Buying A Laptop For Your Business | Best Laptop Computer

Access The World With A Laptop

Today’s consumer has an incredible amount of choices when it comes to purchasing a new laptop computer. It can get very confusing. Laptop computers come with so many features that it’s challenging to know what is essential and what is not. Purchasing a laptop is more difficult because much of the information online rarely mentions the negatives and only focuses on the positives. Plus, many laptops come loaded with unnecessary software that will slow down your workflow. If you are planning to buy a new laptop computer for your business, here are some features that you should consider:

Classes Of Laptops And Notebooks

We classify laptop computers in the following ways:

• Notebook is the generic term for a full-sized laptop- this is what most business owners should go for as they are still portable and functional for most business matters.
• Ultraportable/Ultrabooks are thin laptops, easy to carry around, but you sacrifice performance because thin laptops have limited functionality.
• Chromebook is a slightly cheaper alternative to the standard laptop. It only runs on Google OS; many MAC or Windows programs may not run on it. You do not want to limit yourself only to Google OS in a business setting because many other software programs are available to help make your business successful.
• The MacBook Pro is the same as a regular laptop except for its OS and design. Most MacBooks are very powerful and come with many features. The downside is that they are several times more expensive than regular laptops. Remember, not all software is compatible with Apple laptops. And Apple is known for long wait times for service and repair.
• Tablets are a miniature version of the traditional laptop but with limited functionality. It is wireless, portable, and primarily uses a touchscreen. You can also use them to make phone calls, take photos, watch videos, etc. There are many styles and designs of tablets made by many different manufacturers like Apple, Amazon, Samsung, etc. They are not recommended for all aspects of the business as they have minimal functionality- unless you only want to use it as a phone, in that case, you’ll have to make sure that it contains a sim card.
• The netbook is another low-cost portable personal computer with limited functionality. It is a mini laptop with little computing power and low storage. As a tablet, we can access the internet and email. In general, a netbook won’t cover all your business needs.

How will I Use My Laptop Computer?

Before purchasing a laptop, determine why you want it because no one laptop is ideal for everything. Some factors to consider include:

• Are you going to be traveling with your computer? So you want it light and portable
• Are you going to be editing videos? You will need a video editing card or fast processing
• Will you use it for video games? You will need tons of RAM, good resolution
• Will you be adding business software programs like accounting, inventory, staff management, etc.?
• Will you use it for teleconferencing?
• Will many people be accessing the laptop? You will need to add solid security features.

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Laptops And Notebooks – Your Budget

Knowing how much money you have to spend on a laptop is fine. But first, you’ll want to understand the value that this computer will bring to your company. Buying an expensive laptop bloated with software might be a waste of resources. In general, if you have a small business that only needs a computer to perform basic tasks like inventory, accounting, and payroll, then look for a less expensive option. You can always upgrade later as the company grows.

Top Laptops For Business Under $1,000

• 2021 Newest Dell Inspiron 15 3000 Business Laptop, 15.6″ Full HD Touchscreen
• Acer TravelMate P6 Thin & Light Business Laptop, 14″ FHD IPS, Intel Core i5-8265U
• HP 14″ Touchscreen Home and Business Laptop
• Dell Latitude 7480 Business-Class Laptop | 14.0-inch FHD Touch Display

Laptops And Notebooks – Specs

In general, if you are running a business, you’ll want a fast and powerful laptop, especially if you perform video editing or use many images. You will need a powerful graphics card, plenty of RAM, and a high-quality processor in such cases. In general, any laptop you purchase will only have minimal RAM for the software already installed on the PC. If you add extra software to the computer, you will need to upgrade your RAM. At a minimum, you should have a laptop with at least 8 MB of RAM.

Laptops And Notebooks – CPU

If you have a choice, purchase a laptop with an intel processor, preferably an i5 or higher. Intel Core processors tend to offer the best performance, especially when multitasking. If you want the best performance select an i7 or i9 intel core processor. The downside is that Intel core processors also tend to be more expensive than AMD processors.

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Laptops And Notebooks – RAM

Today it is no longer sufficient to have a laptop with only 4 or 8 GB. If you run a business, you need at least 16 GB. The more RAM you have, the more programs you can run at the same time. In addition, it will also allow you to access data quickly, especially if you are editing videos or images. The good news is that many modern laptops already come with 16GB RAM as standard.

Laptops And Notebooks – Storage

If you are going to be storing data on your laptop, you’ll need to have sufficient storage capacity. For business purposes, consider a solid-state drive because it offers more speed, is lightweight, and can be paired with a larger hard drive. At a minimum, you want an SSD with 256 GB storage and a secondary hard drive of no less than 1 TB.

Laptops And Notebooks – Battery Life

If you plan to use the laptop for travel or outside the office, you need to consider battery life. Some laptops only have a battery life of a few hours, which makes them impractical for outdoor use. So look for a computer with a battery life of at least 6-8 hours, but remember the shelf life of all batteries will start to drop within a year or two; this means you will have to carry the battery charger with you at all times.

No matter what battery life the manufacturer quotes, do not rely on it because many variables affect battery life in the real world. In addition, the OS can also influence the battery life. In general, Chrome OS will have a longer battery life compared to Windows 10.

You also want a laptop with a battery that you can charge rapidly- it will state this on the packaging.

Laptops And Notebooks – Operating System

The laptop’s OS is something that you also need to consider. Apple products are often not compatible with Windows programs. Plus, many software programs are not compatible with Apple products. In general, Apple software programs are more expensive than Windows programs. Whatever laptop you purchase should be able to handle any software that you add later on.

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Laptops And Notebooks – Ergonomics

Some laptops are not comfortable to use for long periods. And in any business where you’ll need to use a computer for many hours every day, you should consider ergonomics. The keyboard must be the right size and shape, the screen should be wide enough, and the resolution optional- otherwise, the user might develop dexterity issues or suffer from eye fatigue. 

Laptops And Notebooks – Screen Resolution

For a business, you need a laptop with a decent screen resolution. If you are working with images or videos, you’ll want to look at a computer with the highest quality resolution. You want a screen that is easy on the eyes and fun to work with. At a minimum, you should opt for a 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Modern laptops now offer 4K resolution, but they are costly laptops, usually required by particular photography or video editing professionals.

Laptop Viewing Angle

You can only view most old laptops directly from the front; the side view is often blurry. However, the latest IPS technology offers wide viewing angles that are ideal for video conferencing. Since you may be using your laptop in different environments, ensure you get one with an IPS display.

Laptops And Notebooks – Touchscreen

Today there are laptops with touchscreens, but should you purchase one of these for your business? The pros of a touch screen include the following:

• Less requirement for a keyboard
• The screen is practical and, with finger motions, allows many functions
• It is much faster to use a touchscreen device than one without
• Allows for more productivity

The cons of a touchscreen include:

• Lack of accuracy
• Sensitivity may not be up to par
• Smudge marks may appear
• These laptops generally are not only heavier and more costly, but the batteries drain a lot faster

Touchscreens can be very helpful in hospitality businesses like restaurants or hotels; in this case, you’ll want to wipe the screen frequently to keep it functioning as it should.

Laptops And Notebooks – Size

Size is often a neglected factor when it comes to purchasing a laptop, but it is essential. Working on an 11-inch PC is not only difficult on the eyes but also on the hands. Preferably, you want a PC with at least a 17-inch screen so that you can view all the text and graphics without straining your eyes. Newer laptops are lightweight. The extra screen size does not affect the weight significantly. If you are going to be taking your laptop to meetings and other functions outside the office, you’ll also need to consider weight. It would be best to look for a computer under 5 lbs because lugging around a heavy laptop can be tiring. If you opt for a lighter laptop (less than 3 lbs), remember, these PCs may not support more advanced processors or graphics cards. Further, there may also be a limit on the number of ports and hubs. If you are going to be using graphics, then always get a larger PC.

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Laptops And Notebooks – Keyboard

Many consumers often neglect the keyboard of the laptop, but this is a vital piece of equipment. Look for a comfortable keyboard with easily accessible and responsive keys. The keys need to spread out nicely, and all the letters and symbols should be visible. Another thing to consider is a backlit keyboard- which is vital if you work in low light or work at night. However, when you use backlit keys, it will also drain your battery faster.

Laptops And Notebooks – USB Type-C

When buying a laptop for your business, make sure it has several USB ports, including an HDMI port. These days USB ports are necessary for connection to almost all types of hardware, including the SSD or external hard drive. Look for USB-type C ports that are faster than the older USB 2.0 and 3.0 ports.

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Laptops And Notebooks – Security

These days security is a big issue when using computers and more so if you run a business. Hence it would be best if you considered a computer that has a fingerprint reader for login. While people can guess a password, it is hard to forge a fingerprint. Fingerprint ID is now a standard feature in many laptops. Some manufacturers have gone one step further and added facial ID recognition. We highly recommend these features if your computer contains financial and personal data.

Laptops And Notebooks- Durability

For a business laptop, you need to consider durability. In a business setting, you never know how your staff will manage the computer, so it must be able to withstand daily wear and tear without breaking down. Check if the manufacturer offers any durability certification. For example, modern laptops can withstand dust and rain; some can also withstand extreme temperatures. With these, you will see the ‘MIL-STD 810 G’ certificate of durability on the packaging. However, don’t rely on these labels exclusively. All laptops are fragile and will break if dropped. 

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Laptop LTE Connectivity

If you are using your laptop outdoors regularly like a smartphone, consider having one with LTE. This means that just like a smartphone, your computer will also connect to the internet. But LTE technology is not cheap; you will have to pay a fair sum for it. You will either need to buy prepaid data or have a subscription to a data plan to use your LTE, and again, the speed may vary depending on the strength of the connection. The more data you use, the more money you have to fork out.

Ethernet Ports – Laptop Computers

Another thing you’ll want to consider concerning internet connectivity is the ethernet port; We rarely use this port these days because Wi-Fi connection is relatively easy and widespread. If you do not want to spend the extra dollars on LTE, all laptops have Wi-Fi connectivity and will do just fine. But if you travel to places where Wi-Fi connectivity is poor, you need to have an ethernet port.

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Where Will I Buy My New Laptop?

When purchasing online, it is difficult for most buyers to get a feel for the laptop. So if you need to buy your computer from an online store, choose one that offers refunds or exchanges if you do not like the computer you ordered. Both Amazon and Walmart have some of the best refund policies with no questions asked as long as you don’t ask for many refunds each year.