Best laptops for everyday use

Top pick: Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i 15.6" — the sensible everyday machine. Eight cores and 8GB of RAM keep a dozen browser tabs, email and video calls smooth, and the big 15.6" screen is easy on the eyes for documents and spreadsheets. Lenovo's budget line is well rated and this one has the specs to last a few years.

Who the others suit:

• Acer Chromebook Plus 516 — if you live in the browser and want a bright, roomy screen with little upkeep.
• Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 — a compact, sharp OLED screen for someone who carries it around and mostly streams and browses.
• HP 15.6" / HP 14" — the cheapest way to get a basic Windows laptop for light email and web.
• Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x — worth it only if you want a premium, all-day-battery machine for heavier multitasking.
• Apple MacBook Neo — for anyone already in Apple's world.

Avoid the 4GB-RAM models if you keep many tabs open; that's the one spec that makes everyday use feel slow.