Buying the right business laptop is very important for any business owner since it will have a direct impact on your productivity and profitability. Not only that but buying the wrong laptop could also leave you more vulnerable to theft and data loss, which can both be disastrous. This is especially true if you have to buy laptops for your whole team. In this article, we’re going to give you a few things to look at when searching for laptops for your business and some errors you should avoid when picking one.
Table of Contents
Operating System
Most people will focus principally on Windows laptops when looking at machines, and this makes sense. It is the most popular OS in the world, after all, and most programs are made with Windows in mind. So, you won’t have to worry about configuration issues. Most IT professionals also know Windows computers in and out so they will have no issue configuring them for you, connecting them to your network safely, applying upgrades, or fixing problems.
You should know, however, that other computers and OSs have advantages too. Apple computers are very easy to set up and barely ever get viruses. Not only that, but they tend to be optimised for things like video editing, so if your team creates a lot of video content, then you might want to look at these also.
Chromebooks should also get your attention. Not all programs are available for Chromebook, but if you rely mainly on Google’s suite of products, then these could make a lot of sense. Not to mention that they’re dirt cheap too. We’re talking about under £500 per unit here, so if you needed to buy a load of laptops and were tight on your budget, they could be the best option.
If you’re intrigued by Chromebooks, then we suggest you check out these business laptop deals at Lenovo. They have a wide selection of Chromebooks but also a few lightweight affordable models that would be perfect for any large team.
The Processor
Now that we have the OS out of the way, we can start talking about specs. Everything starts with your processor, but that doesn’t mean that you need the strongest, most powerful CPU on the planet. If most of what you’ll be doing is using Word and Excel and a few lightweight applications, then anything above the 2ghz/4 core mark should be more than enough.
However, some teams will need more power than that. We can think of people who need to create video material or use advanced software for 3D rendering, among other things. In this case, you may want to look for something north of 4ghz with at least 6 cores. We can’t think of any business that would require anything higher than that, so if you’re worried about power, this is all that you need.
Screen and Keyboard
The quality of the laptop screen and keyboard will affect how comfortable you and/or your employees will feel when working on it. The more uncomfortable it is, the less you’ll feel like getting work done and it will eventually affect productivity, so don’t take this part lightly.
You need to get a screen with minimal glare and high resolution. Don’t settle for anything lower than an OLED display with 1080p resolution or better. When it comes to the keyboard, then you have to look at things like travel and flex. Flex is the feeling you have when you type the keys. Too much flex means that you feel the entire structure under the keys bucking, which is a bad thing. You need springy keys that don’t get activated too easily to provide maximum comfort while avoiding accidental keyboard strokes.
The only way to really tell if you like a laptop’s keyboard is to try it yourself. Try the model in person first if you’re going to buy it online. If you can’t find the exact model, then go for a model from the same company from roughly the same generation and you should get a good idea of what experience you can expect with your laptop.
Palm Rest
The palm rest on a laptop is an afterthought for a lot of people, but you can’t ignore it when it comes to a business laptop. You have to make sure that your whole palm can fit on the palm rest, or you will suffer from ergonomic issues. This will make the bottom of your palm feel uncomfortable and can even lead to injury after a while. So, this is something you’ll have to examine in close detail before buying a unit.
These are all things that will allow you to find the best laptop for your business’s needs. Take the time to study laptop designs and specs and go for a reputable manufacturer with a solid history of providing settled business machines.
