The top 10 laptops our readers bought this year (no. 1 surprised us)

Kicking off our list is the Acer Aspire Go 15 Slim, a top-notch, budget-friendly laptop. For $300, you get a highly capable device that is perfect for everyday usage. It can handle lightweight workloads with ease. What’s more, Acer’s model is slim, has a decent webcam, and battery life of eight hours.

If you need a cheap laptop for work or school, the Aspire Go 15 Slim is highly recommended. Multiple configurations with differentiating memory amounts and storage space are available on Amazon.

Review: Acer Aspire Go 15 Slim

Dell’s Inspiron 16 Plus 7540 is a versatile laptop that strikes a perfect balance between power and functionality without breaking the bank. With its Intel Core Ultra processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, and 16GB of memory, it is well-equipped for a wide range of tasks. The laptop even boasts a vibrant 2.5K display. If that wasn’t enough, the Inspiron 16 Plus houses features powered by generative AI to help with everyday workloads.

Review: Dell’s Inspiron Plus 16 (2024)

Deal: The Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7540 is currently 23% off at Best Buy.

I must admit: It’s surprising to see a tablet from 2021 make it onto the list, but the numbers don’t lie. I can see why, too, because there’s a lot to like. Microsoft’s Surface Go 3 remains a solid, travel-friendly option. The 10.5-inch PixelSense display delivers bright, crisp visuals. Above the screen is a 5MP camera that records crystal-clear video, while the Dolby Audio speakers output rich, high-quality audio. You have two ways to interact with the Surface Go 3. You can use either a detachable keyboard for a traditional laptop experience or a stylus pen to write directly on the screen.

Review: Microsoft Surface Go 3

Apple’s MacBook Air M4 offers significant hardware upgrades over its predecessor while retaining its sleek, lightweight design. The combination of its Liquid Retina display, long battery life, and 12MP webcam ensures a top-notch experience whether you’re editing photos or hopping on a video call. The base M4 chip stills performs very well, enabling smooth multitasking. Additionally, its support for two external monitors makes this a well-rounded machine for both productivity and casual use.

Review: Apple M4 MacBook Air

Deal: The 15-inch M4 MacBook Air is currently 20% off at Amazon.

Lenovo’s sixth-generation ThinkPad E14 is a dependable business laptop perfect for office productivity and general usage. It has the classic ThinkPad characteristics, including the signature red TrackPoint and a scissor-lift keyboard for added comfort. Running on an Intel Meteor Lake processor, the laptop can multitask for hours on end without breaking a sweat. Tech-savvy users, in particular, will appreciate the wide range of ports and robust security features, such as the self-healing BIOS.

Review: Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 6

Deal: The Lenovo ThinkPad E14 Gen 6 is currently 23% off at Amazon.

No, you’re not seeing double. Lenovo’s ThinkPad T14s looks similar to the E14 but has a different use case.

Lenovo’s sixth-generation ThinkPad T14s is a premium business laptop that blends the traditional design of the series with cutting-edge performance. It runs on an AMD Ryzen 7 Pro processor and 32GB of RAM, ensuring snappy multitasking, quick app loading, and stable performance under heavy workloads. Additionally, the 1440p webcam ensures you’ll look your best in calls.

There is another version of the ThinkPad running a Snapdragon X chipset from Qualcomm. The Snapdragon model may not be as powerful as the AMD build, but it is more energy efficient, lasting longer on a single charge.

Review: Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 6

With its sleek design and speedy Snapdragon X chipset, Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC delivers a MacBook-like experience to Windows users. It was among the first of the company’s AI-powered laptops, sporting features like the auto-enhancing document tool in Word and image generation in Paint. Creative professionals, in particular, will appreciate the vibrant touchscreen. 

Two configurations are available for purchase:

• One Surface Laptop build has a 13.8-inch touchscreen, a Snapdragon X Plus chipset, 16GB of memory, and a 256GB SSD.
• The other model had a 15-inch touchscreen, a Snapdragon X Elite chipset, 16GB of memory, and a 1TB SSD. This is the more powerful of the two.

Review: Microsoft Surface Laptop Copilot+ PC 15-inch

Deal: The Microsoft Surface Laptop is currently 20% off at Amazon.

Asus’ Vivobook S15 is a sleek 15-inch laptop built for productivity on the go. It houses a stunning 3K OLED display that runs at a speedy 120Hz refresh rate. Paired with slim bezels and its 16:9 aspect ratio, it’s an excellent machine for creative work. Under the hood is a powerful Snapdragon X Elite chipset that barrels through tough workloads. What makes this laptop’s performance so good is the neural processing unit (NPU), which harnesses AI software to push its output further.

Review: Asus Vivobook S15

Deal: The Asus Vivobook S15 is currently 40% off at Amazon.

Apple’s MacBook Pro M4 takes everything great about the previous generation and dials it up to 11, delivering significant improvements to its display, performance, and battery life. Thanks to its powerful M4 Pro chip and efficient thermal design, the laptop can handle demanding workflows such as video editing and high-resolution gaming without overheating. The new Thunderbolt 5 ports, along with the ability to power two external monitors, also help improve workflow efficiency.

Review: Apple MacBook Pro M4

Deal: The M4 MacBook Pro is currently 11% off at Amazon.

Rounding out the list is a third Microsoft product: the 2024 Surface Pro. It was one of the best work laptops released last year, and it seems to have captured the hearts and minds of ZDNET’s readers. Microsoft’s laptop was one of the first Copilot+ PCs, utilizing AI software to enhance its output. This single model elevated the Surface series to new heights. In addition to its chipset, the device features a brilliant 13-inch touchscreen and offers excellent battery life of 14 hours. 

Microsoft’s 2024 Surface Pro shines best when equipped with its many accessories. The Flex keyboard is both lightweight and sturdy, while the Slim Pen offers outstanding accuracy.

Review: Microsoft Surface Pro Copilot+ PC

Deal: The Microsoft Surface Pro is currently 20% off at Best Buy.