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If you’re a writer, or even if you’re a liberal arts student looking for the best laptop for school, you’ve come to the right place.
We found some of the best laptops for writers on the market right now, with special attention paid to the specific needs that journalists and writers have. Of course, writers are going to need one of the best keyboards – if you’re writing all day, you should be comfortable while doing it. The best laptops for writers should also have a compact design and long battery life there, too, which should make travel much less of a pain. Oh, and an easy-to-read display will relieve eye strain.
However, you shouldn’t worry so much about getting the best of the best hardware. The best laptops for writers need to focus entirely on comfort and budget. And, even if you don’t think you do a lot of writing, you actually might: emails, reports and presentations are all made easier by the best laptops for writers.
Plus, we’ve included our exclusive price comparison tool, so you can find the cheapest price, so you don’t have to waste precious time digging through the web. If you want to see a more comprehensive list of prices and retailers, all you have to do is click the ‘view all prices’ link on each widget.
The best laptops for writers:
Image Credit: Microsoft
1. Microsoft Surface Go
A Surface, but for less
CPU: Intel Pentium Gold 4415Y | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615 | RAM: 4GB – 8GB | Screen: 10-inch 1,800 x 1,200 PixelSense Display | Storage: 64GB – 128GB SSD
If you’re looking for the best laptop for writers, but you want something with tons of modern aesthetic that’s portable to boot, you can’t go wrong with the Microsoft Surface Go. Sure, you’re going to have to buy the keyboard separate, but once you get it, you’ll have an insanely portable laptop that is a delight to type on. The gorgeous PixelSense display is great for watching some Netflix in your down time, too.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Go
Image Credit: Asus
2. Asus Zenbook UX310UA
A brilliant all-rounder laptop that punches above its weight
CPU: Intel Core i3 – i5 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch up to QHD+ (3,200 x 1,800) | Storage: 256GB SSD
When you’re a writer, sometimes you just need a sleek machine that’s powerful and portable – and the Asus Zenbook UX310UA is a prime example of this. It’s one of the best Ultrabooks for writers – you’ll get a brilliantly performing notebook that you won’t need to upgrade for years. And, thanks to its ultra-slim design, it’s easy to carry around, which will be great if you do a lot of writing while travelling. The keyboard is a decent size which makes writing on it a breeze. Like most laptops of this variety, you can spec it out to be as cheap or powerful as you want.
Read the full review: Asus Zenbook UX310UA
- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: check out a fine alternative in the MacBook Air (2018).
Image Credit: Asus
3. Asus Chromebook Flip
A premium but affordable Chromebook
CPU: Intel Pentium 4405Y – Intel Core m3-6Y30 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 515 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 12.5-inch, FHD (1,920 x 1,080) LED backlit anti-glare | Storage: 32GB – 64GB eMMC
The best Chromebooks don’t run Windows or macOS. Instead, they’re powered by Google’s own Chrome OS – a super lightweight operating system based on the Chrome web browser. That might sound restrictive, but it’s a great way to save cash. Plus, if you’re going to primarily be writing, it’s a great choice, as Google Docs can be used as a word processor, and you also have the Chrome browser for research. The Asus Chromebook Flip is one of the best Chromebooks out there at the moment, offering truly premium build quality, a fabulous touchscreen and keyboard, on top of excellent performance. This is all while offering great value for the money.
Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip C302
See more like this: The best Chromebooks 2017
Image Credit: Microsoft
4. Surface Laptop 2
The purest Microsoft laptop
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i5-i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB-16GB | Screen: 13.5-inch 2,256 x 1,504 PixelSense Display | Storage: 128GB-1TB SSD
Even in the face of the best touchscreen laptops, sometimes you just want a powerful, traditional laptop that feels great to type on. And, while the Surface Laptop 2 does, in fact, have a touchscreen, everything else about it is the culmination of all the best laptops for writers. The keyboard is tactile and comfy, the screen is the perfect size and resolution, and it’s got plenty of power for all the Chrome tabs you’ll have open while researching. One of the only things that holds it back is the lack of Thunderbolt 3, but with everything else this laptop does right, it’s easy to see why it’s one of the best laptops for writers.
Read the full review: Surface Laptop 2
Image Credit: Microsoft
5. Microsoft Surface Pro 6
For when you need both
CPU: 8th-generation Intel Core i5-i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB-16GB | Screen: 12.3-inch, 2,736 x 1,824 PixelSense display | Storage: 128GB-1TB SSD
If you’re going to an event or traveling, you’ll want to get your writing done on a device that’s both lightweight and capable. And, the Surface Pro 6 is the best laptop for writing on the move. With the latest quad-core processors from Intel and plenty of RAM, you won’t be held back by the hardware. It’s just a shame that you have to buy the keyboard separately – but it’s still worth your time.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Pro 6
Image Credit: Lenovo
6. Lenovo Flex 6 14
A great budget 2-in-1
CPU: 7th-generation Intel Core i3 – 8th Generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620 – Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 4GB – 16GB | Screen: 14-inch 1,366 x 766 – 1,920 x 1,080 Display | Storage: 128GB – 256GB SSD
Lenovo is known for making some of the best laptops for writers – once you use one of its keyboards, it’s kind of hard to go back. The Lenovo Flex 6 14 is no exception. For a bargain price, you’re getting respectable components behind a beautiful and responsive touch screen. And, it’s light enough that it’s actually bearable to use in tablet mode – more than can be said of some of the best 2-in-1 laptops. If you’re looking for the best laptop for writers that can get a lot of work done on a budget, look no further.
Read the full review: Lenovo Flex 6 14
Image Credit: Apple
7. MacBook Pro (15-inch, mid-2018)
The most powerful MacBook ever
CPU: 6-core Intel Core i7 – i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 540X – 560X, Intel UHD Graphics 630 | RAM: 16 – 32GB | Screen: 15.4-inch, 2,880 x 1,800 Retina display | Storage: 512GB – 4TB SSD
If you’ve got the cash, the 2018 MacBook Pro is one of the best laptops for writers that we’ve ever used. Not only does it feature an improved keyboard that cuts down on noise and is more reliable, it’s also incredibly powerful. You can spec the 2018 MacBook Pro with a 6-core Core i9 processor and up to 32GB of RAM to power through anything you might think to throw at it. Though, for most writers, even the base model is going to be more than powerful enough to handle any workload you can throw at it.
Read the full review: Macbook Pro
See more like this: The best Macs
Image Credit: Acer
8. Acer Switch 3
A great Surface Pro competitor at half the price
CPU: 1.10GHz Intel Pentium Quad Core N4200 – Intel Core i3 7100U | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 505 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 12.2-inch, 1920 x 1200 IPS LCD touchscreen | Storage: 64GB – 128GB eMMC
If you have your eyes on a Surface Pro, but you don’t want to spend that much money, the Acer Switch 3 is definitely up your alley. It’s designed around the same basic concept as the Surface Pro and it’s only a little less capable. However, for most tasks, especially if you’re a writer, it’s a brilliant little machine. What’s more, to add further value, this 2-in-1 laptop/tablet comes with the keyboard upgrade which means little extras to pay for. As usual, it comes in several different versions, with USB Type-C, 8GB RAM, an IPS display and an Intel Core i3-7100U processor coming with the more expensive option.
Read the full review: Acer Switch 3
See more like this: The best 2-in-1 laptops 2017
- This product is only available in the US and UK at the time of this writing. Australian readers: Check out a fine alternative in the Microsoft Surface Go.
Image Credit: Acer
9. Acer Chromebook R11
An incredible Chromebook at a crazy cheap price
CPU: Intel Celeron N3150 1.6GHz – Intel Celeron N3160 1.6GHz | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics – Intel HD Graphics 400 | RAM: 2GB – 4GB | Screen: 11.6-inch 1,366 x 768 HD IPS touchscreen | Storage: 32GB
The Acer Chromebook R11 is probably the best cheap laptop around at the moment, and it’s a great laptop for wirters. Like the Acer Chromebook Flip higher up this page, this laptop runs Chrome OS so does away with all the overheads that Windows brings. Consequently it’s able to run nice and fast on less powerful components, which means a very cheap price! Its touchscreen is decent, though it’s only HD, and it will flip to become a tablet too. What’s more, it’ll run practically all day thanks to its excellent battery life. So if you’re looking for a capable but very cheap laptop that you can whip out and begin writing on, then this one is your best bet.
Read the full review: Acer Chromebook R11
See more like this: The best Chromebooks 2017
Image Credit: HP
10. HP Spectre X360
A 2-in-1 with a winning keyboard
CPU: Intel Core i5-8250U – i7-8550U | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB LPDDR3 | Screen: Up to 13.3-inch Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) Micro-edge touchscreen | Storage: 256GB-2TB NVMe SSD
If you’re looking for a laptop that you can fold up and play with when you’re done writing for the day, look no further than the HP Spectre x360. Not only is this one of the best 2-in-1 laptops you can buy today, but thanks to the keyboard’s stiff force curve, you’ll find typing is a breeze for any touch typist. And, thanks to its long battery life, you’ll be able to write all day on this comfortable keyboard without having to worry about scrambling for your charger. That’s not to mention the beautiful 4K display, which will make text look nice and crisp with no pixelation.
Read the full review: HP Spectre X360
- Want more choices? Check out our list of the best laptop 2018
- Bill Thomas has also contributed to this article