When searching for a laptop for business, there are plenty of things to consider to get good business laptops on the market.
Business laptops are more rugged and last longer. They also assume that consumer users are not as robust to laptops as business users.
Both ideas influence how business and consumer laptops are built.
This 2022 laptop buying guide is an opinion by an expert.
If you have little or no technical support or limited experience, don’t worry. Once you know the basics of a good laptop, the shopping process will be much less burdensome.
What specifications should you look at when choosing a business laptop?
Buying a new business laptop can be challenging as most of the best models look similar, use the same operating system and offer some features.
To choose the best business laptop for your employees or for small businesses, you should first review the specifications of each product.
To make it easier we have listed number-wise important things a good business laptop must-have.
Top essential things a good business laptop must have:
1. Lightweight
Business laptops typically weigh about 4 pounds. You don’t want anything over 4.6 pounds.
Anything heavier than that can become a burden if you move it regularly.
2. Sufficient Connections
The laptop must have sufficient connections including a USB port, HDMI port, SD card reader, VGA, and DVI support.
3. Should be durable
If you travel frequently, your laptop needs to be particularly durable.
The lid is made of magnesium or carbon alloy, and the hinge is made of metal.
4. Long-lasting battery
Business laptops should have at least 8 or 10 hours of runtime on a budget.
The more expensive models should be capable of at least 12 hours of office work.
Buy a laptop that can handle everyday workloads quickly and efficiently.
5. Enough memory
Modern programs demand a lot of performance, so your laptop should have at least 8 GB of RAM.
It must also have sufficient memory to ensure fast access and transfer of data.
SSDs are faster and more durable, so your device should have a solid-state drive (SSD) instead of a hard disk drive (HDD).
6. Powerful Processor
Business notebooks must be equipped with the latest Intel Core CPU generation or equivalent AMD processor model (Intel 9th Gen or higher, AMD 3rd Gen or higher) for maximum performance and higher speed. Modern CPUs are faster because they run at higher clock speeds than previous generations.
Other specifications to consider:
7. Nice display
Widescreen formats are becoming increasingly popular in the business sector as they are practical for working at a desk.
Anti-reflective screens are more suitable for sunlight or strong office lighting as the screen is still easy to read.
8. Keyboard and controls
If you work with numbers, a laptop with a 10-key number pad is important. The feel of the keys and trackpad is also important.
Before buying a laptop, find a model that you can type in and use a trackpad to make sure the controls are correct.
9. Cooling
Better cooling is required for higher performance. In general, the thinner the laptop, the worse the fan. This can be a problem as the laptop will limit its performance as it warms up.
Also, the harder the ventilation system has to work, the bigger it is usually. So, if you’re looking for maximum performance and are virtually silent, you should take a closer look at the processor ventilation system.
10. Latest operating System
Keeping it up to date is important for seamless compatibility. If you’re considering an older model or refurbished laptop, it’s best to pay close attention to the operating system.
Older operating systems such as Windows 7 and Windows 8 are no longer supported or are nearing the end of their lifecycle.
Running these operating systems can make your device vulnerable to cyberattacks.
11. Networking
Business laptops regularly come with the ability to connect to the Internet and office networks, whether wired or not.
For a wireless connection, look for the Wi-Fi specification that includes “802.11” and the letters. The letter indicates the generation of technology used in the Wi-Fi adapter, and the “n” is the latest version as of June 2012.
If you want the option to have a wired Internet or network connection at least for some time.
For example, if you need extra connection speed, look for a model with an Ethernet port as well.
What is the difference between consumer and commercial laptops?
1. Build Quality
One big difference between commercial and consumer models is in “build quality“. Commercial models come with the higher build quality.
This means buyers will be able to use these laptops longer every day, but run them for 3-5 years without any problems when compared to consumer models.
During the pre-pandemic period, the average time spent using a laptop (consumer) in a home environment was limited to 2-3 hours.
Usage has at least tripled since the pandemic period, which guarantees a good build quality laptop.
Features and specifications may look similar on both consumer and commercial models, but the built-in quality may be completely different.
Commercial laptops are built to provide optimal performance. Consumer laptops, on the other hand, are primarily focused on personal use.
If you are looking for a high-performance, long-term working efficiency, device optimization system, the commercial series should be your choice.
At the same time, you can choose the consumer series if you have a short laptop time and do personal work.
2. Hardware quality
Many products have undergone a series of military-grade tests while reaching the hardware quality of the commercial series.
This makes it easy to overcome minor drops, mishandling, and intense use. Some models are also resistant to spills and dirt.
This commercial series laptop is capable of vigorous use for 40 to 60 hours per week. The items purchased by a business house are primarily based on the workforce.
This is because even a small amount of damage can affect the workflow and negatively affect the performance of the company.
Therefore, businesses prefer only commercial laptops.
Consumer laptops, on the other hand, don’t go through these rigorous tests.
It can withstand 20-30 hours of use per week affecting battery life.
The materials used to make the consumer-grade aren’t as durable as the OEMs assume that everyone keeps their items carefully.
Consumer models are aesthetically pleasing products where material, color, look and feel, and texture are key. As a result, after 2-3 years, users move to the next option based on trends.
3. Security
Commercial laptops can offer more security than consumer models. As we all know, businesses always put security features first.
As such, businesses primarily focus on commercial laptops. The consumer model has limited security features as intended. home use.
4. Warranty
Commercial laptops come with an upgradable warranty of up to 5 years. Consumer laptops, on the other hand, have a lifespan of only one to three years.
Also, after-sale support for commercial laptops is more dedicated and quicker.
5. Battery life
Commercial models can take up to 8-12 hours, but the consumer series only lasts 3-4 hours.
6. Price
Business laptops tend to be more expensive than consumer models. But at this extra price, you’re getting a high-quality product with additional components that will last you years of use.
These components may include more powerful batteries, better graphics processing units (GPUs), or additional USB ports.
You can get a solid business laptop for at least three to four years for $1,200. But when you need more performance, high-end GPU and processing power models cost between $2,500 and $3,000.
These models will be valid for the next four or five years.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s special about business laptops?
How much do business laptops typically cost?
Business laptops cost between $500 to $3,000, depending on model, processing power, screen display quality, battery life, and internal RAM capacity.
What is a good memory for a business laptop?
8GB of RAM is sufficient for most users, as most businesses only need essential office functions such as web browsing, emailing, and writing documents.
If you frequently run multiple programs and run multiple tasks at once, you may need 16 GB or more.
To transfer data as quickly as possible, your business laptop should have SSD storage instead of a traditional HDD.
SSD storage is usually quieter and can handle more write cycles than regular HDDs because there is no magnetic disk. In most cases, 256GB to 512GB of SSD memory is sufficient.
What processor speed is right for a business laptop?
AMD and Intel have become the preferred processor brands for many business notebook buyers. They usually offer high processor speeds at a low price.
These processors are generally a safe option, but processor speed measurements depend on the number of cores.
A quad-core processor at 1.8 GHz is better than a dual-core at 2.2 GHz. For business laptops, you need at least 1.6 GHz to compete with the latest software.
Laptops typically run slower than desktop CPUs because they are designed to conserve energy. Most laptops have 2 cores, but some high-end laptops have 4 cores.
For higher processor speeds, you need at least a quad-core system.
How long do business laptops last?
The same problem applies to laptops. Most experts estimate the lifespan of a laptop to be 3-5 years.
It can survive longer than that, but its utility will be limited as the component will not be able to run advanced applications.
Are Asus laptops Right for Business?
ASUS recommends Windows 11 Pro for business use. A laptop designed to power your work. A laptop designed to power your work.
ASUS empowers your imagination and delivers reliable performance with extensive storage to bring your passion and awe-inspiring masterpieces to life.
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