Top tips for choosing the best business laptop

Business-ready notebooks come in all shapes, sizes, and prices. This guide by Computer World helps explain how to pick the best laptops for all your users.

What to look for in a business laptop

Whether it’s a two-pound ultralight or an eight-pound travelling workstation, all laptops are basically desktop computers with built-in screens, keyboards, miniaturized components, and batteries. Without a doubt, the processor and the system’s size and weight get the most attention, but other areas like the screen and battery should also be considered.

Processor

The brains of the operation, most Windows systems use Intel or AMD processors, although a small number of ARM-based CPUs are being used in ultralight systems. Apple has taken this idea to its logical conclusion with its M1 and M2 MacBooks. The minimum processor you’ll need to satisfy users varies widely and depends on the tasks at hand.

RAM

Random Access Memory (RAM) is short-term data storage used for immediate processing tasks such as displaying websites, running Excel calculations, or showing CAD imaging. It comes in many sizes and speeds, and having more generally translates into better performance. 4GB should be the bare minimum for any business computer, even for buyers on a strict budget. 16GB is better for typical office workers — and the more RAM you get, the happier your users will be.

Storage

Every laptop needs a place to stash everything from the day’s emails to huge video files — either a traditional hard drive (HDD) or a solid-state drive (SSD). SSDs remain more expensive but are faster and more rugged, use less power, and are dominating new laptop models. Look for at least a 128GB SSD or a 1TB HDD.

Battery

Meant to power the system between charges, all notebooks use lithium-ion batteries. All other things being equal, a 3,500 milliamp-hour (mAh) capacity powerpack will likely run for longer than one with 3,000mAh.

Screen and form factor

While a tablet might get by with an 11.5-in. display (measured diagonally), 13.3- to 16-in. screens are the norm for laptops, with some models going up to 17.3 in. Look for a screen with the highest resolution possible, particularly if the intended purpose is graphics oriented. Today, for all but the cheapest systems, full HD resolution (1920 x 1080) should be the minimum.

Many of today’s Chromebooks and Windows laptops, even those with a standard clamshell design, include a touchscreen. A touchscreen can be a big benefit for a designer sketching products, a marketer highlighting a new campaign, or even a salesperson drawing a crude map.

Operating system

For optimal security and manageability, we opt for laptops running at least Windows 10 or 11 Pro. These systems add protections that the Windows Home editions lack, and support management and deployment tools such as Mobile Device Management, Azure Active Directory Join, and Windows Update for Business. Organizations that need enterprise-class security and manageability can opt for Windows 10 or 11 Enterprise (available only with a volume licensing agreement).

Apple’s macOS platform has strong security and enterprise manageability features, and today’s unified endpoint management (UEM) systems can manage macOS devices in addition to Windows PCs. Most popular business apps offer versions for macOS, although companies that use legacy Windows-only programs should be prepared to invest in virtual machine (VM) software from Parallels or VMware to allow Mac users to run them.

What laptop do we recommend?

We recommend that you buy the Dell Vostro 3000 Series, this notebook is designed for business professionals on a budget, the Dell Vostro 3000 aims to deliver all of the essentials you need for cranking out reports, keeping up with email and getting other tasks done.

Dell Vostro 3000 Series product specs:

(15.6") Notebook - Full HD - 1920 x 1080 - Intel Core i5 11th Gen i5-1135G7 Quad-core (4 Core) - 8 GB Total RAM - 256 GB SSD - Carbon Black - Intel Chip - Windows 10 Pro - Intel UHD Graphics - IEEE 802.11ac Wireless LAN Stand

We currently have a limited number of Dell Vostro 3000 Series laptops in stock. Contact us for more details.

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