Decision Guide: Picking your Next Notebook, Laptop, or 2-in-1

The laptop and notebook have evolved and hybridized. They now exist on a continuum, with geared-up-tablet on one end and ultra-high resolution near-desktop performing machine on the other. Given the abundance of choices in the market, this decision guide does not endeavor to review specific devices. Instead, we provide a framework to use to help you define how you use a device, determine your priorities, and to categorize and consider the different elements and features of what is out there. With this approach, we hope you will arrive at the best type of device with the right combination of features and components that will best address your needs. We will call of these devices “notebooks” for short, but our discussion includes “2-in-1” devices, traditional laptops, and expanded tablets that include a keyboard.

How Does it Look and Feel?

The Materials. We experience our computers mostly through the software and applications that it executes. But physical form, build, finish, and aesthetics are an important consideration. A combination of look, feel, and functionality determines the right setup. Think about what you want the device to do and how important the look, shape, and finish is to you. If style is important, consider also the overall design and aesthetics of the device. Various metal alloys provide different weight, finish, and thermal properties. Materials can also affect the cost of the device. Generally, aluminum and magnesium alloy are going to provide a sharper look and feel than a dense plastic frame. Magnesium provides some advantages over aluminum but will likely cost more. Composite and advanced polymer materials, such as carbon fiber, can enable higher quality textures and finishes and are often lighter than metal alloys.  

How Does it Move and Does it Travel Well?

Size, Weight, and Movement. So, you have settled on the right combination of metal and advanced polymers for the shell of the notebook. Now, decide how you want the notebook to move, morph, and travel with you during your busy day. Increasing screen pixel densities have made it more reasonable to balance solid productivity on more compact screens. If you are going to use your notebook primarily for word processing, presentations, and some multimedia, a screen in the 13 to 14-inch range is probably your best bet. The lowest common denominator for overall notebook size is the screen, thus we must balance portability with screen real estate. Laptops in the 14+ inch size range tend to veer away from the ultra-portable category and have weights that can exceed three (3) pounds. For frame of reference, the current 13 inch MacBook Air is 2.75 pounds. Next, we consider movement, which also segues us from form to function. Is the notebook a traditional clamshell laptop? Does it open past 90 degrees or flip 180 degrees to convert into a tablet, serving as a 2-in-1? Or is the notebook actually a high performing tablet with a stand and keyboard attachment? You have to consider where you will use the device – couch, desk, office, coffee shop, studio – to determine the most useful form factor.

How Well Does It Process and Perform?

Function and Performance. Our next consideration is performance, both in terms of user experience and interface as well as processing power and related abilities. The introduction of ubiquitous touch screens and pen input technologies such as Windows Ink, are changing the way that we interface with our devices. And, this consideration overlaps with the form and movement of the notebook type that you choose – pen input requires a tablet or convertible form-factor. Aside from that, the core consideration you will have is processing power, working memory (RAM), long-term memory, battery life, and thermal behavior. Thinking biggest, fastest, highest is unwise. Also, getting more power than you need means you will pay more for something you will not use. Third, a mis-matched combination of components (e.g., ultra-fast processor with meager RAM) will not allow you to fully tap into the performance you have purchased. Lastly, and perhaps the least considered element, thermal behavior is also important. An ultra-fast processor that is better-suited for a desktop or a disproportionally high-resolution monitor without enough video processing capabilities could be a recipe for an uncomfortably hot-running notebook. Fortunately, most manufacturers are smart about the combination of components that they offer and they do realistic use-testing. However, not all do; moreover, if you are picky about fan noise, you should research a bit further. Getting information on thermal behavior is harder as it is not a specification that is typically reported in sales materials. However, read product reviews closely and you will get some anecdotal information from actual users who might clue you in on the fan running like a jetliner on a domestic flight or a chassis that could double as a clothes iron.  

More fundamentally, educate yourself on the different processors available. Intel products sound simple and tiered when you consider only the i-# designation, but in fact they have nuanced characteristics, energy usage, and clock speeds. Familiarize yourself with the generation and model numbers and understand what they denote. Generally, the more cores you have the better (within reason) and lower energy processors work well with notebooks providing a good balance of performance, thermal properties, and battery life. For multi-tasking with applications, the amount of RAM you purchase is probably going to have the most noticeable impact. Thus, if you could pick between a marginally-better processor or several times more RAM (e.g., 8GB to 16GB or 32GB), you may want to opt for the additional RAM. Solid state drives (SSD) have become sufficiently affordable to become a standard, thus pick a size that works best for you. A good way to test how much you need is to trek over to your current device and see how much space your primary drive has and how much you have used. Get more hard-disk memory, if you can, beyond what you have now if you are using two thirds or more of your current device’s storage capacity.

What Is Its Software Ecosystem?

The Operating System. You have picked the best size, weight, material, finish, and the smartest look that matches your sense of style. You identified the perfect processor and working and long-term memory configuration that gives you balanced performance, good battery life, and acceptable thermal properties. On our journey to the most important part of our machine – the software – we now cross the operating system bridge. Comparing the strengths and weaknesses of operating systems could be a decision guide of its own. Here, we will just focus on a few major factors. User interface, reliability, security, and market share. The interface is incredibly important and, naturally, sticking to the operation system family that you are using now will make the transition to a new device easier. Reliability and security are important considerations given the amount of time and data that lives on personal devices and can let you know if you will need to spend additional money on third party security applications. Finally, market share is an indicator of important network effects and can help ensure that popular applications are available on that platform. We find the Windows Ink technology as a promising new input method and for that reason lean toward that operating system. However, you should explore all of the major options out there including Chrome OS devices, Linux-based (for more tech-savvy users), and macOS.