Business Laptop Review

Anyone employed and earning wages is technically in business. However, there are many individuals for whom the regular 9 a.m. clock-in, 5 p.m. clock-out just doesn’t apply. These power-workers labor far more than forty hours a week. They work from multiple locations in various cities. They criss-cross the countryside in airplanes and commuter trains. The world is their office.

These workhorses need a business laptop that keeps pace with their inexhaustible schedule. A reliable, high capacity, dynamic machine in their satchel is their constant mate. It keeps them connected to their home base, builds their presentations and proposals and provides a much-needed respite in their minimal downtime. Our top three picks in this category the HP EliteBook, the Sony Vaio and the HP ProBook provide all of these in spades.

In this review, we have built a comparison chart of the best business laptops specifically tailored for these users. Additionally, we provide informative articles on business laptops that help you decide exactly which business laptop is right for you. For a practical, innovative way to access remote files on your laptop, check out our article about iTwin.

Business Laptops: What to Look For

Features
A computer’s feature set defines how you interact with it on a daily basis. For business users this means getting the job done no matter where you are. The best business laptops provide an office experience at home, in a coffee shop, on an airplane or a commuter train. Wherever you happen to be working, make sure the laptop you buy has an operating system that can handle your workload, a screen big enough for you to see comfortably and a battery that will last the entire excursion away from the office.

Performance
Processors and video cards in today’s machines perform at a speed that would make The Flash blush. A laptop that is just a couple of years old now feels antiquated and slow. Additionally, business programs and software become more complicated and require more system resources to function properly. To this end, ensure your business laptop has an avant-garde processor and video card. This way you spend more time working and less time babysitting a progress bar.

Memory/Storage
Those who travel a great deal are experts in packing their suitcases to maximize their portability on the road. Essentially, business laptops are digital suitcases with fewer restrictions on what you can take with you. These days, gigabytes are in ample supply; there’s no reason not pick a business laptop with as much memory and storage as you can put your hands on.

Connectivity
When you reach your destination, it’s almost a certainty you will hook your business laptop up to something. Whether it’s simply syncing your iPod or wiring yourself to a physical network, take care that your laptop has the proper ports and connections that enable all your devices to talk to each other. Generally, the more connectivity the better. An Ethernet port is standard on all devices now. Additionally, most laptops come with at least one USB port. The best have two or three.

Other physical docks that are good but not necessary are VGA ports, media card readers, webcams, HDMI ports and more.

Wi-Fi is this generation’s dial tone. All laptops have it, and if they don’t, they should. Another must-have wireless connectivity option to look for is Bluetooth. This technology allows you to connect directly to other computers or devices without the need of a network.

Support
Even well built machines sometimes have faulty equipment or occasionally require maintenance. Unfortunately, you’ll almost never have a trained IT professional traveling with you. The manufactures of your business laptop know this and are more than willing to help. Every laptop producer worth its salt provides plentiful help and support options. All you have to do is ask –by email, live chat, forums and more. If you’re old fashioned, pick up the phone and dial tech support for a friendly representative.

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