The best laptops for college students
Dell XPS 13
Cnet rating: 4.5 stars out of 5
The good: Dell has fixed this laptop’s only remaining serious flaw, designing a superslim 2mm webcam to fit into the thin screen bezel. Optional colors look great, as does the 4K touchscreen. Excellent keyboard.
The bad: The entrylevel configuration, while well priced, cuts too many corners. We don’t love the woven texture on the wrist rest. The cost: $1,000 to $2,499 (depending on configuration)
The bottom line: It’s nearly impossible to find anything to dislike about this 13inch slim powerhouse, at least in the highend configuration we tested.
HP Chromebook x2
Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5
The good: The compelling design makes it simple to shift from laptop to tablet and back. Stylus and keyboard included. The touchscreen looks good and is responsive. It has two cameras, and great speakers. There’s a sufficient array of ports and connections. Battery life is respectable.
The bad: Integrated storage is limited to a measly 32 GB. The keyboard is a bit mushy. Awkward stylus holster. The cost: $435 to $450
The bottom line: The x2 raises the bar for the twoinone category, combining effective design, peppy performance and a fine display at a killer price.
Microsoft Surface Pro 6
Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5
The good: The jump to new quadcore processors pays off in big performance gains. The new black color option looks cool. Still the best kickstand and keyboard for Windows tablets.
The bad: Be ready to shell out extra for the keyboard cover, stylus and even for the new matte black design. CPU and color aside, it’s a very minimal upgrade. The cost: $1,240 to $1,299
The bottom line: The latest Surface Pro tablet doesn’t make any radical design changes, but the performance jump makes it viable as a mainstream performance laptop replacement.
Apple MacBook Air
Cnet rating: 4 stars out of 5
The good: It’s now smaller and lighter, with a better display, faster processors and a bigger touchpad.
The bad: The starting price has shot up significantly, despite sticking with dualcore CPUs. The shallow butterfly keyboard and limited ports may feel like a step back from the previous Air. The cost: $950 to $1,200
The bottom line: The long makeover adds a highres screen and Touch ID but includes some unwelcome tradeoffs — such as a much higher price.