only display available is the sRGB 16-inch, 2,560x1,600, 120Hz/240Hz dynamically switchable model. Bumping to an RTX 4060 costs $100 and to the RTX 4070 another $200. 32GB of RAM adds $150, or $250 over that for 64GB. See at Dell Like other gaming laptop makers, Acer has two lines: the budget-friendly Nitro series under the Acer brand and midrange and premium models that carry the Predator label. Oddly enough, it's under the latter you'll find our budget gaming pick: the Helios Neo 16. It is strikingly similar to the Acer Nitro 16 but with slightly better build quality and graphics performance from its RTX 4050 GPU. The only place it really faltered was its speakers, which put out disappointingly flat audio with nonexistent bass. The Predator Helios Neo 16 currently costs $1,200. That is high for a budget gaming laptop. The trick is to be patient and wait for a sale, which happens regularly, and the price drops below $1,000 where it's a good deal for a system that has any type of Nvidia RTX graphics. See at Amazon Apple's latest update its 16-inch MacBook Pro delivers M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max processors along with an improved webcam and an optional nano-texture nonreflective finish for the display. The design remains unchanged from the previous version, but under the hood, the new M4 Pro chip offers better overall performance and, in particular, big gains in multicore and rendering performance. Like the previous series, the 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro processor starts at $2,499, and the M4 Max model starts at $3,499. The previous M3 Pro version won our Editors' Choice for its excellent combination of design, performance and battery life. We are currently testing the latest M4 Pro model and will have a final rating soon, but you can expect the 16-inch MacBook Pro to continue to be among our favorites for graphics pros and creators. See at Amazon This new Chromebook Plus model delivers good performance and even better battery life along with a respectably bright display with a matte finish to limit glare. It has more storage than you'd typically find at its price. The model we reviewed lacked keyboard backlighting, which was a bit of a bummer, but Acer does sell models with a backlit keyboard that aren't that much more expensive. It's a fixed configuration based on an Intel Core i3-N305 CPU and 8GB of RAM. Those specs might seem underpowered but suffice for ChromeOS, which is must more lightweight than Windows. With its mix of features and performance for the price, it's easy to recommend for school, work or home. See at Amazon Acer Swift 16 AI: It's thin. It's light. It's long-running. And it boasts a big, bright 16-inch OLED display. So, what's holding this Copilot Plus PC back from being more than just a big-screen productivity machine? HP Pavilion Aero 13: When it comes to runtime, Snapdragon X laptops and the MacBook Air run laps around it. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: It's thin and light for its size, but a short runtime and a few design miscues make this a low-cost laptop to skip. Acer Swift Go 14 AI: This Snapdragon X-powered laptop can run all day, but its overall look might put you to sleep. Acer Swift 14 AI: It's a long-lasting if basic Copilot Plus PC, but do we really need an AI indicator light on the touchpad? Apple M4 MacBook Pro: Faster than ever, and the matte display option wows. Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: I wish you could upgrade the display, but this low-cost two-in-one business laptop lets you add more RAM and a second SSD after purchase to extend your investment. Lenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9: Lenovo's 16-inch convertible is a good budget buy, but it's better as a secondary machine than your daily driver. Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9: Lenovo's flagship two-in-one has AV advantages over its midrange sibling, but you'll pay a premium price for the OLED display and quad speakers. Asus Zenbook S 14: Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 processors show improvement from the first generation, but Apple's and Qualcomm's ARM-based chips still lead the way. HP OmniBook X 14: The latest Copilot Plus PC runs for more hours than there are hours in a day. Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I: It's super cheap, with a dedicated Intel Arc GPU that lends it a wee bit of 3D muscle for casual 1080p play. Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: It's a top gaming laptop for creators too. Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 7445: A dim display dulls Dell's otherwise well-rounded, AI-equipped and affordable 14-inch convertible laptop. Acer Swift X 14 (2024): The design won't wow you, but the 14.5-inch OLED display powered by RTX 4070 graphics is a great combo for on-the-go content creation. Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640: Content creators may bemoan the display choices, but this midtier, 16-inch laptop offers well-rounded performance from its Core Ultra chip and RTX graphics. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16: Lenovo makes strides with its second foldable-display laptop, but further refinements are still needed before it's ready for the masses. Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Q425: It's a boon to get an OLED display in such a portable package with great battery life for roughly $1,000, but the fit and finish feel decidedly midrange. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12: The latest X1 Carbon has many charms, but they will remain out of reach for many business buyers constrained by budgets. Dell XPS 16 9640: Dell's new 16-inch XPS model offers a unique design backed by strong performance and surprisingly long battery life. Just be prepared to pay for its many configurable charms. Alienware m18 R2 Gaming Laptop: When you're this big, the sky's the limit. Dell XPS 14 9440: The radical look is sure to turn heads, but some of the daring design elements could be turn-offs. HP Omen Transcend 14: Neither a featureless slab nor a carnival of lights, HP's latest 14-inch Omen has its own unique flair. It doesn't scrimp on substance either. Lenovo Slim 7i: With an OLED display and a solid build, this is a rugged option for mainstream shoppers, but other touches are decidedly midrange. The review process for laptops consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features with respect to price. A final review verdict is a combination of both objective and subjective judgments. We test all laptops with a core set of benchmarks, including Primate Labs Geekbench 5 and 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, a variety of 3DMark benchmarks (whichever can run on the laptop), UL Procyon Photo and Video (where supported), and our own battery life test. If a laptop is intended for gaming, we'll also run benchmarks from Guardians of the Galaxy, The Rift Breaker (CPU and GPU) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider. For the hands-on, the reviewer uses it for their work during the review period, evaluating how well the design, features (such as the screen, camera and speakers) and manufacturer-supplied software operate as a cohesive whole. We also place importance on how well they work given their cost and where the manufacturer has potentially made upgrades or tradeoffs for its price. The list of benchmarking software and comparison criteria we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. You can find a more detailed description of our test methodology on our How We Test Computers page. Amazon's Prime Day is a great time to find a laptop at a great price. Other times of the year when you can find the best laptop deals are during back-to-school sales in late summer or early fall and a bit later in the year during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. You can find discounts on laptops throughout the year, but if you're looking for the best deal and can afford to wait, these are typically the best times to buy one. Apple's MacBooks are the most popular laptops and for good reason. They offer excellent build quality and leading performance and battery life ever since Apple introduced its M series processors in 2020. The top two brands on the Windows side are Lenovo and HP. Both offer a wide variety of models, from thin-and-light ultraportables to larger, more powerful models for gaming content creation. Lenovo's ThinkPads have long been a favorite among business laptops, and its Yoga models are usually highly rated two-in-one laptops. HP is in the middle of a branding transformation. It's ended its Pavilion, Envy and Spectre laptop brands in favor of OmniBook consumer models and EliteBook business models. Its Omen brand will continue as the home for its gaming laptops. I liked the first OmniBook laptop I reviewed and look forward to testing more. There are a ton of laptops on the market at any given moment, and almost all of those models are available in multiple configurations to match your performance and budget needs. If you're feeling overwhelmed with options when looking for a new laptop, it's understandable. To help simplify things for you, here are the main things you should consider when you start looking. The search for a new laptop for most people starts with price. If the statistics chipmaker Intel and PC manufacturers hurl at us are correct, you'll be holding onto your next laptop for at least three years. If you can afford to stretch your budget a little to get better specs, do it. That stands whether you're spending $500 or more than $1,000. In the past, you could get away with spending less upfront with an eye toward upgrading memory and storage in the future. Laptop makers are increasingly moving away from making components easily upgradable, so again, it's best to get as much laptop as you can afford from the start. Generally speaking, the more you spend, the better the laptop. That could mean better components for faster performance, a nicer display, sturdier build quality, a smaller or lighter design from higher-end materials or even a more comfortable keyboard. All of these things add to the cost of a laptop. I'd love to say $500 will get you a powerful gaming laptop, for example, but that's not the case. Right now, the sweet spot for a reliable laptop that can handle average work, home office or school tasks is between $700 and $800 and a reasonable model for creative work or gaming is upward of about $1,000. The key is to look for discounts on models in all price ranges so you can get more laptop capabilities for less. Choosing an operating system is part personal preference and part budget. For the most part, Microsoft Windows and Apple's MacOS do the same things (except for gaming, where Windows is the winner), but they do them differently. Unless there's an OS-specific application you need, go with the one you feel most comfortable using. If you're not sure which that is, head to an Apple store or a local electronics store and test them out. Or ask friends or family to let you test theirs for a bit. If you have an iPhone or iPad and like it, chances are you'll like MacOS, too. When it comes to price and variety (and PC gaming), Windows laptops win. If you want MacOS, you're getting a MacBook. Apple's MacBooks regularly top our best lists, the least expensive one is the M1 MacBook Air for $999. It is regularly discounted to $750 or $800, but if you want a cheaper MacBook, you'll have to consider older refurbished ones. Windows laptops can be found for as little as a couple of hundred dollars and come in all manner of sizes and designs. Granted, we'd be hard-pressed to find a $200 laptop we'd give a full-throated recommendation to, but if you need a laptop for online shopping, email and word processing, they exist. If you are on a tight budget, consider a Chromebook. ChromeOS is a different experience than Windows; make sure the applications you need have a Chrome, Android or Linux app before making the leap. If you spend most of your time roaming the web, writing, streaming video or using cloud-gaming services, they're a good fit. 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 -- hello, laws of physics -- which in turn factors into battery size, laptop thickness, weight and price. Keep in mind other physics-related characteristics, such as an ultrathin laptop isn't necessarily lighter than a thick one, you can't expect a wide array of connections on a small or ultrathin model and so on. When it comes to deciding on a screen, there are a myriad number of considerations: how much you need to display (which is surprisingly more about resolution than screen size), what types of content you'll be looking at and whether or not you'll be using it for gaming or creative work. You really want to optimize pixel density; that is, the number of pixels per inch the screen can display. Although other factors contribute to sharpness, a higher pixel density usually means a sharper rendering of text and interface elements. (You can easily calculate the pixel density of any screen at DPI Calculator if you don't feel like doing the math, and you can also find out what math you need to do there.) I recommend a dot pitch of at least 100 pixels per inch as a rule of thumb. Because of the way Windows and MacOS scale for the display, you're frequently better off with a higher resolution than you'd think. You can always make things bigger on a high-resolution screen, but you can never make them smaller -- to fit more content in the view -- on a low-resolution screen. This is why a 4K, 14-inch screen may sound like unnecessary overkill, but may not be if you need to, say, view a wide spreadsheet. If you need a laptop with relatively accurate color, that displays the most colors possible or that supports HDR, you can't simply trust the specs -- not because manufacturers lie, but because they usually fail to provide the necessary context to understand what the specs they quote mean. You can find a ton of detail about considerations for different types of screen uses in our monitor buying guides for general purpose monitors, creators, gamers and HDR viewing. The processor, aka the CPU, is the brains of a laptop. Intel and AMD are the main CPU makers for Windows laptops, with Qualcomm as a new third option with its Arm-based Snapdragon X processors. Both Intel and AMD offer a staggering selection of mobile processors. Making things trickier, both manufacturers have chips designed for different laptop styles, like power-saving chips for ultraportables or faster processors for gaming laptops. Their naming conventions will let you know what type is used. You can head to Intel's or AMD's sites for explanations so you get the performance you want. Generally speaking, the faster the processor speed and the more cores it has, the better the performance will be. Apple makes its own chips for MacBooks, which makes things slightly more straightforward. Like Intel and AMD, you'll still want to pay attention to the naming conventions to know what kind of performance to expect. Apple uses its M-series chipsets in Macs. The entry-level MacBook Air uses an M1 chip with an eight-core CPU and seven-core GPU. The current models have M2-series silicon that starts with an eight-core CPU and 10-core GPU and goes up to the M2 Max with a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. Again, generally speaking, the more cores it has, the better the performance. Battery life has less to do with the number of cores and more to do with CPU architecture, Arm versus x86. Apple's Arm-based MacBooks and the first Arm-based Copilot Plus PCs we've tested offer better battery life than laptops based on x86 processors from Intel and AMD. The graphics processor handles all the work of driving the screen and generating what gets displayed, as well as speeding up a lot of graphics-related (and increasingly, AI-related) operations. For Windows laptops, there are two types of GPUs: integrated (iGPU) or discrete (dGPU). As the names imply, an iGPU is part of the CPU package, while a dGPU is a separate chip with dedicated memory (VRAM) that it communicates with directly, making it faster than sharing memory with the CPU. Because the iGPU splits space, memory and power with the CPU, it's constrained by the limits of those. It allows for smaller, lighter laptops, but doesn't perform nearly as well as a dGPU. There are some games and creative software that won't run unless they detect a dGPU or sufficient VRAM. Most productivity software, video streaming, web browsing and other nonspecialized apps will run fine on an iGPU. For more power-hungry graphics needs, like video editing, gaming and streaming, design and so on, you'll need a dGPU; there are only two real companies that make them, Nvidia and AMD, with Intel offering some based on the Xe-branded (or the older UHD Graphics branding) iGPU technology in its CPUs. For memory, I highly recommend 16GB of RAM (8GB absolute minimum). RAM is where the operating system stores all the data for currently running applications, and it can fill up fast. After that, it starts swapping between RAM and SSD, which is slower. A lot of sub-$500 laptops have 4GB or 8GB, which in conjunction with a slower disk can make for a frustratingly slow Windows laptop experience. Also, many laptops now have the memory soldered onto the motherboard. Most manufacturers disclose this, but if the RAM type is LPDDR, assume it's soldered and can't be upgraded. Some PC makers will solder memory on and also leave an empty internal slot for adding a stick of RAM. You may need to contact the laptop manufacturer or find the laptop's full specs online to confirm. Check the web for user experiences, because the slot may still be hard to get to, it may require nonstandard or hard-to-get memory or other pitfalls. You'll still find cheaper hard drives in budget laptops and larger hard drives in gaming laptops, but faster solid-state drives have all but replaced hard drives in laptops. They can make a big difference in performance. Not all SSDs are equally speedy, and cheaper laptops typically have slower drives; if the laptop only has 4GB or 8GB of RAM, it may end up swapping to that drive and the system may slow down quickly while you're working. Get what you can afford, and if you need to go with a smaller drive, you can always add an external drive or two down the road or use cloud storage to bolster a small internal drive. The one exception is gaming laptops: I don't recommend going with less than a 512GB SSD unless you really like uninstalling games every time you want to play a new game.
Jordan News
04-03-2025
- Jordan News
Best Lightweight Laptops of 2025 - Jordan News
Some laptops are designed to stay at home and function like desktop computers that you can move from room to room. Some laptops are designed to stay at home and function like desktop computers that you can move from room to room. اضافة اعلان Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (2.96 pounds) is the best lightweight Copilot Plus PC. (Matt Elliott/CNET/TNS) On the other hand, the design of other laptops prioritizes portability, making them light enough to fit into your bag for daily commutes and frequent travel, allowing you to return home at the end of the day without shoulder pain. The options you see here fall into this latter category, but these are not just the smallest laptops we've reviewed. These are the lightweight laptops that CNET editors have tested over the past year. Many new models were recently announced at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show, based on next-gen laptop chips from Intel, AMD, and NVIDIA. However, there is a slight delay — from two weeks to several months — between the unveiling of a laptop and its availability for purchase. The three lightweight laptops featured here were all released last year but remain current with modern components. While we will offer additional recommendations when reviewing new laptops for 2025, this is the ideal time to find a lightweight laptop from 2024, as many of them are available at good discounts. 1. M3 MacBook Air (2.7 lbs / 1.224 kg) - Best Lightweight Laptop For the latest MacBook Air from Apple, not much has changed from the previous version, except for the transition from M2 chips to M3 chips. The performance differences between the two devices are modest, but graphics performance has received a notable boost. The biggest features include support for Wi-Fi 6E, faster connectivity, and the ability to run dual external displays, albeit at the cost of closing the MacBook Air's lid. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display is gorgeous, and the build quality of the MacBook Air is slim yet sturdy. Not only is the M3 Air one of our favorite lightweight laptops, but it's also the best overall laptop. Thanks to its blend of portability, build quality, performance, and battery life, it's considered the best laptop for most people. M3 MacBook Air (2.7 pounds) is the best lightweight laptop. (Josh Goldman/CNET/TNS) 2. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 (2.96 lbs / 1.342 kg) - Best Lightweight Laptop with "Copilot Plus" Feature The Surface Laptop 7 reflects previous ARM-on-Windows efforts, which struggled with performance and limited compatibility, as many x86 apps couldn't run on an ARM-based system. This time, both performance and compatibility have improved. Additionally, its battery life is remarkable. The Surface Laptop 7 is the longest-lasting 13- or 14-inch laptop. Its luxurious runtime, combined with a weight under 3 pounds, makes the 13.8-inch Surface Laptop 7 an ideal travel companion. We wish there were an OLED screen option, and you will need to do a compatibility check for your important applications before adopting an ARM-based Surface Laptop 7, but if you can get past those hurdles, you'll get a lightweight, long-lasting Windows laptop. 3. Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 (2.9 lbs / 1.315 kg) - Best Lightweight 2-in-1 Laptop The premium Lenovo Yoga 9i convertible laptop is ultra-slim, lightweight, and compact. It doesn't differ much from the Lenovo Yoga 7 mid-range convertible, but it's noticeably lighter at under 3 pounds. The reduced weight is a clear advantage in easing the burden when traveling with the device, but it also makes the 2-in-1 more manageable in tablet mode. The Lenovo Yoga 9i also upgrades to a high-resolution OLED display, and the amazing sound you get from its unique rotating soundbar hinge is exceptional. Its audio/video outputs are outstanding, giving this versatile device a strong boost as an entertainment machine. CNET Magazine, Tribune Media Services.
