A new laptop is sold as a family name. The sticker is the use plus the spec. A Chromebook, an everyday Windows machine, a MacBook Air, and a gaming laptop can share a brand on the lid and almost nothing else. Compare street price by use class and spec — Chromebook, everyday, creator, gaming — then check the full model string and any student or education cut.
These are example ranges only, not surveyed or sourced 2026 prices. A house-brand Chromebook at Argos sits toward the bottom of a band; a MacBook Pro or a high-dGPU workstation at Currys or John Lewis sits toward the top. VAT is in the sticker.
Example street prices by use class and spec. Street price here is the advertised pound including VAT, before extras and ex-display. The split rows are the point: MacBook Air is not Windows creator, and 1080p gaming is not the workstation band.
Every pound in that table is an example, not a sourced 2026 street price. A bag, extra cover, and the store-exclusive suffix sit on top of the sticker.
| Use class | Spec focus | Common for | Ex. street price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chromebook / budget Windows | entry CPU, ~4–8GB, eMMC or small SSD | school / web / streaming | example £150–350 |
| Everyday Windows | Core / Ryzen, 8–16GB, 256–512GB SSD | office / school / media | example £350–700 |
| MacBook Air / everyday Apple | M-series Air, 8–16GB | student / travel / light work | example £900–1,300 |
| Thin-and-light / creator Windows | better panel, 16–32GB, 512GB+ | photo / light video / travel | example £700–1,500 |
| MacBook Pro | M-series Pro, more RAM / ports | pro create / heavy code | example £1,600–2,800+ |
| Gaming (1080p class) | entry–mid dedicated GPU | esports / 1080p games | example £700–1,200 |
| Gaming / workstation | mid–high dGPU, 16–32GB+ | AAA / 3D / heavy create | example £1,200–2,500+ |
Example ranges only, not surveyed or sourced 2026 prices. Street price is the advertised pound including VAT before extras and ex-display. Same family name, different SKU.
MacBook Air stays on its own row. Creator Windows is the thin-and-light step-up, not the Air. Gaming is two bands: 1080p-class, then workstation / AAA.
The class is in the model string. The family name does not tell you which row you are on.
Currys, John Lewis, Argos, and Amazon often sell slightly different configs — a laptop that looks like the national model and is not quite. The last few characters change. Sometimes it is the SSD; sometimes RAM or the GPU drops. Compare the full model string, not the family name.
Ex-display at Currys can sit under the sealed sticker if the chassis is clean and the box still has the charger. A bag and any extra cover sit on top. John Lewis folds a long guarantee into the tag. Student and education pricing can cut the same SKU at Currys or a manufacturer checkout. Amazon is the box price until you add the extras. Argos collection is the usual same-day route on Chromebook and everyday Windows.
Black Friday, the January sales, and back-to-school in late summer move the sticker. That is timing, not a different product. Last year’s everyday Windows or MacBook Air often sits in the same band as this year’s Chromebook.
Example only: Chromebook / budget Windows often £150–£350; everyday Windows £350–£700; MacBook Air £900–£1,300; thin-and-light / creator Windows £700–£1,500; MacBook Pro £1,600–£2,800+; 1080p-class gaming £700–£1,200; gaming / workstation £1,200–£2,500+. VAT in. Example ranges only, not surveyed or sourced 2026 prices.
Same family name, different SKU. A Chromebook, an everyday Windows machine, a MacBook Air, and a gaming laptop are different products. Use and spec decide the sticker — not one “laptop” number.
A Chromebook or budget Windows box is for school, web, and streaming. Everyday Windows is Core / Ryzen with enough RAM and SSD for office and media. MacBook Air is the everyday Apple machine. Creator Windows steps up the panel and memory. MacBook Pro is the pro create / heavy code row. Gaming splits: 1080p-class with an entry–mid GPU, and workstation / AAA with a mid–high dGPU. Apple, Dell, and HP sell across these classes; the class is in the model string, not the family name.
The full model string. Currys, John Lewis, Argos, and Amazon often carry slightly different configs that look like the same family and are not. Confirm the processor, RAM, and storage, then student or education pricing if you have it.
Any extra cover beyond the John Lewis long guarantee already in the tag, a bag or mouse bundle, and student or education pricing on the same SKU. Ex-display at Currys can sit under the sealed sticker. Amazon is the box price until you add the extras. VAT is already in the advertised pound.
Often at Currys, if the unit is unmarked and the box includes the charger and any advertised extras. Confirm the full model string matches the sealed unit you priced.
On the box, Amazon can undercut and the tag swings daily. On the street total — Price Promise, ex-display, a long guarantee, Argos collection — Currys and John Lewis often close the gap. Compare the same model string the same week.
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