Laptop For Writers Buying Guide

So what are the qualities you should look for in the best laptop for writers? It really depends on your writing style and the demands of your job. Our guide to the best laptops for writers won’t be too technical. Rather, we will simply highlight the characteristics that will be most important to writers. If you’re looking to better understand the features of a good laptop, feel free to check out our guide to the best gaming laptops . By following our guide to important specs, you’ll find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the best laptops for writers.

Portability

Many writers have the convenience of working from home, while many journalists have to travel regularly to look for scoops. In either case, the ability to carry your laptop everywhere with you is one of the best qualities to look for in a laptop to write. A 13.3- or 14-inch screen will be ideal, but screen size isn’t the most important quality to look for. There are many larger armored laptops that have a comparatively thin frame and a lightweight body like a 14-inch laptop for writing, so consider all of these factors when looking for the best portable model for your needs.

Processing Power

The fact is, you don’t need a workhorse to perform most writing tasks, but the CPU and RAM are a little more important than you think. An Intel i5 processor will be a perfectly reasonable choice for most writers, but even the best Chromebooks tend to offer an Intel Celeron at best. This probably won’t be a break factor (especially because the lightweight ChromeOS allows you to get a lot more of a Celeron processor), but it will definitely be something to consider if you regularly find yourself browsing through multiple tabs in your browser to do some research.

Random access memory (RAM) is your computer’s short-term memory. A decent amount of RAM is needed if you want your laptop to run fast even when juggling multiple tabs. We think 8GB of RAM is the best intermediate area here. Anything above 8GB of CPU is likely to be overloaded for many authors, but if you want to invest in something heavier, it can’t hurt. This is especially true if you want to use your laptop for other tasks like photo and video editing or to play games.

Battery Life

Battery life is essentially the other half of the part to portability. If you regularly work at the coffee shop, on a plane or even in the comfort of your sofa, a battery with a good lifespan is one of the best benefits when looking for a laptop. 12 hours is the number of hours that Holy Grail users should be looking for, and it should be more than enough for most writers, but keep in mind that battery life can vary greatly depending on the intensity of the tasks you perform.

Storage

If you’re looking to use your laptop exclusively for writing, storage capacity probably won’t be such a big issue. Traditional documents don’t take up much space, and top authors know they can take advantage of cloud storage to lighten the load on their local storage. But writers who want to use their laptop for something other than writing might consider storage more important.

None of the computers on our review list have an SSD drive. Although the SSD is widely considered to be the best type of hard drive there is – due to its higher speed and incredible durability – it can also increase the price of a laptop. A hard drive should serve you perfectly, and a terabyte of storage should easily suffice for the type of tasks a writer will need to accomplish.

Keyboard

If you’re a writer, you’ll spend the vast majority of your time with your laptop typing on the keyboard, and that’s why it’s very important to have the best keyboard possible. There are two factors to consider when evaluating a laptop: responsiveness and durability. A full-size keyboard will always be an ideal choice for writers, but this might be hard to find if you’re evaluating a 13-inch model. Be sure to find a balance between the portability of your laptop and what you’re going to sacrifice in terms of keyboard quality.

Price

For many writers who check out our list, price will be the most important criterion, but it’s important to remember that your laptop is a long-term investment in your career (and many writers will be able to amortize their purchase on their taxes if they think about the future). Whatever your price, we’ve tried to include a computer that will work for you. You can find an affordable laptop for just $150, but we’ve also included a few laptops for around $1000. Consider your needs not only now, but also in the years to come. If you’re making the right investment now, you won’t have to upgrade in a few years.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Chromebook good for writers?

While there’s some controversy over whether Chromebooks are generally a bargain, we find them to be an exceptional choice for many writers. The closed ecosystem means they require little maintenance, and the cloud apps Google offers provide all the essentials you should need. If we add to that their portability and affordable prices, a Chromebook is one of the best laptop choices available.

What is the best tablet for writers?

In fact, we don’t recommend writers investing in a tablet to write seriously, as they don’t have a dedicated keyboard. But there are a number of convertible options that make for an exceptional choice for writing. The Microsoft Surface Pro allows you to detach the screen so that it can work as a standalone tablet. The Lenovo and Acer Chromebooks we reviewed are lightweight and can switch to tablet mode without having to sacrifice keyboard availability.

What is the best Mac for writers?

Macs are among the most expensive laptops on the market, and the fact that the demand for a laptop for writers is quite low, we hesitate to suggest taking someone. But the fact is that Apple makes some really good machines and the Macbook is a long-term investment with a sleek interface, reliable construction, and features that justify the high price. We recommend the 13.3-inch MacBook Air Pro from our list. It’s one of the cheapest models on the market, but it has most of the important qualities a writer would expect from an Apple, including a Retina display.

What is the best laptop for journalists?

If you’re a dedicated journalist, you’ll probably want something a little more versatile than a regular Chromebook. We think the best option for the money when it comes to journalists is either the Microsoft Surface Pro or the 13.3-inch MacBook Air. These are the two most expensive models we’re looking at, but they’re also among the best. A more economical alternative is the Lenovo Ideapad.

Final Thoughts

If you’re looking for the best laptop for writers , you can be sure to have a review on our list, but we’ve done our best to expand our scope. The fact that writing is such a vast profession means that the best option will be variable for everyone, and that different writers will have different budget constraints. Choose the best features for your needs and make it your guiding principle by browsing our reviews.