Our favorite laptops at every budget (PC, Mac and Chromebook)

Most people have one or two gadgets running simultaneously and can do fine keeping them charged with a couple of cables and a wall outlet. But for those who have multiple devices, that’s simply not enough. Tap or click here for the top charging stations for all your devices.

Tablets are great for browsing the web, reading ebooks, playing games, listening to music and video calls with friends and family. But you should look at a laptop for handling lots of emails, creating documents and general work/business needs. While tablets rely mostly on touchscreens, which is OK for texting, you’ll want a full keyboard for more intensive tasks.

Here are our picks for the best laptops that fit into any budget.

Best laptops under $500

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i

Why we picked it: It’s lightweight and affordable, with a powerful Intel Core i5 processor.

You get a lot of bang for your buck with the Lenovo IdeaPad 3i. It packs in a 12th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage via the solid-state (SSD) drive.

The 14-inch FHD display with narrow bezels gives you a great viewing experience, whether streaming movies or on a conference call. Connect your favorite devices via the USB-C port, two USB ports, HDMI or Bluetooth.

This laptop is travel-ready, weighing just over 3 lbs. and with a battery life of up to 10 hours. Windows 11 Home is included, so you don’t need to worry about upgrading your OS anytime soon. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i laptop is suitable for home, school and business use.

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HP 15 Laptop

Why we picked it: For a budget laptop, this is powerful with 8GB of RAM.

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Macbook Pro 13

This is the latest and greatest MacBook Apple has to offer. You’re getting up to five times the graphics speed compared to previous versions. This 13-inch MacBook pro has speed and power, including an advanced neural engine.

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Foldable Macbook could be coming soon

Do you need your laptop to fold up this small? Could be pretty neat — a laptop in your pocket!

Social media horror story, firewall check & see what Apple knows about you

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Plus, I give my trusted advice to a job seeker on how to spot fake job scams. Also, how to hide your location to get cheaper prices online, why you shouldn’t buy a MacBook right now, reasons to avoid crypto and clever ways to make money renting your car.

Don’t buy Apple gear right now: Rumor has it their next reveal is Oct. 22, with Macs and iPads on the menu. Expect a Mac mini, MacBook Pro, Mac Studio and Mac Pro with M4, M4 Pro, M4 Max and M4 Ultra chips. Plus, we might see a new iPad and an iPad mini powerful enough for Apple Intelligence.

Don't buy a MacBook now

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Planning to buy the latest Apple product? In one minute, I’ll tell you why you should hold off.