Best Laptop Brands 2016 -- Apple and Dell Top Our Annual List of the Best Notebook Makers

And that's no easy task. We review dozens of laptops each and every year. For brands to stand out, they've got to offer computers -- consistently across all of their product lines -- with dependable specs, alluring designs, and top-notch tech support.

Speaking of quality support, Dell and Apple both pay for postage if you need to mail your under-warranty laptop in for support. And both laptop makers debuted truly innovative systems. Dell's XPS 13 packs a 13-inch screen in a chassis body that's two inches smaller than its display. While Apple released the MacBook, the first laptop with a USB Type-C port for transferring files, charging gadgets and charging the laptop itself.

If you're buying a notebook this year, try to make it a Dell or an Apple, or you can weigh your options with Asus, Lenovo, MSI, HP, Microsoft, Acer, Samsung, or Toshiba. Just check out where they landed on our list of the Best (and, by association, Worst) Laptop Brands 2016 before you buy!