You need long battery life
You love movies
You can’t decide between a notebook or a tablet
You fancy yourself a fashionista
You want a tablet that can sort of be a notebook too
You want something casual and affordable that still runs Windows
You need to run macOS
You are serious about work
You like RGB lights
You want a large display without the associated weight
Few notebooks can compete with the ASUS VivoBook S14 Z403 when it comes to battery life. Though it features an 8th-generation Core i7 processor, it has a rated battery life of 24 hours — enough to keep you entertained on a non-stop flight from Singapore to San Francisco. If battery life is important to you, this is one notebook you must check out.
Read: Our experience with the ASUS VivoBook S14 Z403
Dell’s newest XPS 13 notebooks can be spec'ed with gorgeous 4K displays. On top of that, they also feature Dell Cinema technology, which is a suite of software designed to improve your movie experience by enhancing visuals, boosting sound, and prioritising video streaming network traffic.
Read: Our review of the Dell XPS 13 here
We like HP's Spectre x360 so much that it won the Best Ultraportable Notebook award at our last Tech Awards. It's stylish, powerful, portable, and build to very high standards. It's simply one of the best convertible notebooks you can buy.
Read: Our coverage of the HP Spectre x360 here
Fashionistas should definitely check out the HP Spectre Folio. It's slim and svelte, but more importantly, it's cladded in 100% genuine full-grain leather that will gain a patina the more you use it.
Read: Our unboxing of the HP Spectre Folio
If you prefer tablets, then the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 is for you. It is primarily a tablet, but with the optional Surface Pro Type Cover keyboard, it does a convincing job of being a notebook.
Read: Our unboxing of the Surface Pro 6 here
Read: Our Surface Pro 6 vs. Surface Book 2 vs. Surface Laptop 2 comparison
Microsoft's Surface Go is arguably the spiritual successor of the netbook. Though it runs on a Pentium Gold processor, it's speedy enough for web browsing, watch videos, and emails. But the best thing is that even with the optional Type Cover, it'll cost under S$1,000.
Read: Our review of the Microsoft Surface Go
It's been a long time coming but Appel finally updated the MacBook Air last year. It now has a Retina display and two USB-C Thunderbolt 3 ports. For most people, it's the best Mac notebook to buy.
Read: Our review of Late 2018 MacBook Air
Look up workhorse notebook in the dictionary and you will likely see a picture of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon. It is light, durable, and with built-in LTE connectivity, always connected. Wherever you are and whatever you do, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon is always ready for you.
Read: Our hands-on of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
We are not going to judge if you like your notebooks flashy. The obvious choice is the Razer Blade Stealth 13, whose keyboard features the company’s Chroma lighting system. Every key is individually backlit and there’s 16.8 million colors to choose from and a whole host of lighting effects. Customize away! You can even spec it with a discrete GPU for on-the-go gaming needs.
Read: Our review of the ultraportable for gamers.
The gram 17 is practically heaven sent. It has a large 17-inch display and yet it only weighs 1.34kg. That's about the same as most 13 and 14 inch ultraportable notebooks!
Read: Our review of the LG gram 17
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