The tendency toward touch support will vary depending on the specific kind of laptop you're looking at. Let's examine the major types.

BUDGET CLAMSHELLS. Most low-cost machines that are straight-up laptops (that is, models that do not have 2-in-1-type hinges or tablet modes) will not have touch screens, but you'll run across the occasional exception. In under-$500 machines, a touch screen should be seen as a pleasant surprise, not a given. Exception: 2-in-1s, more about which in a moment. (For more, see our picks for the best budget laptops.)

MAINSTREAM AND BUSINESS CLAMSHELLS. You'll see the most varied mix of touch and non-touch models here. This is the category most likely to be fraught with touch versus non-touch models in the same system family. You may be able to specify one or the other type of screen at the time of purchase, or different configurations in the same line may feature different screen types. Look for this, especially in product lines like Lenovo's ThinkPad or Dell's Premium laptops. (For more, see our picks for the best business laptops.)

2-IN-1 CONVERTIBLES AND DETACHABLES. By their very nature, all 2-in-1 machines will have touch screens. When you're using a 360-degree rotating 2-in-1 in tent or tablet mode, you don't have access to the keyboard, so touch input is essential in those modes. Likewise, in a detachable 2-in-1: Remove the keyboard, and all you're left with for input is your tapping fingers or a stylus. Indeed, a key differentiator here is whether the 2-in-1 additionally supports stylus input, and if so, whether the stylus is included or costs extra. A high-profile example of the latter is the Microsoft Surface device family, which mandates $100 or more for a complementing Surface Pen stylus. (For more, see our picks for the best convertible laptops.)

GAMING LAPTOPS. Most gaming laptops have 14-inch, 16-inch, or 18-inch screens, and very few of these offer touch input. PC gamers don't have much use for touch input (PC games aren't written to support it), and implementing a touch screen would put even greater strain on an already-challenged battery. (For more, see our picks for the best gaming laptops.)

BIG-SCREEN MACHINES. It's uncommon to see a laptop with a 17- or 18-inch display that supports touch input, but they are out there (though 16-inch models are starting to replace 17-inch systems). Touch-panel implementations at that size are pricey and simply not cost-effective. They're also not practical: Many touch-screen laptops are 2-in-1s, and a 16-inch (or bigger) tablet can be mighty unwieldy. But 16-inch creative professional laptops, like the Asus ProArt P16 (H7606), support touch. (See our favorite 17-inch and 18-inch laptops.)

CHROMEBOOKS. Touch screens did not feature in early Chromebook models, but we're seeing them in more and more new ones. With the emergence of 2-in-1 convertible Chromebooks (most are 360-degree-rotating designs, though a few feature detachable displays), touch is becoming more common in this class, especially as support for Android apps has become the norm on these machines. (For more, see our picks for the best Chromebooks.)

APPLE MACBOOKS. Sorry! No Mac desktop or MacBook laptop supports touch-screen input unless you count the thin Touch Bar touch strip above the keyboard on a few now-discontinued MacBook Pro models. (The Touch Bar is merely a contextual shortcut strip that adapts to the program at hand.) The macOS operating system isn't optimized for touch. In the Apple sphere, full-touch displays are reserved for the company's iPhones and iPads.