![]() ![]() I was Computer Shopper's editor in chief for its final nine years, after which much of its digital content was folded into. For almost a quarter-century, I worked on the seminal, gigantic Computer Shopper magazine (and later, its digital counterpart), aka the phone book for PC buyers, and the nemesis of every postal delivery person. I have been a technology journalist for almost 30 years and have covered just about every kind of computer gear-from the 386SX to 64-core processors-in my long tenure as an editor, a writer, and an advice columnist. Bear that in mind if you click through to an e-tailer. In the case of a few models in our ranking, the specific model may support a touch-screen option, but we may have reviewed a non-touch version and our online pricing links may point to that. Note that if you find one you like and decide to order from an e-tailer, we strongly recommend that you double-check that the specific model you're looking at (especially if it's a configurable clamshell) actually does include the touch-screen option. Our rankings above and below line up our current-favorite clamshells, detachables, rotating 2-in-1s, and Chromebooks that support touch. So, What Is the Best Touch-Screen Laptop to Buy? Other pen-enabled apps appear in the Windows Ink Workspace, a pen-centric panel that you can pop up with an icon in your taskbar. Sketchpad lets you do freeform drawing with basic tools, while Screen Sketch lets you annotate onscreen images freehand, great for UI designers, developers, or others who work with graphical elements that need feedback. With Sticky Notes, you can scrawl on virtual Post-It notes and have Cortana interpret relevant information from your scribbles, such as email addresses and phone numbers, and make them actionable. With the introduction of Ink came support for Sticky Notes, Sketchpad, and Screen Sketch within the OS. Windows Ink, which was introduced in a 2016 update to Windows 10, can also be a compelling reason to investigate the stylus capabilities of a given touch-enabled laptop. That said, we emphasize "all else being equal": The battery factor is seldom an apples-to-apples comparison, because touch screens in a given laptop line that also offers non-touch options also tend to be higher-end, higher-resolution, or higher-brightness screens that, by their nature, consume more power to start with-the touch aspect regardless. That's because the system has to keep a trickle of power fed to the digitizing layer, which will be always on, waiting for your fingertip or stylus tip to tap. But you'll want to consider a few factors before going all in.ĬONSIDER BATTERY DRAIN. All else being equal, a touch screen will reduce your battery life versus an identical non-touch screen in the same system. You might think it's a given that having a touch screen is a good thing, if you can get one. In the Apple-sphere, full touch displays remain the province of the company's iPhones and iPads.ĭo You Even Need a Touch Screen in Your Laptop? ![]() (The Touch Bar is merely a contextual-shortcut strip that adapts to the program at hand.) The macOS operating system isn't optimized for touch. ![]() (For more, see our picks for the best business laptops.)ĪPPLE MACBOOKS. Sorry! No current Mac desktop or MacBook laptop supports touch screen input, unless you count the thin Touch Bar touch strip forward of the keyboard on some of the latest MacBook Pro models. Take for example, the 1,920-by-1,200 non-touch panel versus the 3,840-by-2,400 touch panel in the latest Dell XPS 13. This is the category most likely to be frought with touch versus non-touch models in the same system family. MAINSTREAM AND BUSINESS CLAMSHELLS. You'll see the most varied mix of touch and non-touch models here. (For more, see our picks for the best budget laptops.) Exception: 2-in-1s, more about which in a moment. In under-$500 machines, a touch screen should be seen as a pleasant surprise, not a given. Let's dig into the major types.īUDGET CLAMSHELLS. Most low-cost machines that are straight-up laptops (that is, models that do not have 2-in-1-type hinges or tablet modes) will not have touch screens, but you'll run across the occasional exception. Attention to detail matters here.ĭepending on the specific kind of laptop you're looking at, the tendency toward touch support will vary. Or there might be both touch and non-touch options available at 1080p. How to Set Up Two-Factor Authenticationįor example, a laptop might offer a choice of a 1080p (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) touch screen or a 4K (3,840-by-2,160-pixel) display without touch support.How to Record the Screen on Your Windows PC or Mac.How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages. ![]()
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