person-woman-desk-laptopWhen searching for your next work laptop, the market can seem endless. From convertible notebooks to mobile workstations, the specs are overwhelming, and the price points can leave you wondering: Am I getting the most bang for my buck? Here’s a quick Q&A of what to look for and what you can expect to pay based on your requirements.

What’s the Best Laptop for My Job? Above all, a laptop purchase comes down to what its function will be. If you are looking for a small notebook with minimal use, no travel and no special apps, you should be able to find a business-grade computer for less than $500. Here are some laptop suggestions based on your industry and job requirements:

  • Marketing/Sales: Dell’s line of Latitude laptops offer a solution for almost every job type. However, the Dell Latitude E5000 line is perfect for those traveling marketing and field sales professionals. With a variety of sizes (12”, 14” and 15.6”), the E5000 series comes with high functioning processors, resulting in speed and efficiency. Additionally, the E5000 series comes in Windows 10 options and E-Port docking capabilities, providing for multiple monitor use. It has the highest number of legacy ports and display options (including VGA, SD memory card and HDMI), as well as being thin and light. The entire line of Dell Latitudes offer professionals a wide variety of options when choosing a laptop.
    • What You Can Expect to Pay: $900-$1500 [Hint:Looking for a lower cost option with comparable performance? The Latitude 3000 series can start as low as $500]
  • Design Professionals: The most “obvious” choice for many graphic designers tends to be the Apple brand based on its historical ability to jive with applications like Adobe Creative Suite. Yet, thanks to cloud computing, a designer no longer has to be limited to one brand of laptop. Dell’s line of Precision Mobile Workstations offer perfect support for professional applications and is tailored for the “professional creators” (Dell Precision Mobile Workstations). With docking options that allow multiple monitor hook ups, SSD storage and advanced display resolution, this line will more than cater to your high-performing needs.
    • What You Can Expect to Pay: $1000-$2000
  • Executives: For those on-the-go executives, 2-in-1 laptops (also called convertible notebooks, these laptops convert into a tablet as well) like the Latitude 7000 2-in-1 series is perfect. With a small (13.3”) detachable screen as well as new WiGig tablet docking and Windows 8.1 Pro, this is a great mobile solution.
    • What You Can Expect to Pay: $1200-$1500
    • Perfect for Attorneys, Professors, Doctors
  • Construction/Logistics: Needing durability and portability? Panasonic’s line of Toughbooks and Toughpads provide ultimate protection against the harshest weather and conditions. Panasonic offers the Toughbook 31, 54 and 53 and includes options for touchscreen, webcam and an 18 hour battery life for those days you are onsite. See their collection of Extreme Testing videos here to see how tough the Toughbook really is.
    • What You Can Expect to Pay: $1500-$4000
    • Perfect for: Automotive, Food Service, Transportation, Construction, Manufacturing
  • Administrative: If you need a functional computer with base specs (i.e. 4 GB of memory, 500 GB hard drive, i3 Processor), the line of HP Probooks will be right up your alley. Highly scalable based on your need, the HP Probook 450, for example, can give you functionality at a low cost.
    • What You Can Expect to Pay: $400-$500

 

What Specs Should I Look For? Translating the “computer-lese” of a laptop spec sheet can be challenging. These four details can save you a lot of time and energy:

    • Processor: The Intel® processor is common to most computers these days. An i3 level processor is for basic and reduced use of a computer. If you are needing a computer to support multiple monitors or complex applications, an i5 or i7 processor means more speed and better support. (Here’s a great article on the differences between Intel processors).
    • Storage: For the most part, standard computers tend to come with 500 GB hard drives. What type of hard drive you choose can determine the cost and performance of your computer. Need a lot of storage? Bumping up a drive to 1TB can help your computer keep up with the amount of data you are saving to your computer on a regular basis. Newer SSD (Solid-State) drives are made up of memory chips as opposed to the traditional spinning hard drives. Due to the new technology, SSDs are more expensive than hard disk drives, though they accomplish the same tasks in different ways.
      • Tip: If you are needing fast booting and faster performance without a limiting budget, go for the SSD.
  • Operating System: Microsoft still dominates the business world when it comes to operating systems in the work force. Currently, HP & Dell offer computer options with Windows 7, 8 and 10 installed. If your laptop will include a touchscreen, more often than not it will be pre-built with either Windows 8 or 10. Pro editions allow your computer to connect to a network, which is why most office environments contain Pro editions. Windows 10, released in July 2015, includes OS editions of Home, Pro, Enterprise, Education, Mobile and more.

 

  • Dual Monitor Capability: Graphics cards help your computer process data into what you see on screen. To support dual or multiple monitors, higher memory (for example, 8GB RAM instead of 4GB) and a decent graphics card is a must. For multiple monitors for a laptop, we suggest purchasing a port replicator docking system. Dell features many E-Port Plus Replicators for their laptops as well as external USB universal docks that accommodate up to 3 additional monitors to your laptop.

Techlocity offers workstation setup services for all businesses. If you are looking to order a new computer, please reach out to us at 317-288-5474 for product help, sourcing and workstation setup.