Are you wasting hundreds of dollars on laptop features you don’t need as an author? Or worse, struggling with an old, unreliable computer that’s an obstacle to your writing?

As authors, we obsess over finding the perfect words but rarely stop to consider if we’re using the perfect tool to write them. An unreliable computer can undermine all your other productivity efforts. A good laptop is not only a good investment, but it may also be a tax-deductible business expense for professional authors.

Tech companies don’t want you to know that the expensive laptop with all the bells and whistles they’re trying to sell you has features that are completely useless for writers.

I’ve been building computers since I was 12 years old, and after working with thousands of authors over the last 15 years, I can tell you exactly what matters and what’s merely expensive marketing hype that’s wasting your money.

In this article, I’ll reveal:

• Why the processor everyone obsesses over barely matters for authors
• The ONE spec that could be killing your productivity (and it’s not what you think)
• Why most professional authors choose Apple (the reasons may surprise you)

I’ll also give my recommendations for authors in 2025.

What Doesn’t Matter in an Author Laptop

CPU

This is also called the processor. This is what both computer companies and the media really focus on. It has no impact on most authors. Computers could run word processors two decades ago, and CPUs are thousands of times faster now.

Extra Cores

More expensive CPUs have more cores, and most of the software authors use doesn’t need those extra cores. More cores won’t make your computer any faster in real-world use.

For example, Adobe Photoshop will use every core it can get, but most authors don’t use Adobe Photoshop. Most authors use either Canva or ChatGPT’s image generator. Both tools are cloud-based and only use one local core.

If you’re an author who spends most of your time in a web browser and word processor, extra cores will make little to no difference in how fast your computer runs. If your computer feels slow right now, getting a faster CPU is like trying to fix a flat tire by adding air to the spare tire in the trunk.

Don’t waste your money on cores you can’t use.

GPU

This is also called the video card. GPUs are crazy expensive right now because people use them to mine cryptocurrency and run AI models.

But most authors don’t mine cryptocurrency, edit multilayered 4K videos, or run on-device AI models. So you don’t need to spend a lot of money on extra GPU cores.

Touch Screen

While touchscreens are fun for a few days, a smudged screen doesn’t help you write faster or better. The fastest way to use a computer is with a keyboard and keyboard shortcuts. The next fastest way is to use a mouse and keyboard. Then comes the keyboard and trackpad.

The slowest way to use a computer is to touch the screen because your hands block your view, and the screen is farther from the keyboard. This may seem minor, but if you touch your screen thousands of times a day, that adds up to millions of times over the life of the computer and becomes a major drag on productivity. Every temptation to touch the screen is a temptation to reduce your productivity.

AI

In the year of our Lord 2025, every laptop maker won’t stop talking about AI. They smear the word “AI” all over their advertising and even on product names. Their goal is to convince customers that buying a new laptop means better AI performance.

This is not true in any meaningful way. All the good AI models run in the cloud. This means Grok or ChatGPT won’t run any faster on your new laptop than they do on your current one.

That may change in a few years as AI models get more efficient and laptops more powerful, but we’re not there yet.

What to Avoid

Refurbished Laptops

Refurbished is a fancy word for “needs to be plugged in.” Batteries degrade over time, and even with certified refurbished laptops, you’re likely getting an old battery.

Third-Party Sellers

Buy directly from the manufacturer (like Apple) or from a trusted retailer like Amazon. Look for “Sold by and Shipped by Amazon.” Avoid listings like “Sold by ACME Computers, Shipped by Amazon.” Amazon does a poor job policing third-party sellers for fraud, and you may not be buying what you think you are.

Avoid fraud by avoiding third-party sellers.

What Does Matter for Authors

RAM

Also called memory, this determines how many applications you can run simultaneously. You might assume you don’t need much RAM until you realize each browser tab acts like its own application.

Authors love running lots of Chrome tabs. Each tab can use up to half a gig of RAM. The more tabs you have open, the more memory you need. Running out of memory causes the kinds of problems that are often fixed with a reboot.

Running low on memory also stresses your hard drive, causing it to fail sooner (which could mean lost data). That stress also drains your battery faster. So memory is critical, especially if you love leaving tabs open. If your computer crashes often or slows down the longer you use it, you likely need more RAM.

One easy way to speed up your computer is to close all those tabs.

For Apple computers, the bare minimum RAM you want in 2025 is 16GB. Windows is less efficient and needs more. I wouldn’t go below 32GB on a Windows laptop.

Battery

A long-lasting battery lets you write from a picnic table at the park instead of being tethered to a café outlet. As a dad, I can take my kids to the park and write while listening to birds chirp and kids shouting about whose turn it is.

You’d be surprised how much more you can write when you’re not tied to a plug. It also means you don’t have to drag around a charging brick, which is often half the weight of a laptop. With a 16-hour battery, you can leave the brick at home.

Just know that lithium-ion batteries degrade over time. You lose about an hour of battery life per year. A three-year-old laptop with a four-hour battery likely won’t last more than an hour.

The better the battery life at the start, the longer your laptop will be useful away from a wall.

Software Compatibility

Every author should ask: “Does this laptop run the software I plan to use?”

Speed doesn’t matter if the one app you need won’t run.

Back when I was a teen, I promoted a Linux distribution called Lindows, which was a precursor to Ubuntu. The problem was that most essential software didn’t run on Linux. Even if you don’t typically use Microsoft Word, you’ll need it eventually.

For example, nearly all books go through Word during editing. Editors cling tightly to Word and won’t use anything else. You may write in Scrivener, but you’ll likely need Word to review track changes from your editor.

Using an incompatible computer forces you to settle for what works instead of what’s best.

In terms of compatibility:

1. Apple is most compatible

2. Windows is next

3. Linux follows

4. Chromebook comes last

Only Apple can run 100% of author software.

Storage/SSD Might Matter

Scrivener, Atticus, Word, and Vellum files don’t take up much space. The Word document for a 50,000-word book is about half a megabyte. But there’s more to a book than just the document. You’ll have cover files, PDFs, EPUBs, and audio recordings.

My book took up about 5 GB of space, most of which were audio interviews I recorded for research. The raw audiobook files added another 15 GB. Altogether, that’s 20 GB for a single book.

That’s probably high. I suspect most novelists only need 1–10 GB per book. A computer with 256 GB of storage could hold 10–100 books, depending on how many audio files you use.

If you’re just using your laptop for writing, 256 GB is plenty. But if you store a lot of photos or if you’re a podcaster, you may need more. You can pay for extra internal storage or use an external USB drive.

My recommendation:

Look at how much storage you’re currently using, and double that for your next computer. If you’re using 100 GB now, 256 GB will be fine.

Why Most Authors Use Apple Computers

Most professional authors use Apple laptops. Here are ten reasons why:

Reason #1: Compatibility

MacOS is the only operating system that can run Vellum, the #1 typesetting tool for authors. Many Windows users don’t know how to turn a Word document into an EPUB ready for Kindle. They often get snookered by hybrid publishers who charge thousands to do what Mac users can do in a few clicks with Vellum.

That’s why most professional authors either use Macs or eventually switch to them. Even if you’re traditionally published, it’s helpful to make your own reader magnets.

Atticus is the one writing app that runs on everything, even Chromebook. But most authors prefer Vellum if they have the option.

Bottom line: Mac is the only platform that runs all the author software. If you want to avoid compatibility issues, a Mac is your only choice.

Reason #2: Ease of Use

I’ve worked with authors for 15 years, and in that time, I’ve noticed that Windows users complain about their computers much more than Mac users. Windows is simply harder to use.

For example, it’s easy to switch audio inputs, like your microphone or headphones, on a Mac. The process hasn’t changed in over a decade.

On Windows, it’s much more complicated. There are three different settings pages that control audio inputs and outputs. Worse, the interface changes with every version of Windows. The steps for switching devices are different in Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11.

It takes about five more minutes to get a Windows podcast guest set up than it does a Mac guest.

One author I worked with tried for three days to get her microphone working on her Windows laptop, but she never got it working. Whether it was her PC or Windows itself, it didn’t work. As a result, she missed out on an interview opportunity.

Reason #3: Reliability

Apple computers have the best build quality in the industry. While there are Windows laptops that match Apple’s quality, they also match Apple’s pricing. You get what you pay for.

Every computer, no matter how reliable, needs automatic backups. Even the most compatible machine can be lost, stolen, or spilled on. Have cloud-based backups in place. Always.

Reason #4: Privacy

Windows 11 takes screenshots every few seconds to track what you’re doing. Microsoft claims it’s “to make search better.” It’s a feature no one asked for, and no one wants. It is effectively software that spies on you, also known as spyware. That kind of software used to be considered malicious.

Microsoft says your data is private, but that promise can change with one Terms of Service update or a data breach. I suspect Microsoft is gathering data to train AI models. Part of me wonders if they are spying on behalf of the government. If you’re writing a book where characters do bad things, like figuring out which poisons are most deadly for an assassin character, maybe don’t write it on a Windows computer lest you end up on some list.

Even if it’s not for surveillance, they might just want to target you with better ads.

Reason #5: No Ads on Apple

Windows 11 includes ads. Ads and privacy are incompatible. The more ads you see, the less privacy you have. Microsoft has a financial incentive to chip away at your privacy.

But it’s not just about privacy. As an author, your focus is one of your most valuable assets. Ads steal your focus. Your operating system should feel like home, not like a shopping mall.

Reason #6: Battery Life

Even the cheapest Apple laptop comes with an 18-hour battery. It will outlast your writing stamina. Most PC laptops use x86 CPUs and struggle to last a few hours on battery alone.

Reason #7: Lower Lifetime Cost

Macs last longer. I once had a guest whose wife was still using his 12-year-old MacBook Pro.

Windows laptops look cheaper, but they don’t last as long. In the long run, they often cost more.

The MacBook Air has no moving parts and can last a very long time.

Reason #8: Continuity Camera

With a Mac, you can use your iPhone as a webcam using a simple $20 mount (Affiliate Link). This gives you video quality comparable to a $1,000 professional camera setup.

I own thousands of dollars in camera gear, and I still use my old iPhone for all my video recordings.

Yes, the 2025 Macs have improved webcams, but your iPhone is still the best camera you own.

Reason #9: Transcription

Dictating your book can dramatically speed up your writing, but only if your computer accurately captures your voice.

macOS has the best voice-to-text transcription. Windows is next. Chromebook is last.

Reason #10: Use an iPad as an External Display

If I’m at a coffee shop and want a second screen, I can pull out my old iPad and use it as a second monitor. That iPad is seven years old and still works great for this. It’s very easy to set up if you have a Mac. 

Apple Recommendations

Last year, I gave two recommendations, one budget and one pro.

But this year, Apple doubled the RAM on their entry-level MacBook Air and lowered the price by $100. It’s now the no-brainer choice for most authors. The only question is what screen size you want.

13″ Recommendation

13″ M4  Macbook Air 16GB RAM & 256GB SSD $949 (Affiliate Link)

Pros:

• Twice the memory of last year, which is a huge improvement
• Better webcam (but I still recommend using Continuity Camera with your iPhone)
• 18-hour battery
• You can double the HD to 512GB for an extra $200 at purchase

Cons:

• The M5 will be faster next year, so if you can wait, it may be worth it
• Tariffs could make prices unpredictable next year

15″ Recommendation

15″ M4 Macbook Air 16GB RAM 256GB SSD $1139 (Affiliate Link)

Budget Recommendation: Walmart’s M1 Macbook Air

Pros:

• Only $649
• Apple Silicon
• No moving parts to wear out
• 18-hour battery

Cons:

• Weak 720p webcam (use Continuity Camera with your iPhone)
• Only 8GB of RAM
• The M1 chip is getting outdated

I recommended this last year, and now it’s showing its age. Despite being a year older, the price has only dropped $50. You’ll likely get twice the useful life from the M4 at less than twice the cost. While the M1 is still better than most Windows laptops, the M4 is the better value.

Windows Recommendation

2024 Microsoft Surface Laptop, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD $1,248 (Affiliate Link)

Pros:

• ARM-based CPU
• 16+ hour battery life
• Reputation for build quality

Cons:

• Expensive
• Doesn’t support all author software
• Windows 11 has serious privacy concerns
• No Continuity Camera support

Bottom line: If you’re going with Windows, wait a few months for the 2025 Surface models.

Chromebook Recommendation

I don’t recommend Chromebooks for most authors. They can’t run Vellum, Scrivener, or a native version of Microsoft Word. But they can run Google Docs, Office.com, and Atticus.

If you have a desktop at home and just need something portable to write on at a coffee shop, a Chromebook can work.

Lenovo IdeaPad 3i Chromebook Display (Affiliate Link)

Pros:

• Only $169
• 15-inch display
• 8+ hours of battery life

Cons:

• Limited offline functionality (though Atticus can run offline)
• Cheap build quality
• Google collects everything
• Limited writing tool support offline

Bottom Line

Buy the best MacBook Air you can afford. It’s better to spend a little more upfront than to buy a cheap computer and end up paying a small fortune in software, support, and frustration.

No matter what you buy, make sure you have automatic, cloud-based backups. No laptop is so reliable that it can’t crash, be stolen, or be ruined by coffee.

Featured Patrons

New March Patrons:

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