A lightweight laptop, super-slim laptop for consumers on a budget, the 13-inch Swift 1 is available in a three different colors – silver, metallic pink and gold – and weighs just 2.86 pounds. Though available with only a middling Pentium or Celeron processor, it has a 1080p display and SSD for sharp images and speedy load times. Available:June 2017 Available in 14- or 15-inch sizes, the Swift 3 is a general-purpose large Ultrabook for the masses. It’s available in three colors, including silver, metallic pink and, my favorite, dark blue. It comes with a variety of 7th Generation Intel Core Series CPUs, a 1080p screen and your choice of hard drives or SSDs for storage. A special edition is available with Gorilla Glass top cover on its lid, which will hold a custom pattern or photo. Available:June 2017 A budget-minded 2-in-1 with strong specs for the price, the Switch 3 comes with a 12.2-inch 1080p display, a detachable keyboard and a helpful kickstand. The pedestrian processor choice makes this a good budget system, but probably not a daily driver for most people. Available: June 2017 The replacement for Acer’s ground-breaking Switch 12 Alpha, this detachable 2-in-1 is powered by a 7th Generation Intel Core Series processor. But the Switch 12 Alpha doesn’t need fans, thanks to its liquid-cooling system. If you’ve been waiting for an affordable Microsoft Surface alternative, this could be a great choice. Available: June 2017 Acer’s new compact gaming rig weighs a reasonable 5.7 pounds while measuring only 0.74 inches thick – fairly impressive specs for a 15-inch laptop with Nvidia graphics and dual SSDs inside. The Predator Triton has a mechanical keyboard with an attractive blue glow, but its touchpad is located all the way at the top of the deck. Available: August 2017 Relatively affordable for an overclockable gaming rig, Acer’s Predator Helios 300 is available in 15- and 17-inch sizes. The Helios has the same design language as most Predators, with a subtle but attractive red and black color scheme. With Nvidia 1050Ti or 1060 graphics, this looks like a solid mid-range player. Available: July 2017 (15.6-inch) / $1,399 (17.3-inch)
Laptop Guide
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