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The best Black Friday laptop deals across retailers — M3 MacBook Air, Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, and more

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UPDATE: Nov. 29, 2024, 11:45 a.m. EST This story has been updated to reflect the kickoff of Black Friday, as well as the latest pricing details on laptops across retailers.

The best Black Friday laptop deals at a glance:

the 13-inch m3 apple macbook air

the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

the Alienware m16 R2

the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus

Black Friday is the absolute best time for finding good deals on laptops. (I would know: I’ve tracked them for Mashable since 2019.) And with retailers taking full advantage of the holiday’s abnormally late timing this year, steep savings have been abundant all month long.

With Black Friday proper now upon us, the competition is especially intense — like, way more intense than previous years have felt. Amazon somehow managed to pull off the best MacBook and Windows laptop deals by not-small margins, while Best Buy is winning the battle for the top gaming laptop and Chromebook discounts of the holiday season thus far. I’m seeing lots of new and year-round lows between the two of them.

If neither retailer is discounting models with the specific specs you want, other Black Friday sales at Dell, HP, Lenovo, LG, Microsoft, Razer, and Samsung have ushered in discounts as high as $900 across their lineups.

SEE ALSO:

The best early Black Friday deals at Amazon, Target, Best Buy, and Walmart

As a brief aside, the Apple Store’s usual Black Friday gift card offer is now live through Dec. 2; M2 and M3 MacBooks come with free vouchers worth up to $200. That doesn’t beat any of the dollars-off discounts available elsewhere, but it could be a practical option for those enmeshed in the Apple ecosystem.

Read on for a closer look at the best Black Friday laptop deals live across the web. Bookmark this page and check back often, as we’ll be updating the list continuously as Cyber Week continues.

Note: All newly added or updated deals have been marked with a ✨, while struck-through deals were either sold out or expired at the time of writing.

Best MacBook deal

Why we like it

Read Mashable’s full review of the M3 Apple MacBook Air.

Mashable Tech Editor Kim Gedeon was impressed by the M3 Air’s peppy performance, satisfying keyboard, vivid webcam, and dual-display support (if you close its lid), rating it a 4.3/5. It may not look all that different from its older M-series predecessors — there is a new midnight finish option — but we think it’s the best MacBook for most people, especially now that Apple’s bumped its base RAM from 8GB to 16GB.

The starting configuration with 256GB of storage is on sale on Amazon for only $844, which is 23% off its $1,099 MSRP, an all-time low, and $5 better than Best Buy’s Black Friday deal on the exact same MacBook. This also puts less than $100 between it and the M2 Air, so opting for the current-gen model over the cheapest model out there feels like an easier, more obvious choice.

More MacBook deals

Best Windows laptop deal

Why we like it

Read Mashable’s full review of the 13-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7.

Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC has an even longer battery life than the new M4 MacBook Pros — it lasted nearly 23 hours in our testing — and it comes with AI features that “make Windows fun again,” Gedeon wrote. She gave it a 4.8/5; it’s a Mashable Choice Award winner and our current favorite Windows laptop for most people, barring any ARM-related app compatibility issues.

The upgraded configuration that Gedeon tested is a 13-inch model featuring a Snapdragon X Elite processor, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. It usually retails for $1,999.99, and Amazon had it listed for $1,549.99 earlier in its Black Friday Week sale (with the Microsoft Store matching it). But now it’s down to just $1,499.99 there. That’s a 25% savings and its biggest discount ever.

Amazon doesn’t offer price matching if you bought the Surface Laptop 7 at a previous sale price, but you do have the option of returning it and rebuying it. The retailer’s extended holiday return policy applies to most purchases made between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31.

More Windows laptop deals

2-in-1 laptops

Mashable Deals

Best gaming laptop deal

Why we like it

Read Mashable’s full review of the Alienware m16 R2.

This premium 16-incher is the best gaming laptop we tried in 2024 (and another Mashable Choice Award winner), earning a score of 4.5/5 from Gedeon. She was impressed by its ample mid-range power, its “springy” keyboard, and its solid build quality, as well as its “seamless” support of Nvidia’s Advanced Optimus feature. That lets it switch between its discrete and integrated GPUs “to handle both play and work,” she wrote.

Our testing configuration featured an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H CPU, GeForce RTX 4070 graphics, 16GB of memory, and a terabyte of storage. It’s down to $1,299.99 at Best Buy this Black Friday, which is $600 off its usual list price there and a record-low.

Another model with a slightly better processor and a slightly worse GPU is on sale for the same price on Dell’s website, FYI; it’s typically $1,699.99 there.

More gaming laptop deals

Best Chromebook deal

Why we like it

Announced in October, this 15.6-inch Samsung Galaxy machine is the thinnest, lightest Chromebook Plus model on the market and the only one with an AMOLED display. (Translation: It’s super vibrant.) It has an Intel Core 3 100U processor, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of UFS storage, and supports newer Gemini AI features like Live Translate.

Typically $699.99, Best Buy has it on sale for $100 off as part of its Black Friday sale — its first-ever discount.

More Chromebook deals

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Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love

Mother figures are the backbone of the world. Yours may be your biological mother, or maybe she’s your mother-in-law, your best friend’s mom, or simply someone whose motherly instinct has helped you through hard times.

Moms teach you the adulting necessities, give advice even if the problem is your fault, and above all, they put up with your shit and (almost) never complain.

The game plan here isn’t just to snag the last bouquet at CVS just so you’re not the kid who forgot Mother’s Day (but definitely also get flowers). And you don’t even need to spend a lot of money. (Peep our list of Mother’s Day gifts that cost less than $50. Want even more cheap gift ideas?

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The best gifts for her

Skip the generic mugs and show your appreciation with a gift picked just for her: Whether it’s something to make a part of her life easier, something she’s mentioned wanting in passing, or simply something to make her feel like a damn queen, you can’t put a price on everything she’s done for you, but heartfelt gifts certainly help.

After all, they say “No matter how hard you try, you always end up like your mother.” But is that even a bad thing?


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Ban subscriptions and get Microsoft Office 2024 for life for just £121

TL;DR: Grab Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for PC or Mac for just £120.54 through June 1.

You wouldn’t keep paying for Netflix if you could own your favorite shows, right? So why are you still subscribing to Office apps you use every day? Microsoft 365’s price keeps going up, but there’s finally a way to break free — and it’ll cost you way less in the long run.

Microsoft Office 2024 is the answer you’ve been looking for. Instead of monthly payments, simply pay £120.54 once and be set for life (reg. £188.37). It’s that simple. And, yes, this lifetime download works for PC or Mac.

What’s included?

This license comes with: 

  • Word

  • Excel

  • PowerPoint

  • Outlook

  • OneNote 

The newest version of Microsoft Office is a little different from Microsoft 365. But just because you’re switching to a lifetime license doesn’t mean you’ll miss out on some of the most recent updates. Word and Excel both still have AI integrations for text suggestions and smart data analysis, and PowerPoint still has improved tools for recorded presentations. 

Once you’ve redeemed your purchase, you can install your apps on one computer. After that, they’re yours to use however you want. No more subscription fees or sudden price hikes to worry about. 

Why rent when you can own? 

Mashable Deals

Get a Microsoft Office lifetime license on sale for £120.54 with no coupon needed.

StackSocial prices subject to change.


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Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 9, 2025

Oh hey there! If you’re here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we’re serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today’s answer.

If you just want to be told today’s word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today’s Wordle solution revealed. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

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Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What’s the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website’s creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn’t any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle‘s Hard Mode if you’re after more of a challenge, though.

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NYT’s The Mini crossword answers for May 9, 2025

Here’s a subtle hint for today’s Wordle answer:

Gibberish.

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Does today’s Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today’s Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with…

Today’s Wordle starts with the letter T.

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The Wordle answer today is…

Get your last guesses in now, because it’s your final chance to solve today’s Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today’s Wordle is…

TRIPE.

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.

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NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 9

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Wordle.


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