Buying the right laptop can be stressful. It’s likely one of the bigger tech purchases you’ll make, and there are a ludicrous number of models, sizes, form factors, and configurations to pick from. We review and test a wide swath of them here at The Verge, and we’re constantly considering what’s the best and who it’s best for.

Our overall pick for most people has been, and continues to be, the MacBook Air — particularly, as of March 2025, the M4 model. Unless you’re forced to use Windows for specific software needs or you fancy yourself a hardcore gamer, it remains the best option for the average user who wants something portable with excellent battery life and great performance for productivity tasks.

Though the MacBook Air is the easy recommendation for most people, that doesn’t make i

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