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New PCs, Macs and accessories for graduates

Find your grad a new laptop, hybrid, or even a desktop, and get them ready for the real world.

Dan Ackerman
Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications. "Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times
Dong Ngo SF Labs Manager, Editor / Reviews
CNET editor Dong Ngo has been involved with technology since 2000, starting with testing gadgets and writing code for CNET Labs' benchmarks. He now manages CNET San Francisco Labs, reviews 3D printers, networking/storage devices, and also writes about other topics from online security to new gadgets and how technology impacts the life of people around the world.
Dan Ackerman
Dong Ngo
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1 of 9 Sarah Tew

Apple MacBook (12-inch, 2015)

The ultimate laptop for dressing up that resume in coffee shops or working on that novel. Apple's new MacBook has a premium price, but is also the most enviable new laptop of the year.

See more gift ideas in our Grads Gift Guide.

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2 of 9

HP Omen

A gaming laptop that slim and light enough to double as a work machine, the Omen is sharp-looking enough not to be a bore, but also mature enough to avoid looking like it belongs in a dorm room.

See more gift ideas in our Grads Gift Guide.

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3 of 9 Sarah Tew/CNET

Microsoft Surface 3

A slick Surface hybrid for less, this new version starts at just $499, but keeps a lot of the high-end design from the Surface Pro line. The biggest knock is that you still have buy the excellent keyboard separately.

See more gift ideas in our Grads Gift Guide.

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4 of 9 James Martin/CNET

D-Link AC3200 Ultra Wi-Fi DIR-890LR Router

Nothing shows off extreme Wi-Fi better than the D-Link DIR-890LR router. Taking the shape of a flying object, painted in bright red, the router screams for attention and then impresses with top-notch hardware specs and fast performance. It'll make a great gift for those who has just graduated school with a bang.

See more gift ideas in our Grads Gift Guide.

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5 of 9 Sarah Tew/CNET

Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga

An office-friendly ThinkPad, but with a flexible hybrid hinge that lets it do double duty as a tablet. This combination of Lenovo's ThinkPad and Yoga lines moves up to 14 and 15-inch screens, for all-day use.

See more gift ideas in our Grads Gift Guide.

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6 of 9 Sarah Tew/CNET

Logitech MX Master

Thanks to Logitech Darkfield Laser technology, it works on just about any surface, and an integrated rechargeable battery can last up to 40 days on a single charge. Mac users, meanwhile, enjoy the extra perquisite of gesture support -- most of the multi-finger trackpad gestures can be duplicated on the MX Master when holding down an extra key.

See more gift ideas in our Grads Gift Guide.

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7 of 9 Sarah Tew/CNET

HP Stream 11

For basic Web surfing and movie watching, this $199 mini-laptop more than does the job. Even better, it has a very long-lasting battery, so it doesn't have to sit tethered to the wall.

See more gift ideas in our Grads Gift Guide.

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8 of 9 Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display (13-inch)

While the new 12-inch MacBook is the most buzz-worthy, the updated 13-inch MacBook Pro is, right now, the best combination of price, features, and power, especially with new Intel CPUs and a Force Touch trackpad.

See more gift ideas in our Grads Gift Guide.

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9 of 9 Dong Ngo /CNET

Seagate Seven Portable Drive

Thinner than even a standard internal laptop hard drive, the Seagate Seven is by far the slimmest portable drive to date. The drive also pairs its great look with excellent performance, a great gift for those needing to carry extra information around.

See more gift ideas in our Grads Gift Guide.

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