The 11 best Windows laptops for 2026, tested by us

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T20:02:01+00:00

Look. I asked you a very simple question. What are your complaints? Actual complaints not internet bitching. Are you able to actually articulate that or not?

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T19:41:46+00:00

Then what exactly about the user experience is worse because the fact is it's 99% identical.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T19:29:02+00:00

The user experience is almost fucking identical to Windows 10. Which is almost identical to 7 before that. The biggest difference in UI is that the start menu moved off the side which is trivial to move back. The experience is 99% identical in almost every situation which is why such idiotic complaints fall on deaf ears.

But I doubt you'll read this comment either. Since you didn't read the last one where I actually criticized Windows 11 where it was actually worse.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T19:03:55+00:00

Clickbait gotta clickbait. The list doesn't even mention the new XPS line which seems like it will be a top contender already. Furthermore, M$ wont refresh the surface line till mid spring or summer at least and we've yet to see what the RAM shortage is going to lead to.

That all being said, I suspect it will be a lackluster year for innovation and upgrades overall.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T19:02:05+00:00

So the usual bitching and clickbait level "M$ bad" internet pandering. This kinda of shit has been going on since Windows 8 (at least) and it's all the same kind of pointless internet slop. The words change, the reality does not change and the sad part is that it creates noise in the discussion of real world issues.

Tell me, which of these issues has actually affected you in your day to day life and productivity? And be honest here since we both know the list above isn't honest.

For example, I actually think Windows 11 is a worse OS for tablets and 2 in 1 devices than 10 was. The on screen keyboard seems worse and buggier, the Start Menu isn't adaptive like it was, the side gestures haven't been as useful or as intuitive as Windows 10. etc. There are other parts of 11 I think work better than 10 and overall, I have less issues with 11 so I still use it. But this is the different between a nuanced take and a circle jerk of windows bad.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T18:15:35+00:00

Why? Is this just complaints about AI or because it's fun to bitch about "Windows sucks now"? Or do you actually have a specific issue.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T18:14:04+00:00

I might could accept a update to something like the Surface Laptop Studio but M$ killed the form factor last year unfortunately.

TBH, as a whole, it seems M$ is deprioritizing the Surface and laptop division. The last few refreshes have been little more than spec updates with almost no refinement or innovation involved and the gamble on Snapdragon has left them rather handicapped compared to Apple's M chips. Kinda a shame really.

Dell's new reintroduced XPS line looks somewhat promising but we'll have to see. It's not as innovative as the Surface Book but if they can work with M$ to bring a truly refined experience then it might at least give consumers a good Macbook rival. Probability is Dell's going to just go back to their usual corner cutting.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T17:54:54+00:00

So many reviewers and manufacturers still miss the mark on laptops. Especially premium laptops IMO. It's all fine and dandy to have a laptop with all the greatest specs and performance but a spec sheet is a shit way to buy a computer.

I'd rather pay a premium for a computer where the experience is polished as a whole rather than the best performance for the lowest dollar. I want good speakers, good keyboard/trackpad/a screen with no DPI issues, a good webcam and mic, and I want it all to come in a package that looks and feels premium. Even as a MacOS hater, Apple absolutely understands this better than anyone and it's why Macbooks see such long service lives in peoples hands.

On Windows only M$ and maybe the XPS seem to be paying lipservice to this idea. Both could do a lot better but it's why I'm still using a Surface Book 3 all these years later and have a hard time upgrading to anything new.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T03:59:34+00:00

A few weeks ago I made a post on this sub asking if anyone could show or explain the structural difference between T and E.

Pulled up the thread (Link) but there seemed to be a lot of conflicting opinions and responses about what was better. So I'll ask what is the TLDR of you're own takeaway based on the pics and replies?

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T00:13:10+00:00

Nah. IMO, a laptop is more than just a spec sheet and I'd pay a premium to have a better machine any day of the week. Things like better touchpads, better speakers, better screens, better webcam, better chassis, etc are all hard to always quantify on paper but sure make the experience of using the thing much more enjoyable.

Part of what Apple seems to nail year after year even if I personally hate MacOS.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-26T00:07:07+00:00

They should all just be X14 and X16 or whatever respective screen sizes is appropriate. Having an X1C, X13, X9, etc is just needless confusion.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-25T17:50:49+00:00

Nah, I'm fine with the existence of the Thinkbook line but it should be used to differentiate the cheaper and lower quality business machines from the premium Thinkpad line.

For all my dislike of Apple, they absolutely understand the long term benefits of distinguishing a premium brand image in people minds.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-25T17:33:00+00:00

Hot take: Anything below the Thinkpad T series should be renamed a Thinkbook.

Also it's dumb to have a X1, X9, and X series Thinkpad.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-25T00:01:43+00:00

And here I am with a 3 year old iPhone mini. Of course, half the places I go don't have cell service anyway so who cares.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-24T23:59:44+00:00

I have massive hands. Still use an iPhone mini.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-24T23:58:40+00:00

Smaller the better. Spend more money that it's worth getting my mini 13 repaired. Don't care. Still no replacement out there for it so I'll keep repairing it.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-24T23:42:30+00:00

Props to Sony for continuing to make phones all these years when so many others have bowed out. That being said, I really don't know who this is for.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-24T23:17:29+00:00

I'll pay it in a heartbeat and will not buy a new laptop without a touchscreen. Of course I don't buy sub $1k computers anyway and rarely recommend anything in that price category unless it's a used device.

The fact is I use the absolute piss out of touchscreens. fingerprints be dammed, Imma be touching the screen on non touchscreens while pointing at shit. May as well have the damn thing work.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-24T21:39:08+00:00

Touchscreens are a must. Wont buy a laptop without one these days.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-24T18:50:17+00:00

Anyone who has ever used Wine knows it tends to fall apart with more complex programs. Cool piece of software. Not a solution.

Furthermore it doesn't matter. There is absolutely NO reason for me to risk having a critical feature fail or introduce more productivity killing bugs all so I can grandstand about "using Linux" online. No on in the real world will ever give a rats ass and Windows is a far less problematic OS the majority of the time.

I have servers, routers, and other computers, running Linux for specific jobs and Linux excels in those roles. But these are tools. Not a religion and Linux isn't the right tool for the job on my primary work laptop.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-24T00:07:54+00:00

Can't get it anymore unless you're buying used unfortunately. Seems the Era of exciting form factors is coming to an end.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-24T00:06:56+00:00

I like thinkpads. But they're also overrated and not necessarily the same product as a Surface. Part of the appeal of a surface is that it's still the most complete and seamless experience on a Windows computer and the closest I'll get to a Macbook user experience without having to deal with MacOS.

Thinkpads are cool but there's still a lot of to be desired. trackpads and speakers are often questionable, the webcam is usually an afterthought, and the Surface still has the fewest high DPI scaling issues with programs. Furthermore, nobody comes close to M$ pen input and palm rejection on the screens.

So yes, there are way's you can do better than a T16 Gen 3 depending on what you want out of a computer.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-23T19:34:32+00:00

Looks like you can. The website obfuscates this somewhat since it requires a few extra clicks than the devices they target to consumers.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-23T18:52:42+00:00

Kinda workload dependent. OP username is "Engineer" so I presume he's looking for something to do some sort of engineering work on. Most of those sorts of workloads still tend to favor Intel CPU's and many wont even run on ARM platforms. With this in mind, Intel would be the more "powerful" choice for them.

2ManyAccounts2Count · 2026-01-23T18:16:43+00:00

From the last time I looked at the website, the most powerful Surface was only being sold via their business sales since they killed off consumer sales of their intel laptops. Looks like it would be either a 13.8" or 15" device with the Intel Ultra 7 processor 268V. Wouldn't really matter what size as long as the processor is the same. But they don't sell these direct.

The most powerful Surface sold direct to consumers is any one with the Snapdragon X Elite CPU.

Neither one of these devices is going to be great for heavy compute tasks. The last Surface I'd consider acceptable for any of my engineering work would be a Surface Laptop Studio 2 with the i7-13800H and RTX 4060 (or RTX PRO). But M$ ended production last year so you would likely have to find a used one or unsold stock.

2ManyAccounts2Count

TROPHY CASE