Your laptop is your go-to for everything from email and productivity to gaming and social networking. Everyone wants the highest performance, but it is important to consider the price and other key factors when choosing the right business laptop.
How big does your screen need to be without sacrificing portability? What is your scope of use? What size hard drive will get the job done? Are you more oriented around productivity or are you looking for one best suited for graphics design and video editing? Picking the perfect laptop can be a bit of a challenge, so we have put together a list with shopping advice and product recommendations to help guide you in the right direction.
- Bloatware – If you buy a laptop from a big box retailer, chances are it will come loaded down with pre-installed programs that are going to waste your time – things like preinstalled video games or trial photo editing software. Bloatware is just as it sounds, obnoxious and sometimes even dangerous. If you want to steer clear of the bloatware, buy your laptop through Advantage Technology. We deliver laptops designed for business professionals without all the bloat.
- Screen – Laptops are usually categorized by their screen sizes and weight. Smaller screens usually mean more portability and a lower price and the larger screens entail a heavier laptop with a heavier price. If productivity (think Outlook email and Word) is of most importance to you, a 15-inch screen works great. If you are involved in graphic design, video or CAD, you’ll want to go with a larger screen with full HD resolution.
- Hard Drive – When selecting a hard drive, we recommend a solid state drive (SSD) because they are incredibly fast. The downside of an SSD is they are typically have less storage space than a traditional hard However, we find that most users don’t need a terabyte of storage on their laptop especially if they’re mostly a productivity user. If you do a lot of data, a large external hard drive with an internal SSD is the way to go.
- RAM – Memory is an important part of any computer. At this point on the list, if you have categorized yourself as productivity-oriented then you will want to aim for a minimum RAM of 4 GB. If you’re leaning towards the graphics and video route, we recommend something with 12 GBs and up.
- Processor – Just like the things previously mentioned on the list, selecting the best processor has a lot to do with your functioning preference. There are three common Intel processor types: i3, i5, and i7. The i3 is the best fit for those with minimal productivity needs and those on a tight budget. The i5 is the typical choice of business professionals who focus on productivity, giving you solid CPU performance. The i7 is the fastest and is recommended for the graphic, video, and CAD.
- Operating systems – So you have finally selected the right laptop for you, and now you can sit back and put it to use, right? Wrong. Choosing the right operating system is something that should always be included in this decision-making We suggest avoiding Windows 8 entirely and leaning towards Windows 10 unless you have a specific reason to avoid it; for example, if you have software that doesn’t work on Windows 10. In the special circumstances where Windows 10 isn’t an option, Windows 7 is available. It is also important to choose the Professional Edition rather than the Home Edition.
Special Considerations – Laptops are not what they used to be, and the market has undergone some major changes in the past several years. With dozens of convertible designs, like the Surface Tablet, 2-in-1s, like Dell’s Latitude 13 3000 Series, and Ultrabooks, its worthwhile to look into these different form factors to see if they might fit your needs better than a traditional laptop.
When you buy your laptop, keep in mind the 6 considerations above, or call Advantage Technology at 866-793-8232 and we will guide you through the process and get the right laptop for you.