Every year, the holiday season brings a flood of laptop deals, new releases, and marketing noise that can make choosing the right machine feel overwhelming. Whether you are shopping for a student heading back to school after the break, a professional who needs a reliable workstation, or a casual user looking for an affordable gift, the 2017 holiday laptop guide you are reading right now is designed to cut through the confusion. I have spent years testing and reviewing laptops across every price range, and in this guide, I will walk you through the best options available during the 2017 holiday shopping season, what to look for before you click buy, and insider tips that will save you both time and money.
Why the 2017 Holiday Season Was a Landmark Period for Laptop Shoppers
The 2017 holiday laptop market was exceptionally competitive. Manufacturers like Apple, Dell, Lenovo, HP, and ASUS flooded retail channels with refreshed product lines just in time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Processor generations matured, display technology improved, and battery life reached new milestones. If you were paying attention during this period, you had access to some of the best value laptops ever offered at mainstream price points.
But more importantly, the competition meant that discounts were deeper than usual. From early November through December, retailers competed aggressively on popular models. Understanding which laptops delivered the best balance of performance, build quality, and price became essential for savvy buyers. This guide consolidates that knowledge into actionable recommendations.
Top Laptop Categories for Holiday 2017 Shopping
Not every buyer needs the same thing. The best approach is to identify your category and then find the strongest contender within it.
Budget Laptops Under $500
For gift-givers and cost-conscious shoppers, sub-$500 laptops dominated the 2017 holiday landscape. These machines handled web browsing, document editing, streaming, and light multitasking with ease. Key players included the Acer Chromebook Spin 11 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 110, both of which offered surprisingly solid build quality at entry-level prices.
- Best overall budget pick: Lenovo IdeaPad 110 — offered a balance of Intel Celeron or Pentium processing, 4GB RAM, and a 15.6-inch HD display.
- Best Chromebook under $300: Acer Chromebook R11 — convertible design with solid battery life.
- Best value for students: HP Stream 14 — compact, affordable, and bundled with Office 365.
Mid-Range Laptops From $500 to $1,000
This was the sweet spot for most holiday shoppers in 2017. Mid-range laptops delivered full HD displays, eighth-generation Intel Core processors (or seventh-generation), and SSD storage that made everyday tasks feel snappy. The Dell Inspiron 15 5000 series and the ASUS VivoBook 15 stood out as top picks during this period.
- Dell Inspiron 15 5000 — reliable all-rounder with excellent keyboard quality and solid display options.
- ASUS VivoBook 15 — lightweight with a modern design and strong performance for the price.
- HP Pavilion 15 — featured premium-looking aesthetics with capable internals.
Premium and Ultraportable Laptops Above $1,000
For buyers willing to invest in a premium experience, 2017 brought remarkable options. The Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, the Microsoft Surface Laptop, and the Dell XPS 13 represented the pinnacle of portable computing during the holiday season. These machines excelled in build quality, display sharpness, and overall user experience.
Comparison Table: Best Holiday 2017 Laptops by Category
| Laptop | Price Range | Processor | Best For |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 110 | $250-$350 | Intel Celeron/Pentium | Budget everyday use |
| Dell Inspiron 15 5000 | $500-$700 | Intel Core i5 | Balanced performance |
| ASUS VivoBook 15 | $550-$800 | Intel Core i5 | Lightweight portability |
| Apple MacBook Pro (2017) | $1,200-$1,800 | Intel Core i5/i7 | Creative professionals |
| Microsoft Surface Laptop | $999-$1,499 | Intel Core i5/i7 | Premium ultraportable |
| Dell XPS 13 | $900-$1,500 | Intel Core i5/i7 | Best-in-class display |
Key Specs to Prioritize When Buying a 2017 Holiday Laptop
Before you finalize any purchase, understanding the technical specifications that matter most can prevent buyer’s regret. Here is what I recommend focusing on:
Processor and Performance
The seventh-generation Intel Core processors (Kaby Lake) dominated the 2017 market, with eighth-generation chips (Coffee Lake) emerging toward year-end. For most users, an Intel Core i5 provided more than enough power. If your needs included video editing, software development, or gaming, the Core i7 became a worthwhile investment.
RAM and Storage
8GB of RAM was the sweet spot for 2017 laptops, delivering smooth multitasking and future-proofing your purchase. Solid-state drives (SSDs) replaced traditional hard drives as the standard, dramatically improving boot times and application loading speeds.
Display Quality
Full HD (1080p) resolution should be non-negotiable. Avoid low-resolution TN panels whenever possible. IPS displays offered superior color accuracy and viewing angles, making them ideal for both work and media consumption.
Battery Life
During the holiday season, many buyers prioritized battery endurance. Laptops offering eight or more hours of real-world usage were highly sought after, particularly for students and frequent travelers.
Expert Tips for Getting the Best Holiday Laptop Deals
Shopping smart during the 2017 holiday season required strategy. Here are tips that still hold value for any laptop buyer during peak shopping periods:
- Compare prices across multiple retailers — Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, and Newegg often ran competing promotions on the same models.
- Check for open-box deals — manufacturer-refurbished units from retailers like Dell Outlet and Apple Certified Refurbished offered significant savings with warranties.
- Time your purchase — Black Friday and Cyber Monday typically offered the steepest discounts, but early December brought additional clearance pricing.
- Read professional reviews — sites like CNET, Laptop Mag, and Tom’s Hardware provided in-depth testing data that marketing pages never include.
- Consider extended warranties — holiday purchases used heavily over winter breaks benefit from additional protection plans.
Final Verdict: Which Laptop Should You Buy for the 2017 Holiday Season
If I had to recommend a single best overall choice for the 2017 holiday laptop guide, it would be the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 for most buyers. It offered an excellent balance of performance, display quality, build, and value. For those on a tighter budget, the Lenovo IdeaPad 110 delivered reliable everyday computing without breaking the bank. And for buyers seeking a premium experience, the Dell XPS 13 and Microsoft Surface Laptop were unmatched in their respective categories.
The key takeaway is this: the 2017 holiday season rewarded buyers who did their homework. By identifying your needs, comparing specifications, and timing your purchase strategically, you could land an excellent laptop at a remarkable price. The machines available during this period continue to influence laptop design and pricing to this day, proving that well-chosen investments in portable computing pay dividends for years.
FAQ: Common Questions About the 2017 Holiday Laptop Guide
What was the best budget laptop to buy during the 2017 holidays?
The Lenovo IdeaPad 110 consistently emerged as the top budget recommendation for holiday 2017. It offered reliable Intel Celeron or Pentium processors, 4GB of RAM, and a spacious 15.6-inch display at a price point that made it an ideal gift option for students and casual users alike.
Was it worth waiting until Black Friday to buy a laptop in 2017?
Absolutely. Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2017 delivered some of the deepest discounts of the season, particularly on popular mid-range models like the Dell Inspiron 15 and ASUS VivoBook. However, early December clearance events also offered compelling deals on unsold inventory.
Which 2017 laptop had the best battery life?
The Apple MacBook Pro (2017 non-Touch Bar model) and the Dell XPS 13 were among the leaders in battery endurance during the 2017 holiday season, consistently delivering 10 or more hours of real-world usage, which was exceptional for their respective performance tiers.
Should I buy a Chromebook or a Windows laptop for holiday 2017?
Your choice depends on your usage needs. Chromebooks like the Acer Chromebook R11 excelled for web-based tasks, students, and users who primarily worked in cloud environments. Windows laptops like the Dell Inspiron 15 offered broader software compatibility and more powerful processing options, making them better suited for professional workloads and creative tasks.
Were 2017 laptops still worth buying in 2018 and beyond?
Many 2017 laptops remained perfectly capable machines well into 2018 and beyond. Those equipped with SSD storage, 8GB of RAM, and seventh-generation Intel Core processors handled everyday computing tasks efficiently for several years after their initial release, making them solid long-term investments even years later.