UPDATE: Sep. 21, 2023, 3:44 PM EDT Microsoft has announced new versions of two of our top picks: the Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3 and the Surface Laptop Studio 2. (Both are available for preorder in the Microsoft Store and at Best Buy.) Mashable staff has reviews in the works, and we'll update this story accordingly once we've finished testing them.
Trying to pinpoint the very best laptops of 2023 isn't a quest for the faint of heart: Not all laptops are created equal, and the sheer number of models out there is enough to make anyone's head spin. To put things in perspective, Apple is selling three different MacBook Pros and three separate MacBook Air models as of 2023, and almost all of them come in multiple configurations with different M-something chips. (That's not even counting the older models still floating around at various third-party retailers, often at tempting discounts.)
Ultimately, choosing the right laptop for you comes down to three main questions:
- How are you going to be using your laptop?
- What's your preferred operating system — macOS, Windows, or ChromeOS?
- And perhaps most importantly, what's your budget?
Keep reading for Mashable's guide to the best laptops, including the newest Apple MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, plus models from Dell, Microsoft, and Lenovo.
Note: All listed specs and prices apply to each model's base configuration.
