In recent years, there's been an increased interest in Apple's MacBooks compared to Windows laptops, notably because the introduction of Apple Silicon turned MacBooks into incredibly efficient machines and some of the best laptops out there. Apple's laptops now last much longer on battery level while offering similar, if not superior levels of performance, and it's hard to downplay that kind of advantage.

Plus, users have increasingly voiced their discontent with Windows itself, due to a harder push for users to create online accounts and the presence of all kinds of ads or "recommendations" throughout the operating system. Some might even suggest using Linux instead. But despite all of that, I'd say Windows is still the best operating system if you're buying a laptop. Granted, some of them may not be to the credit of Windows itself, but choosing Windows still makes the most sense today, and I don't expect that to change.

5 Windows is everywhere

The industry revolves around it

It's an obvious one, but it's true. A big benefit of Windows is that it's been at the center of the laptop market (and the PC industry at large) for decades. Sure, MacBooks and Chromebooks are also pretty common, but there really isn't such thing as a "budget" MacBook, for example (and conversely, a premium Chromebook is also a rarity). And if you want Linux, well, good luck. A few laptops do offer the option to buy them with Linux out of the box, but those are few and far between. You walk into any store, or visit Best Buy's website, and 99% of the laptops there are probably running Windows.

This matters not only because it's easier to buy a Windows laptop, but it's also much more likely that whatever PC you do get works better on Windows. Sure, you can install a Linux distro on any computer, but are the drivers as reliable? Do all the devices even have drivers on Linux? Things like fingerprint sensors may not work, for example, and some drivers may just not be stable. Not to mention how much harder it can be to find the right driver for a Linux computer. And yes, I know, some Linux user is going to say "it's actually really easy to look this up on Google and use the terminal to run that command", but the fact is, most people don't want to go through that hassle.

Windows has a lot of issues, but for someone buying a laptop at the store, it mostly just works, and it's the easiest to get to grips with.

4 It still has features others don't

Not without installing some random app

Then there's the fact that Windows, for all its problems, still has some features that are missing on other operating systems. How useful they are to you can vary, but one good example is Windows Hello. Despite introducing Face ID on its iPhones in 2017, and adding a notch to the MacBook models, Apple still hasn't built a Windows Hello equivalent for Mac. And on Linux, sure, there's Howdy, but for that to work, you already need to go out of your way to look for a Windows Hello alternative. A lot of the Linux community seems to find joy in searching for alternatives to things you can do on Windows, but that's extra work.

Windows 11's Snap Layouts also provide much better window management than macOS, for example, and makes it really easy to juggle multiple apps at once. Linux may have some solid alternatives, too, but again, they're alternatives, and not something you get by default.

There are a lot of little things like that, such as the clipboard history, built-in RGB controls, and a few other things. These might not be dealbreakers, but they're nice to have.

3 It has a much more vibrant ecosystem of devices

Every laptop is different

This kind of ties into the first point, but it's also worth highlighting on its own. I mentioned at the start that MacBooks are also very common but the thing about MacBooks is that they're all the same kind of device. The only real variance within the MacBook range is the power level and the display quality, which comes with a big change in price, too.

But over on the Windows side, the variety in PC designs form factors is astounding. Even excluding desktop PCs, there are just so many kinds of Windows laptops. The current best laptop on our list is the HP Spectre x360, which is a convertible with a 14-inch display. But another great contender is the Dell XPS 14, a more powerful, clamshell-style laptop. Want a tablet? You can get the Surface Pro 11, which runs a full version of Windows (unlike Apple's tablets), or options. There are gaming laptops, creator laptops, convertibles, tablets, premium laptops, cheap ones, and everything in between. It's so much more interesting buying a Windows laptop.

2 Gaming

It's actually possible on Windows

Of course, one of the most common points brought up in this kind of discussion is gaming. Windows is the world's largest gaming platform, and it's not even close. Sure, Linux and macOS have Steam, and many games do work on those systems. In fact, you could argue that Linux is better than ever at handling gaming thanks to the Steam Deck.

Regardless, pretty much every PC game comes to Windows first, and more often than not, only to Windows. Linux has tools like Proton to help games run on the platform with surprisingly good performance, but it's kind of hit or miss, and it requires a bit more setup. Plus some things like DRM or anti-cheat software might still not work properly. And on Mac, well, some big games do launch there, like Baldur's Gate 3, but it's far from a common occurrence. Chromebooks can't even be part of this conversation. Unless it's a mobile or web-based game, there's not much you can play on those devices.

1 Most apps are on Windows

Popularity has its benefits

Following on from the point above, once you have a laptop up and running, Windows also has the largest library of software available. Whether it's paid software from a large company, or a small community project that fixes an annoying issue, there's a good chance that whatever app you're looking for is on Windows first and foremost. For example, Adobe Creative Cloud is also on Mac, but if you're a Linux, well, you'll have to find an alternative. Tools like Photoshop and Premiere Pro are not available to you.

Here's another example: Right now, I'm testing the 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard (which looks sick, by the way), and it has customization software that allows me to create macros or remap keys in whatever way I prefer. But that app is only available on Windows, so if I was a Mac or Linux user, I'd be out of luck. It's a niche use, maybe, but the accumulation of these niche use cases is where Windows' advantage lies. A lot of these programs are exclusive to Windows. Even with a major company like Razer, its Synapse software only works on Windows. Want to customize the RGB on your Razer keyboard or mouse? Balance the audio from a capture card? Well, get a Windows PC.

Windows laptops are about to get even better

These are just some of the reasons Windows remains the best operating system for laptops, and you can probably think of a few more, including device management capabilities for enterprise scenarios. But even if you're still tempted by a MacBook, consider this: Microsoft and six other companies just recently announced 14 new laptops powered by Snapdragon X series processors, and they're going to bring that level of efficiency and performance to the Windows space in the near future. I've written at length about why this is so exciting, and it's worth looking forward to if you're thinking of buying a new laptop for the next school year.