Apple just released new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models ahead of the holiday season, and retailers are likely to be looking to get rid of older stock. If you’re shopping for a new or refurbished MacBook, you might be able to nab a good deal on a recently released laptop. Dismiss ..read more

Shopping for a Chromebook that isn’t atrocious can be a challenge, but Google is aiming to fix that with its new Chromebook Plus label. Laptops with this label will have to meet specific standards, which will make it much easier for you to tell which models are actually good. Dismiss ..read more

Framework is a little-known company that makes very good laptops that you can easily open and repair yourself. How easily, exactly? To find out, I dug around in the guts of a Framework Laptop 13 to swap in a new processor, louder speakers, updated hinges, and a much-improved display using just a screwdriver. The process was a breeze, and I’m even more convinced that more laptop makers should get on board with the idea. Being able to upgrade individual parts instead of replacing the whole laptop is easier and cheaper for laptop owners, and it’s better for the environment, too. Dismiss ..read more

Apple deals are rare, and unearthing those that meet our rigorous deal standards is even more rare. But this Prime Day we’ve been lucky enough to find an exceptional price on one of our favorite MacBooks. Multiple Wirecutter staff members use it as their personal computer due to its long battery life and excellent performance. Dismiss ..read more

Rolling up to a café with a laptop and a portable monitor lets the whole room know you’re a busy professional who needs to get work done. But aside from impressing the half-caff crowd, portable monitors are a useful way to add another screen to your laptop, especially when you’re on the go. We recommend the Asus ZenScreen MB16ACV, a quality 1080p monitor that can also work over USB-A if your laptop doesn’t have a USB-C port. Dismiss ..read more

If you start your computer and cringe at the maze of identical folders covering your desktop, it might be time to organize your files. Here’s how to clean up your desktop and keep it that way. Dismiss ..read more

Dictation software makes it easy to navigate your computer and communicate without typing a single phrase. This flexibility is great if you simply need a break from your keyboard, but it’s especially important for people with language-processing disorders or physical disabilities. Firing off a quick text or typing a memo can be difficult—or even totally infeasible—if you have limited hand dexterity or chronic pain, but this kind of software can make such tasks a relative breeze. After considering 18 options, we’ve found that Apple Voice Control and Nuance Dragon Home 15 are more accurate, eff ..read more

Thinking of new passwords and then keeping them organized and secure is a pain, even with a password manager. But Apple, Google, and Microsoft are working together to support a new way for people to log in to accounts without using passwords at all. Their solution is called a passkey, and though this new sign-in method isn’t yet widespread, it is now rolling out—and it promises to make creating new accounts online and logging in to them securely a lot easier. Here’s what you need to know. Dismiss ..read more

This is just one step in a series created to help people improve their online security regardless of their technical knowledge. For more information, see our complete Simple Online Security series. When you search for information online, it tends to leave breadcrumbs that can lead back to you. This can include everything from your computer’s IP address to the history in your web browser, which can lead to annoying advertisements or someone happening upon your browser history. Dismiss ..read more

The next time you purchase a new laptop, you might find an option for additional guilt on the checkout page: Some laptop makers have started offering “carbon offsets” that claim to cancel out all the emissions that go into making your laptop. But unfortunately, it’s not that simple. We spoke to five experts to learn about offsets. We also dug deep into two available offset programs to find out whether they’re worth the money, and if not, to learn what you should do instead if you care about the planet but also need a new laptop. Dismiss ..read more