How to choose a notebook: types of laptops and Macs

How to choose a notebook: types of laptops and Macs
How to choose a notebook: types of laptops and Macs 2018-06-19T06:29:38+00:00

Now you should have pretty clear ideas on which notebooks are worth buying and which are not, but before concluding I would like to talk about three types of laptops you can find in electronics stores: ultrabooks, convertible computers and Macs.

The ultrabook are very high characterized by three elements-end notebook: power, lightness and portability. They are very thin, have a large autonomy and instead of the classic hard disk mount SSD drives (solid state drives) that are much faster and less delicate than standard hard drives. They also do not have CD / DVD drives. As easily understandable, they are excellent but their price is very high : we start from about 900 euros to get to 1,200 / 1,500 euros. These are computers that are aimed primarily at the professional and those who need to move often with their PC without giving up a good level of power and without compromise on the level of operational autonomy.

The convertible computers , as mentioned above, are laptops with variable prices (they are also less than 300 euros) consisting of a touch display and a base with a separable keyboard, so if necessary can be used both as a notebook and as a Tablet. In most cases they are equipped with the Windows operating system. Before buying one you should also consider the pure tablet hypothesis: in this regard, to clarify any doubt, I suggest you take a look at my article on how to choose a tablet .

The Mac is no special computer and does not represent a type of specific notebook: it is simply the computers manufactured by Apple, which are equipped with the MacOS operating system and not with Windows (which can still be installed later using the software Bootcamp for create a dual boot system). Macs can be “fixed” (iMac), portable (MacBook Pro) and ultra-portable (MacBook Air / MacBook 12 “). All are characterized by excellent construction materials and prices are not very affordable. To deepen the subject read my post on which Mac to buy 

Which notebook to choose

In conclusion I want to give you some ideas on notebooks to buy. Here are some of the best laptops available in various categories and price ranges.

Best cheap notebooks (less than € 350)

Acer Switch One 10


The Acer Switch One 10 is an economical 2-in-1 that boasts a modest power and a discrete attention in the materials adopted but allows those who need it to surf online, write texts and carry out other light jobs in complete tranquility. It mounts a 10.1 “multi-touch IPS display the Intel Atom X5-Z8350 processor with 2GB of DDR3 RAM and 32GB of internal memory via eMMC, compensated by the presence of a microSD slot.

Technical features

  • Display – 10.1 “from 1280 x 800 pixels (touch).
  • Operating System – Windows 10.
  • CPU – 1.44Ghz Intel Atom x5-Z8350.
  • GPU – Intel HD Graphics 400.
  • RAM – 2 GB.
  • Disk – 64 GB (eMMC).
  • Ports and other components – 1 USB 2.0, 1 MicroUSB 2.0, 1 MicroHDMI, 2 2MP cameras, Memory card reader, Bluetooth support.
  • Battery – 2 Cells, 7920 mAh.
  • Dimensions and weight – 26.2 x 17.3 x 2 cm / 1.3 kg.