Laptop Reviews

- Laptop Reviews

Smartphone, shmartphone; the sign of a truly productive human being remains the laptop computer. Why else would people continue displaying them all day long at coffee shops? And buying one isn't like a phone purchase -- you only need to worry about that thing for a two-year contract. A laptop is forever. Or, at least three or four years. Our testing process is as much about a user's everyday experience with the laptop as it is about lab-based benchmarking, because ultimately a laptop is a lot like your car: You don't need to know how every piece of the engine works, but you do need to know if it's designed for what you need, if it's worth the price tag, and that it won't end up in a smoking heap on the side of your desk. From budget notebooks to Ultrabooks and everything in between, we've used it, reviewed out, and have an opinion about it.

For more tips check out our laptop buying guide, or head over to our continually updated list of the best laptops to find out which ones scored the highest marks.

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Operating System

Manufacturers

Acer Aspire S7 Review
Acer Aspire S7 Review
  • Extremely thin and light
  • Attractive aesthetics
  • Poor keyboard
Our Score: 4
User Score: 5
Vizio CT14-A4 Review
Vizio CT14-A4 Review
  • Attractive design
  • Uncomfortable design
  • Difficult keyboard
Our Score: 3
User Score: 0
HP EliteBook 2170p Review
HP EliteBook 2170p Review
  • Good build quality
  • Bulky
  • Could use more connectivity
Our Score: 3
User Score: 0
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge Twist Review
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge Twist Review
  • Good build quality
  • Thin and light
  • Limited connectivity
Our Score: 3.5
User Score: 0.5
Samsung Series 7 Gamer 700G7A Review
Samsung Series 7 Gamer 700G7A Review
  • Pleasing keyboard and touchpad
  • The best laptop display we’ve ever…
  • Gaudy exterior
Our Score: 4
User Score: 0
Acer C7 Chromebook Review
Acer C7 Chromebook Review
  • Good keyboard and touchpad
  • Attractive display
  • Quiet, lackluster speakers
Our Score: 4.5
User Score: 2.5
ASUS Zenbook UX51Vz Review
ASUS Zenbook UX51Vz Review
  • Great build quality
  • Attractive
  • Fan is louder than average at load
Our Score: 5
User Score: 2.5
HP Envy Touchsmart 4 Review
HP Envy Touchsmart 4 Review
  • Attractive design
  • Heavy for an Ultrabook
  • Lots of bloatware
Our Score: 3.5
User Score: 0
Acer Aspire V5 Touch Review
Acer Aspire V5 Touch Review
  • Low power draw
  • Unpleasant keyboard and touchpad
  • Touchscreen use seems an afterthought
Our Score: 3
User Score: 0.5
Samsung Chromebook Series 3 Review
Samsung Chromebook Series 3 Review
  • Good keyboard and touchpad
  • Speedy performance
  • Chrome OS still lacks functionality
Our Score: 4.5
User Score: 4
Acer Aspire M5 Touch Review
Acer Aspire M5 Touch Review
  • Good build quality
  • Enjoyable user interface
  • Touchscreen is rarely useful
Our Score: 3.5
User Score: 3.5
Dell XPS 12 Review
Dell XPS 12 Review
  • Outstanding build quality
  • No-compromises convertible design
  • Weight makes tablet use awkward
Our Score: 4.5
User Score: 5
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Review
Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13 Review
  • 360-degree hinge and multiple modes…
  • Hinge feels sturdy
  • Keyboard exposed in tablet mode
Our Score: 4
User Score: 4
Toshiba Satellite S955 Review
Toshiba Satellite S955 Review
  • Attractive, slim exterior
  • Chassis flex
  • Poor keyboard and touchpad
Our Score: 3.5
User Score: 0
Toshiba Satellite P855 Review
Toshiba Satellite P855 Review
  • Attractive but practical exterior
  • Very little bloatware
  • Mushy keyboard feel
Our Score: 4
User Score: 3.5
ASUS Zenbook Prime UX32VD Review
ASUS Zenbook Prime UX32VD Review
  • Three USB 3.0 ports
  • Enjoyable keyboard and large touchpad
  • Display has severe uniformity issues
Our Score: 4
User Score: 5
Acer Aspire V5 Review
Acer Aspire V5 Review
  • Good build quality
  • Hot running at load
  • Short battery life
Our Score: 3.5
User Score: 2
Sony Vaio E Series (2012) Review
Sony Vaio E Series (2012) Review
  • Good keyboard
  • Poor touchpad
  • Short battery life
Our Score: 3.5
User Score: 3
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E530 Review
Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E530 Review
  • Excellent keyboard and touchpad
  • Matte display
  • Thick and bulky
Our Score: 4.5
User Score: 0
Alienware M14x (2012) Review
Alienware M14x (2012) Review
  • Solid build quality
  • Beautiful 1600 x 900 display
  • Offers poor performance value
Our Score: 4
User Score: 3.5

How we test laptops

How we test laptops

You've read our laptop reviews. You've read our conclusions. And now you're wondering how we came to them.

Allow us to peel back the veil from our review process. While every laptop is different, the hurdles we ask each product to jump are similar. This allows us to provide realistic and accurate information and tell you about the positive and negative traits of the laptops we write about. Read More

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