Best Performance Notebook of 2016

The latest Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch with Retina display gets a Force Touch trackpad and better battery capacity than its predecessor, but it faces stiff competition.

Current 15-inch MacBook Pro owners won't feel the need to upgrade, but the handful of tweaks included here keep this expensive system at the top of the list for powerful midsize laptops.

- The highlight, of course, is its Retina Display, which is a 15.4in IPS affair with a stunning resolution of 2,880 x 1,800 – that’s 220ppi.
- Getting to the glass touchpad, meanwhile, it’s still the best we’ve used, rivalled only by the cream of the Windows laptop crop.

Although the fifth-generation Intel Core i5 processor and Force Touch trackpad are minor updates, this year's 13-inch Retina Apple MacBook Pro is still an easy top pick for high-end ultraportables.

Blazing speed, an innovative new touchpad and super-long battery life put the updated 13-inch MacBook Pro in a class of its own.

The refreshed Retina display MacBook Pro brings faster performance and longer battery life, along with the same stunning screen and comfortable keyboard. This time around, though, Apple also traded in its already-best-in-class trackpad for a new, pressure-sensitive one. While it's almost as comfortable to use as its predecessor, we're not convinced these new touchpad tricks were worth making the switch.

The innovative Microsoft Surface Book offers comfortable ergonomics, a big, beautiful screen, more than 15 hours of battery life, and the power to make short work of everyday and multimedia tasks. It's the first premium detachable-hybrid tablet to earn our Editors' Choice.

An impressive display, superb battery life and 2-in-1 versatility make the Surface Book one of the most exciting laptops yet, but its high price narrows the appeal.

While it's not nearly as refined as the new fourth-gen Surface Pro, Microsoft's Surface Book is a powerful, feature-filled premium hybrid that doesn't forget it's a laptop first.

The Surface Pro 4 is the best version of Microsoft's tablet yet, with a stellar display, snappy performance, and more than 10 hours of battery life. With Windows 10, the Surface Pen, and optional Type Cover, it can replace your laptop.

While it might not look new on the outside, the Surface Pro 4 features a faster CPU, bright high-res screen and improved Type Cover but with much less battery life.

A host of small refinements cements the Surface Pro 4's position as the best-in-class Windows tablet -- so long as you're prepared to pay extra for the required keyboard cover accessory.

The Dell Chromebook 11 is an affordable 11-inch Chrome OS laptop that offers excellent battery life, good overall performance, and a durable construction.

The Dell Chromebook 11 with Core i3 processor delivers speedy performance and lasts all day on a charge.

The Dell Chromebook 11 Touch is more rugged and less expensive than before, but it sacrifices some performance that made the old Dell Chromebook 11 great.