Notebook Purchasing Guide

These notebooks tend to weigh two to four pounds and have small (12.1-inch to 13.6-inch) screens. With respect to performance, they tend to be relatively close to last year's desktop recommendations, but contain fewer features in exchange for less bulk.

Specifications are reviewed and updated as appropriate.

Examples of these notebooks are the 12-inch and 13-inch versions of the Dell Latitude and Lenovo ThinkPad X-series, along with Apple's M3 MacBook Air 13-inch. Examples of tablet/detachable PCs include the Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable Gen 2 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 9/Intel. Note that Qualcomm Snapdragon-based Windows devices (including the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition) are not supported—more information is available here.

Notebooks built to this specification are intended to be complements to the recommendations for desktop systems in ISC's Value Desktop Purchasing Guide. These notebooks tend to weigh three to six pounds and have small to medium sized (10.5-inch to 14.1-inch) screens. In performance, they tend to lag behind last year's desktop recommendations and contain fewer features. These systems are the minimum that will serve for a reasonable life cycle. 

Specifications are reviewed and updated as appropriate.

Examples of these notebooks are the Dell Latitude 3300 and the Lenovo ThinkPad L13, along with Apple's M2 MacBook Air. A tablet example is the Microsoft Surface Go 3, when specified with the Core i3 processor.

Low cost notebooks—not recommended for most users

Price reductions resulting from market competition and continued technical innovation make the definition of "Low Cost Notebooks" a moving target. It is generally true, however, that notebooks priced in the bottom 25% of the current range (currently ranging from $250 to $550) compromise some combination of performance, reliability, or compatibility, to achieve the lowest possible costs.

Bearing in mind that you get what you pay for, and that the costs associated with supporting these systems significantly outweigh the actual purchase price, ISC recommends that low cost notebooks not be purchased for general use.

Estimated prices for all notebooks except value notebooks include three-year service plans from the manufacturers, which ISC strongly recommends. Note that the three-year warranty is an extra cost for some notebooks (including those from Apple, which require additional AppleCare) and that this cost is reflected in the estimated price. Many University constituents also choose to add accidental damage protection.

Though most notebook components will generally function for their support period, this is not true of batteries—regardless of platform or chipset. ISC expects many, if not most, notebook batteries to require replacement during a normal system life cycle.

Pricing is generated using the online configurators available from Dell, Apple, and Lenovo and is for general reference only. Support providers will often be able to generate more competitive pricing using various means, such as purchasing components (RAM, etc.) separately and taking advantage of vendor bundles and rebates.

These specifications are revised when significant changes in configurations from Apple, Dell, and Lenovo (or the industry as a whole) become generally available.

For many years, the class of processor (e.g., Core i7, Ryzen 5, etc.) was the primary criteria for selecting a processor. This is no longer true. For Apple, AMD, and Intel processors, ISC suggests four or more cores while ensuring the processor also has capable integrated graphics (AMD Radeon Graphics or better, all Apple integrated graphics, or Intel UHD 630 or better). Most Windows notebook users are well served by Intel's Core Ultra 5 or AMD's Ryzen 5 processors. A more detailed University-centric perspective on AMD, Apple, and Intel processors is available from ISC's Processor Guide.

Display choices have also gotten complex, especially for Windows systems where there are often multiple options. For mid-weight and lightweight systems, ISC suggests a minimum of Full HD resolution and a minimum of 300 nits of brightness.

Other than some differences in peripherals and power systems, support for notebook systems is generally similar to support for desktop systems.

Many notebook users at Penn find value in connecting to a port replicator or hub display. A more detailed University-centric perspective on these peripherals is available from ISC's Port Replicators and Hub Displays Guide.

ISC and many across the University have had good experience with enterprise-class systems from notebook manufacturers such as Apple, Dell, and Lenovo.

Operating systems

Windows 11 versions 23H2 and above (Pro, Education, and Enterprise editions for x64 processors) is recommended for new systems. ISC does not recommend but will support Windows 11 Home. Home lacks important networking, security, and compatibility features, such as domain-based authentication, that are essential to many Schools and Centers in the University. Though version 22H2 is still supported, Windows 10 is no longer recommended for new systems. ISC does not support Windows 10 S, Windows 11 SE, any 32-bit versions of Windows 10, or any version of Windows for ARM processors. Please refer to the Operating System Life Cycles charts for ISC's current support of and long-term guidance on operating systems.

macOS Sequoia (15.x) is the only choice for new Mac systems as Apple's newly released systems always require the latest macOS version. For running Windows on a Mac, supportable solutions vary widely depending upon the chipset. Parallels Desktop 20 offers added flexibility for users of Apple Silicon-based Macs who need to use Windows 11 occasionally and with the limitations stated in Microsoft's support documents. It should not be used to turn a Mac into a mainly Windows system. Parallels requires that both the Windows and the macOS operating systems be patched and maintained.

Apple's Boot Camp technology offers added flexibility for users of Intel-based Macs who need to use Windows 10 occasionally. It should not be used to turn a Mac into a mainly Windows system. Boot Camp requires that both the Windows and the macOS operating systems be patched and maintained. Like all Windows 10-dependent systems, Boot Camp will fall out of support in October 2025.