Other systems allow you to dock a detachable tablet PC with an accessory keyboard for laptop-like functionality. Some of these hybrid designs offer docking keyboards with secondary batteries providing all-day charge, while others opt for Bluetooth keyboards, forgoing the bulk of a docking hinge and connecting wirelessly.
Mainstream and Premium Models
While the entire laptop category has gotten slimmer, there's still a market for larger desktop-replacement laptops that blend premium design and function. Desktop replacements aren't quite as easy to cart around as smaller ultraportables, but these 14- and 15-inch laptops offer everything you need in a day-to-day PC. These larger laptops offer bigger displays, a broader selection of ports and features, and are one of the few categories that still offer optical drives. Screen resolutions run the gamut from 1, 366 by 768 for budget systems to the 1, 920-by-1, 080 resolution common in mainstream laptops, and up to the 3, 840-by-2, 160 resolution found on high-end multimedia laptops made for graphics professionals.
Media and Gaming Machines
There's no question that laptop and desktop sales have started to decline in recent years, and tablet sales have expanded to fill the gap, but gaming PCs have actually sold more. For the gamer who wants top-of-the-line performance, the combination of a high-end processor, a potent discrete graphics card, and a large, high-resolution display is well worth the higher prices that gaming rigs frequently command. And boy do those prices run high—while an entry-level gaming laptop typically starts at about $799, prices can go up to and over $3, 500 for a high-end system with multiple GPUs and the horsepower to play games at Ultra-quality settings.