These are the attributes that I think are important when choosing a new laptop:
Must have:
- 13" form-factor
- Thunderbolt 3 ports
- Headphone jack
- Works decently with Linux
Prefer:
- HiDPI display (more than 200 pixels per inch)
- 7th generation Core i7 CPU
- 16 GB of RAM
- USB-C ports
Ambivalent:
- Flip form-factor (aka "2-in-1")
- USB 3.0 old-style A connectors
- More than 6 hours of battery life
Avoid:
- Proprietary power plug (USB-C charging is better)
- HDMI ports
- SD card reader
- Display port
It's worth emphasizing how valuable Thunderbolt 3 is. With its 40Gbps transfer rate, "external GPU" enclosures have become a real thing and the options are increasing. In 2017, you should expect to dock your laptop into a gnarly GPU and use it for some intensive computation (VR, 3D design, neural network back propagation). Thunderbolt 3 also makes it easy to connect into one or more 4K+ external displays when you're not on the go. Not having Thunderbolt 3 significantly limits your future options.
The other details to look for are Skylake (6th generation) vs. Kaby Lake (7th generation) processors, and Core i5/i7 vs. Core M processors. The differences are subtle but meaningful. All of the new MacBook Pros and the MacBook 12" have 6th generation CPUs. The MacBook Pros have i5/i7 chips. The 12" MacBooks have m3/m5/m7 chips. It's a bit odd that the latest and greatest from Apple includes chips that were released over a year ago.
Here's my list of options, ordered by which ones I'm most seriously considering:
1. HP Spectre x360
Official product page and someone else's review that I found helpful.
It doesn't have a HiDPI display, but everything else looks sleek and great. The previous year's model was also available in a 4K version, but that doesn't have any Thunderbolt 3 ports. If they do release a variation of the new one in 4K, that model would be the winner for me by every measure.
| Price | $1,299 |
| Pros | Two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Charge via USB-C. 2-in-1 laptop. |
| Cons | HD Display. |
| Thickness | 13.71mm |
| Weight | 2.86lbs |
| Battery | 57Wh |
| Display | 1920 x 1080 (Touch) |
| CPU | Intel 7th Generation Core i7-7500U dual core |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 512GB Flash |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Power plug | USB-C |
| Thunderbolt 3 ports | 2 |
| USB-C (non-Thunderbolt) ports | 0 |
| USB 3.0 A ports | 1 |
| SD slots | None |
| Video ports | None |
| Audio ports | Headphone/mic jack |
2. Razer Blade Stealth 4K
Official product page and someone else's review that I found helpful.
With extra ports and a thick bezel it's not as svelte as I'd like. But the build quality seems high and I bet the 4K display looks awesome. Razer's Core external GPU is the easiest setup of its kind right now. There's also a cheaper option for $1,249 with less storage and a 2560 x 1440 screen (which is HiDPI like a MacBook but not close to 4K).
| Price | $1,599 |
| Pros | 4K display. One Thunderbolt 3 port. Charge via USB-C. |
| Cons | No USB-C ports besides the single Thunderbolt 3 one. Unnecessary video out. Big bezel around a small physical screen. |
| Thickness | 13.1mm |
| Weight | 2.84lbs |
| Battery | 53.6Wh |
| Display | 3840 x 2160 (Touch) |
| CPU | Intel 7th Generation Core i7-7500U dual core |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 512GB Flash |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Power plug | USB-C |
| Thunderbolt 3 ports | 1 |
| USB-C (non-Thunderbolt) ports | 0 |
| USB 3.0 A ports | 2 |
| SD slots | None |
| Video ports | HDMI |
| Audio ports | Headphone/mic jack |
3. Dell XPS 13
Official product page and someone else's review that I found helpful.
This laptop has a modern edge-to-edge screen, but it's not quite 4K.
| Price | $1,849 |
| Pros | One Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C port. Nearly 4K display. |
| Cons | Expensive. Unnecessary SD card slot. |
| Thickness | 9-15mm |
| Weight | 2.9lbs |
| Battery | 60Wh |
| Display | 3200 x 1800 (Touch) |
| CPU | Intel 7th Generation Core i7-7500U dual core |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 512GB Flash |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics (unspecified version) |
| Power plug | Proprietary |
| Thunderbolt 3 ports | 1 |
| USB-C (non-Thunderbolt) ports | 0 |
| USB 3.0 A ports | 2 |
| SD slots | SD slot |
| Video ports | None |
| Audio ports | Headphone/mic jack |
4. HP EliteBook Folio G1
Official product page and someone else's review that I found helpful.
This machine is tiny, fanless, and looks like a MacBook Air at first glance. It has Thunderbolt 3 and none of the old ports weighting it down. And 4K! The biggest drawback is that the CPU is a 6th generation Core M processor instead of an i5 or i7. If the 12" MacBook is more your speed than the MacBook Pro, then this could be the right machine for you.
| Price | $1,799 |
| Pros | Charge via USB-C. Two Thunderbolt 3 ports. 4K display. |
| Cons | Expensive. Underpowered 6th-generation M CPU. Max 8GB of RAM. |
| Thickness | 11.93mm |
| Weight | 2.14lbs |
| Battery | 38Wh |
| Display | 3840 x 2160 |
| CPU | Intel 6th Generation m7-6Y75 dual core |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB Flash |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 515 |
| Power plug | USB-C |
| Thunderbolt 3 ports | 2 |
| USB-C (non-Thunderbolt) ports | 0 |
| USB 3.0 A ports | 0 |
| SD slots | None |
| Video ports | None |
| Audio ports | Headphone/mic jack |
5. Lenovo Yoga 910
Official product page and someone else's review that I found helpful.
If this had a Thunderbolt 3 port, I think it would be the laptop to get. It has a 4K screen and the styling looks great. Unfortunately, instead of Thunderbolt 3, Lenovo included a USB-C port that only speaks USB 2.0 protocol (not a typo, it's version two) and is used for charging. There's a cheaper option with less storage and RAM for $1,429.
| Price | $1,799 | Pros | Two USB-C ports. Charge via USB-C. 4K display. 2-in-1 laptop. |
| Cons | No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Small battery. Expensive. One of the USB-C ports is a USB 2.0 port. |
| Thickness | 14.3mm |
| Weight | 3.04lbs |
| Battery | 48Wh |
| Display | 3840 x 2160 (Touch) |
| CPU | Intel 7th Generation i7-7500U dual core |
| RAM | 16GB |
| Storage | 1TB Flash |
| Graphics | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Power plug | USB-C |
| Thunderbolt 3 ports | 0 |
| USB-C (non-Thunderbolt) ports | one 3.0 port, one 2.0 port |
| USB 3.0 A ports | 1 |
| SD slots | None |
| Video ports | None |
| Audio ports | Headphone/Microphone combined jack |
Conclusion
I'm still not sure which computer I'm going to get. I'm now looking through Linux distributions like Ubuntu and elementary OS to see what compatibility and usability are like. I doubt that 2017 will be the "year of the Linux laptop", but for the first time I'm willing to give it an honest try.
Make no mistake: I think that Apple computers are still gorgeous and a great choice for people who have the budget. I plan to continue recommending MacBooks to family members, friends, acquaintances, and all of the other non-technical people in my life. I think "it just works" is still true for the low-end, and that's ideal for consumers. But consumers have very different needs than professionals.
For a long time, Apple has been a lofty brand, the "insanely great" hardware that people bought because they aspired to "think different". It's looking like that era may be over. Apple may have completed their transition into a mass-market company that makes relatively high quality hardware for normal people. There's nothing wrong with that. But it's probably not for me.
Here's the full list of the computers I considered, in the order I ranked them:
| Model | Pros | Cons | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Spectre x360 | Two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Charge via USB-C. 2-in-1 laptop. | HD Display. | $1,299 |
| Razer Blade Stealth 4K | 4K display. One Thunderbolt 3 port. Charge via USB-C. | No USB-C ports besides the one Thunderbolt 3 one. Unnecessary video out. Big bezel. | $1,599 |
| Razer Blade Stealth QHD | HiDPI display. One Thunderbolt 3 port. Charge via USB-C. | No USB-C ports besides the one Thunderbolt 3 one. Unnecessary video out. Big bezel. | $1,249 |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13" with upgrades | Two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Charge via USB-C. HiDPI display. Good video card. | 6th generation CPU. Expensive. | $1,999 |
| Apple MacBook Pro 13" | Two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Charge via USB-C. HiDPI display. Good video card. | Underpowered i5 CPU. 6th generation CPU. Expensive. | $1,499 |
| Dell XPS 13 with upgrades | One Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C port. Nearly 4K display. | Expensive. Unnecessary SD card slot. No USB-C ports. | $1,849 |
| Dell XPS 13 | One Thunderbolt 3 / USB-C port. Nearly 4K display. | Underpowered i5 CPU. Unnecessary SD card slot. No USB-C ports. | $1,399 |
| HP EliteBook Folio G1 Notebook PC | Charge via USB-C. Two Thunderbolt 3 ports. 4K display. | Expensive. Underpowered 6th-generation M CPU. Max 8GB of RAM. | $1,799 |
| Lenovo Yoga 910 with upgrades | Two USB-C ports. Charge via USB-C. 4K display. 2-in-1 laptop. | No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Small battery. Expensive. One of the USB-C ports is a USB 2.0 port. | $1,799 |
| Lenovo Yoga 910 | Two USB-C ports. Charge via USB-C. 4K display. 2-in-1 laptop. | No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Small battery. One of the USB-C ports is a USB 2.0 port. Only 8GB of RAM. | $1,429 |
| Apple 12" MacBook | Charge via USB-C. HiDPI display. | 6th generation CPU. Poor webcam. Only one USB-C port. No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Expensive. Only 8GB of RAM. | $1,749 |
| Asus ZenBook UX306 13" | USB-C port. Nearly 4K display. | Only one USB-C port. No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Proprietary power plug. Unnecessary video out ports. 6th generation CPU. | Goes on sale any day now |
| Acer Swift 7 | Charge via USB-C. Two USB-C ports. | No Thunderbolt 3 ports. HD display. Underpowered i5 CPU. Small battery. | $1,099 |
| HP Spectre 13 | Two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Charge via USB-C. | HD Display. Only 8GB of RAM available. Small battery. | $1,249 |
| Asus ZenBook 3 UX390UA | Charging via USB-C. Very small. | HD display. Only one USB-C port. No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Expensive. Small battery. | $1,599 |
| Asus ZenBook Flip UX360CA | One USB-C port. 2-in-1 laptop. | Underpowered m3 CPU. 6th generation CPU. HD Display. No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Proprietary power plug. Unnecessary SD slot. Unnecessary video out port. | $749 |
| Microsoft Surface Book | Nearly 4K display. Surface pen included. 2-in-1 laptop. | No USB-C ports. No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Unnecessary video ports. Unnecessary SD slot. Expensive. Underpowered i5 CPU. 6th generation CPU. | $1,499 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 4th Generation 14" | HiDPI display. | No USB-C ports. No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Too many video out ports. Unnecessary SD slot. 6th generation CPU. | $1,548 |
| Samsung Notebook 9 spin | Nearly 4K display. 2-in-1 laptop. | Unnecessary SD slot. Unnecessary video out port. No USB-C ports. No Thunderbolt 3 ports. Small battery. 6th generation CPU. 8GB maximum RAM. | $1,199 |