Best laptops under $1200

Top pick: Asus Zenbook A14. It's the most laptop you can get in this budget for everyday work — a Snapdragon X Plus chip, Windows 11 and a light, long-lasting ultrabook build. It's the one I'd buy for writing, browsing, spreadsheets and video calls all day.

Who the others suit:

• Apple 13-inch MacBook Neo — best for Mac fans and students; the A18 Pro chip and 256 GB SSD handle everyday tasks smoothly, and it's the highest-rated of the bunch.
• HP OmniBook 5 16 — the big-screen pick: a 16-inch display and Ryzen AI 7 for people who want more room for spreadsheets and split windows.
• Acer Nitro V 15 — if you also game or edit video; the Core i7 and 165 Hz screen are the only real performance option here.
• Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus — for someone who lives in a browser and wants a simple, well-rated machine.
• Acer Aspire 16 AI — a touchscreen Windows laptop for note-taking and casual use.

Skip the very cheap 4 GB and Windows 10 models; they'll feel slow within a year.