For the past few years, buying a laptop has been pretty straightforward. First, you decide whether you want a Windows laptop, a Chromebook, or a MacBook. Then, you pick a budget and buy something you like that fits within it. That was all it took.
In late 2024, though, things won’t be so simple. You’ll still need to decide between Windows, Chrome OS, and macOS, that’s for sure, but there are a lot of changes going on in the Windows world. The AI revolution has brought us new Arm-based processors from Qualcomm that will still run Windows, but not necessarily the same Windows experience you’re likely used to. Meanwhile, new chips from Intel are very different from their old chips, which might require you to alter your expectations of what you can do with your laptop once you buy it. Then, you’ll also have your usual Intel/AMD choices. On top of all this, AI features that appear on some Windows machines won’t appear on others. It’s very messy.