With hundreds of laptops to choose from, you might be wondering which is the best laptop without Windows. From our testing and research, we came up with our top 4 laptops without Windows. There are also macOS and Linux-based operating systems, each providing an intuitive user experience tailor-made to meet your unique needs. The best laptop without Windows is Flex 5i Chromebook. It provides reliable versatility when it comes to work, entertainment, and portability. Despite its lightweight design, the Flex 5i Chromebook offers incredible opportunities for your everyday multitasking tasks thanks to its 11th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, Integrated Intel UHD Graphics, ample 6GB RAM and 64 GB SSD, and reliable security. Keep reading to learn more about the best alternative laptops without Windows.
4 Best Laptops Without Windows
Best Laptop without Windows (Overall): Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook
The Flex 5i Chromebook achieves intuitive, secure, and seamless performance thanks to Chrome OS. It’s packed with all the latest features that ensure a great user experience – allowing you to find the right balance between work and play.
1 4 Best Laptops Without Windows1.1 Best Laptop without Windows (Overall): Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook1.2 Best Laptop without Windows (Chrome OS): HP Chromebook x3601.3 Best Ultra-Portable Laptop Without Graphics Card: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano1.4 Best Laptop without Windows (macOS): 2020 Apple MacBook Air2 Can a computer work without Windows?2.1 Can I buy a laptop without Windows?3 What are the best laptop alternatives to Windows?3.1 macOS3.2 Linux OS3.2.1 Ubuntu Linux3.2.2 Linux Mint3.3 Chrome OS
Chromebooks are meant to be fast and intuitive, and the Flex 5i is no exception. Simply log into your Google account, and you can access all your Google Workspace files and documents and set your Chrome preferences with a tap of your finger. Thanks to the 11th Generation Intel® Core i3 processor, you can run all the apps you need without worrying about lags. Immerse yourself in entertainment and productivity with the stunning FHD IPS touchscreen display with a broader viewing angle and the enhanced stereo speakers with a built-in amplifier. Another thing you’ll love about the Flex 5i is how it optimizes connectivity with multiple port options, including Type C ports and a Type-A port. You’ll enjoy faster battery charging, data transfers, and multimedia streaming thanks to this multi-purpose Type C port. Chrome OS also allows users to have one of the most secure devices on the market. Your apps and information will always remain private with a world-class security system that guarantees a verified boot process and automatic detection of malicious data. This includes the productivity apps you care the most about, including Google Workspace and Microsoft Office. This model also ensures up-to-date protection from malware and hackers with a security update every six weeks. What’s more, it’s got a reliable fingerprint scanner and an HD camera privacy shutter. It’s got a slim and lightweight design that supports an innovative 360-hinge design for the ultimate flexible laptop – it’s a tablet, stand, tent, and laptop in one! It also features an intuitive keyboard and keypad, making it one of the best choices for your work-from-home laptop. Chromebooks are not known as games machines, but you can run Fortnite, Valorant, Roblox and many others using various hacks.
Best Laptop without Windows (Chrome OS): HP Chromebook x360
The HP Chromebook x360 runs on Chrome OS and is a small yet powerful laptop that’s designed to be as fast and user-friendly as possible. This slim and flexible Chromebook provides you everything you need, from ample storage space to reliable battery life. What’s so great about the HP Chromebook x360 is its thoughtful combination of a powerful Intel Pentium Silver processor, ample storage of 64 GB, and a long battery life that’ll allow you to multitask as much as you want. And thanks to Chrome OS, connectivity and productivity have never been easier. Chrome OS in the Chromebook x360 will allow you to navigate the web and your favorite Android apps in the fastest and most secure way possible. It’s integrated with Aptly named, the HP Chromebook x360 will bend backward for you, figuratively and literally, to address your every need, whatever the situation. Engineered with a hinge, the HP Chromebook x360 can rotate 360-degrees – allowing you to use it in four positions: as a laptop, tablet, stand, or tent. The 14-inch HD touchscreen display is stunning with its narrow bezel design, allowing a versatile 178-degree viewing angle. Thanks to its Intel UHD 605 graphics, you can smoothly stream 4K content and play games in 720p. Sound is pumped through dual Bang & Olufsen speakers. There is a headphone jack to plug in your favorite headphones – but if you prefer to go wireless then we have a guide on how to connect airpods to an HP laptop.
Best Ultra-Portable Laptop Without Graphics Card: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is sold as a Windows laptop, but it’s one of the best laptops out there for Linux. Good news if you’re looking for the best laptop for Ubuntu, the Thinkpad X1 Nano is Intel Evo-certified which means it’s guaranteed to deliver top-of-the-line performance in terms of responsiveness, speed, and battery life. Indeed the ThinkPad X1 Nano is jampacked with powerful hardware despite its ultralight design – weighing less than one kilogram! Thanks to its powerful 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, ample 16GB RAM, and average battery life at a whopping 17 hours, you can truly make the most of the Lenovo ThinkPad when it comes to entertainment and work. It has Intel Iris XE graphics and is coupled with a 13-inch narrow-bezel 2K display that’ll allow you a smooth viewing experience when streaming and gaming. Thankfully, it also has Thunderbolt 4 ports and reliable security features, including a fingerprint reader.
Best Laptop without Windows (macOS): 2020 Apple MacBook Air
Dubbed “the most exciting MacBook ever made,” the Apple M1 chip ushered the 2020 as the top-tier MacBook. With its M1 Mac processors, users were surprised to find that the 2020 MacBook Air performs like a pro-level laptop –– never failing at multi-tasking jobs and resource-intensive content creation apps. With 8GB to 16GB RAM, that’s plenty for your everyday productivity laptop. It’s also got an easy-to-use keyboard and trackpad, making it an excellent WFH laptop. Even when compared alongside other Intel laptops with integrated graphics, the MacBook Air renders and exports videos faster. However, you should know that you still won’t be able to run a discrete graphics card on this one. In fact, battery life is admirable on the MacBook Air, ranging from 18 hours with light use to 10 hours with heavy use. While it now has a fanless design, the MacBook Air, amazingly, stays cool after hours of use thanks to its aluminum heat spreader. This ultimately means quieter operations and longer battery life! Some things we would have appreciated in this model are improved webcam quality and more ports. If you’re looking for a fast laptop with great multitasking Chromebook is the capabilities, the 2020 MacBook Air is a solid choice.
Can a computer work without Windows?
The short answer is yes – a computer or laptop doesn’t need to run on Windows to operate (and you will never have to experience the dreaded 0x0 Error) . However, it will need an operating system to control and manage all the applications required to run its software and hardware. Basically, operating systems are responsible for:
Booting Loading and executing programs Controlling applications and allocating memory Data security Disk Management Manage computer processes by sharing, protecting, and coordinating information Device control User interface
Can I buy a laptop without Windows?
While Microsoft’s Windows is the most popular operating system in the world, accounting for 68.5% of laptops, desktops, tablets, and consoles, it’s not the only one available on the market! For years, Apple’s macOS was the second best-selling operating system worldwide. But in 2021, Google’s Chrome OS steadily outsold rose to a market share of 11% compared to Apple’s 7.5%. Many users are getting to know Chrome OS laptops as the go-to minimalistic work-slash-everyday laptop.
What are the best laptop alternatives to Windows?
macOS
The most apparent Windows alternative most people would think is to get a macOS laptop. If you’re looking for a reliable and professional Windows alternative, macOS is a tried-and-tested alternative you can rely on. Though features and the software market isn’t as broad as Windows, you get the benefit of bespoke applications, cross-functionality with in-house programs and applications, and compatibility with most third-party software, such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Office. Apple’s macOS also features an elegant and intuitive interface. Mac devices are also known to provide better performance thanks to hardware optimization. It’s a popular choice for design, media, and content creation, but gamers aren’t likely to find the support they need in macOS.
Linux OS
Unlike Windows and Apple, Linux is open-source software that multiple parties can modify because it’s publicly accessible. In other words, Linux is free for modification/distribution and is available in different open source versions. Many consider Linux the best Window alternative because of its versatility, customizability, and ease of use to suit unique user needs. It also has a reputation for offering faster and smoother operations compared to Windows. It also lends a modern and innovative feel compared to the slow and outdated hardware of Windows. Another great thing about Linux is that it will run on practically any computer. If you’re interested in coding and customizing your operating system, a Linux laptop will help you achieve a new user experience.
Ubuntu Linux
Canonical Inc. developed this free alternative OS for Windows for desktops, laptops, smartphones, and servers. Ubuntu is a general-purpose OS like Windows, but it operates on a different interface and unique apps and services.
Linux Mint
This is another Linux-based Windows alternative. When compared alongside Ubuntu, its features might seem lacking. However, if you’re looking for an OS with a similar feel to Windows, Linux Mint is a perfect choice. Compared to Windows, it lends a performance boost plus enhanced configuration and customization.
Chrome OS
Google’s Chrome OS is another serious contender as the best Windows laptop alternative. Available in a wide range of budget-friendly to high-end options known as Chromebooks. Chromebooks are designed to be the best everyday work laptop, following a lightweight design focused on cloud computing. Based on the Google Chrome web browser, the whole user interface makes accessing web apps seamlessly and conveniently. Chrome OS is best suited for word processing, web browsing, ad social networking. If you absolutely must run Windows programs (can’t live without Word?) then we have a guide on how to run Windows .exe on Chromebooks. If you’re looking for a lightweight laptop that can handle heavy and high-speed web browsing, you’d better go for Chrome OS. While many laptop versions run on Chrome OS, the most popular by far, thanks to its practicality, is the Chromebook.
