Types of Laptops

Chromebooks

Chromebooks are among the smallest and lightest laptops on the market, but they lack the computing power and storage of traditional laptops. Instead of a Windows or Macintosh operating system, these come with Google's Chrome OS, which is designed for browsing the internet and not much else. The hard drive is typically very small – around 16GB. The screens are around 11 inches, and you generally only get one USB port. However, you can save photos, videos and other documents to Google Drive instead of a hard drive. The screen resolutions are generally 1366 x 768, which is good enough for browsing the internet and watching an occasional movie. And you can always connect a USB bank to increase the connectivity.

Netbooks

Netbooks are similar to Chromebooks in that they are very small, inexpensive, and optimized for web browsing and little else. These laptops don't have an optical drive to play DVDs and CDs. However, unlike a Chromebook, netbooks typically run a Windows operating system, which most people are more familiar with. In addition, many netbooks blur the line between laptop computer and tablet with touchscreens and detachable keyboards. A netbook is a great laptop for people who like the tablet experience for gaming apps but prefer the laptop experience for typing.

Ultrabooks

In order for an Ultrabook laptop to be marketed as such, the laptop must meet rigid specifications set by Intel. It must be thin, being no taller (when closed) than 20 mm for 13.3-inch displays and smaller or 23 mm for 14-inch displays and larger. It must have a battery life that lets you play HD video for at least six hours and lasts nine hours when idle. The Ultrabook must also resume from hibernation after no more than three seconds. These laptops generally come with solid-state hard drives and features like voice commands and touchscreens. Ultrabooks are built for portability and performance, but they also come at a higher price, starting at over $1,000.

Gaming Laptops

Gaming laptops are exactly what you'd think – laptops for serious gamers. These aren't for playing games like Candy Crush and Angry Birds. These are for data-intensive PC games that require a high-end processor, 8GB to 16GB of RAM, at least 1TB of storage, and a dedicated graphics card, which is the most important feature. Gaming laptops are generally boxier and more robust in their build than most laptops and come with high-resolution screens.

Gaming laptops don't need to be thin and light, because gamers generally use them as a desktop replacement. A gaming laptop allows you to play games that you'd normally play on a desktop, but with the advantage of being portable enough that you can move from room to room or take your games to a friend's house.

Business Laptops

Business laptops are similar to the traditional consumer laptops we reviewed, except that they're built with higher-quality, more durable components and generally come with longer, more comprehensive warranties. You shouldn't have to replace your business laptop every year or two because it's become outdated. Business laptops are designed for performance, with quad-core processors that can handle significant multitasking. You need to be able to run all of your necessary software without it freezing or slowing down. These laptops don't generally come with dedicated graphics cards, though you can add one if you're working with graphics and video.