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    Best Laptops of 2022

    Whether you're looking for portability, performance, or a low price, one of these computers should fit the bill

    When you shop through retailer links on our site, we may earn affiliate commissions. 100% of the fees we collect are used to support our nonprofit mission. Learn more.

    Illustration of an Apple laptop, Dell laptop and Windows laptop Illustration: Lacey Browne/Consumer Reports, Getty Images

    Itā€™s hard to imagine there being a better time to shop for a laptop.

    First off, prices often dip toward the end of the year. Beyond that, todayā€™s top PCs all ship with Windows 11, the latest version of Microsoftā€™s long-running operating system that features a refreshed and, arguably, easier-to-use interface than previous versions of Windows. With Windows 11, you have greater control over how individual windows are laid out on your screen. Widgets, small apps that can be pulled up to quickly glance at the weather or check last nightā€™s sports scores, and Focus settings let you easily disable app notifications for when you need to, well, focus. There are other improvements, as well.

    More on Laptops
    CR's Laptop Ratings & Buying Guide
    Laptops for $600 or Less
    How to Get Better Laptop Battery Life
    How to Shop for a More Ergonomic Laptop

    Macs, naturally, ship with Appleā€™s macOS, which is now up to version 13 and is called Ventura. New here is the ability to use your iPhoneā€™s camera as a webcam with a feature called Continuity Camera; a way to automatically group and manage your open apps and windows called Stage Manager; and a way to log in to websites without using a traditional username and password, instead relying on Face ID or Touch ID.

    We test dozens of new laptops every year, evaluating them for ergonomics, battery life, display quality, and portability so that you donā€™t waste your money on a clunker. We buy all the products we testā€”from headphones to SUVsā€”at retail, because samples sent directly from a manufacturer may be tweaked to perform better in a reviewerā€™s tests. (CR is a nonprofit member organization, and we donā€™t accept ads, either.)

    We also incorporate brand reliability and owner satisfaction data collected from surveys of our members into each laptopā€™s Overall Score.

    Below are some of the best-performing laptops covering the five screen-size categories we track, ranging from highly portable 10- to 11-inch models to hulking desktop replacements that span 17 to 18 inches. The very top-performing laptops tend to be pricey, but you can also find great laptops for most uses for less than $600. And CR is tracking the best Black Friday laptop deals, too.

    Become a member to read the full article and get access to digital ratings.

    We investigate, research, and test so you can choose with confidence.

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