10 Notebooks to Buy in Preparation for Windows 10

By Don Reisinger

Surprised to see the Apple MacBook Pro in a roundup of Windows 10-ready devices? You shouldn’t be. The MacBook Pro is fully capable of running Windows 10 in dual-boot mode. In fact, there are some who appreciate the ability to boot Windows in some circumstances but be able to opt for OS X in others. Don’t discredit the MacBook Pro if you’re thinking about a new Windows 10 device.

The Dell XPS 15 is a higher-end option for the enterprise. The device comes with a 15.6-inch 4K Ultra HD display and runs on the customer’s choice of an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. The notebook is a bit expensive with a starting price of $1,649, but 8GB of memory, a 1TB hard drive and a high-end display make it a winner.

Mobile employees who don’t want to carry around a hefty notebook should consider the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 ultrabook. The device has a 14-inch high-definition display and can be configured to run on Intel’s Core i7 processor. The major selling point, however, is the X1’s 2.87-pound weight and a profile that is just 0.7 inches thin. The ultrabook also comes with two USB 3.0 ports, support for HDMI and more. The device starts at $1,088.

For those enterprise customers looking for a lower-end notebook with an affordable price, there’s the HP EliteBook 745 G2. The device has a 14-inch display and a quad-core AMD application processing unit. More importantly, it has been hardened, so it will withstand minor spills of water. It’s a solid notebook that starts at $824.

Alienware is Dell’s boutique side, providing neat-looking products and higher-end specs. The Alienware 17 notebook comes with the Intel Core i7 and has a 17.3-inch screen. For those who want more graphical power, the Alienware 17 delivers, with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M. There’s also 8GB of memory and at least 1TB of storage in this notebook, which starts at $1,500.

The Asus Zenbook UX305FA is one of the slimmest notebooks on the market. The device is just 0.5 inches thick and, at 2.6 pounds, is nicely mobile. In addition, it has some nice features, like a full-HD 13.3-inch screen, a 256GB solid-state drive and built-in LoJack for security. It’s a solid notebook with a starting price of $699.

The Acer Aspire R7 is one of the more interesting devices in this roundup. Although it can look like a standard notebook, it has a unique hinge that allows users to push the display close, fold it over like a tablet and more. Plus, the 15.6-inch display boasts a touch screen. The Aspire R7, which starts at just $900, also features an Intel Core i5 processor, 1TB of storage and 8GB of memory.

Toshiba gets into the mix with the KIRAbook 13, a touch-friendly ultrabook. The computer, which goes for $1,500, runs on the Intel Core i7 processor and has a 13.3-inch touch screen. Since it’s an ultrabook, the computer is also lightweight at just 2.91 pounds.

Lenovo’s Yoga 3 Pro is one of the most celebrated notebooks in this roundup, due in large part to the device’s ability to be all things to all people. The Yoga 3 Pro can act as a notebook with a full physical keyboard, but a quick turn of the screen turns the device into a tablet. The Yoga 3 Pro runs on Intel’s Core M processor and has a 13.3-inch screen. It comes with 256GB of onboard storage, thanks to a built-in solid-state drive. The Yoga 3 Pro starts at $1,099.

HP’s second option in this roundup is arguably one of the best for power-hungry enterprise users who aren’t going mobile. The ZBook 15 has an Intel Core i7 processor and a 15.60-inch LED-backlit full-HD display. The computer is designed to be a workhorse, offering professional graphics capabilities, a rugged design and more. But for all of that, customers should expect to pay: The notebook costs $2,149.