See Apple's brand ranking and where Apple placed in Laptop Mag's Best and Worst Laptop Brands. I run a video editing business and was desperate for a laptop that has enough juice to handle. Best MacBook: 13-inch 2018 MacBook Pro at Amazon, “With a sleek build and easy workflow hacks, this Pro will deliver great office performance.” Best 2-in-1: Microsoft Surface Pro at Amazon, “Between “for fun” tablet use and “for business” laptop use.”.
Ready To Make An Investment? Maybe when you started your small business, your old personal computer was fine for your relatively simple needs. Eventually, though, you’ll want a more powerful machine that can handle every process a professional needs.
We've compiled a list of the best computers for your business (jump to or, if you want to skip ahead), an explanation of what goes into them, and where you can buy them. The cost of a quality computer that’s only for business use shouldn’t be considered an optional expense, it’s much more of an integral investment. Having a device dedicated for professional use will save a lot of time in the long run. Without having to deal with all of the software downloaded on your personal computer the machine will run much faster. A quality business computer will be faster, and likely have less technical issues.
Before you go looking for a computer, decide if it’s a laptop or a desktop that you’re looking for. Laptops Most businesses prefer laptops that run Windows. Mobility is the main draw for laptops, as being able to work from anywhere can be a huge help for a small business.
When you can only afford to purchase either laptops or desktops, laptops are most likely the way to go if you plan on being on the road relatively often and would rather not be conducting business on a mobile phone. Laptops are generally the only option for a business that don’t yet have a permanent office space. Desktops Desktops are the other choice for your computer needs. If business will always be conducted in an office space and mobility isn’t necessary, desktops are probably the way to go. While laptops can be as powerful as desktops, that is usually expensive, and if you don’t need to be able to move around with your computer then desktops can offer power at a more affordable cost and with more durability.
If you’re looking at paying the same price as you would a laptop, then you can expect faster processing speed and larger storage capacity. Also, desktops tend to last longer due to them being stationary devices and they can be upgraded when nearing the end of their lifecycle.
In the end, mobility will be the deciding factor in your purchase decision between laptops and desktops. Let’s get you acquainted with the most important parts of a PC. We’ll go over what main things go into a computer and what the pieces all do to help you answer some questions you may have when we’re looking at your options. Processor The CPU (central processing unit, microprocessor, or just processor) is arguably the most important individual part of a computer. CPUs execute programs and direct them according to instructions. The faster your processor, the faster your computer will run.
Of course, these will be more expensive, and you don’t need a top of the line processor for your small business. 2.0GHz is the slowest you'll want your processor to run, and definitely won’t need anything faster than 4.0GHz.
Storage Device Storage devices are used to store and extract files for your computer. It can hold large amounts of files permanently or temporarily. Hard drives can be as small as 128Gb and as large as multiple terabytes, though usually the maximum you’ll find today is around 2TB.
Businesses should only need anywhere between 500GB and 1TB. Solid state drives have become more popular in recent years. They perform the same tasks as hard drives, but are faster. They’re also much more durable than traditional hard drives, making them a good pick for laptops. For business needs, a traditional hard drive will serve you just fine.
It’s possible to purchase a computer with more than a single storage drive. Your primary drive will automatically hold the OS, but other than that you can decide where programs are downloaded to. If you’re faced by the choice of what kind of drives you’d like for your primary and secondary drives, it’s best to use an SSD as your primary drive and a larger hard drive as your secondary. The reason for this is that your OS will be installed to your primary drive, and so you’ll want it to run as quickly as possible. Your secondary drive, on the other hand, will hold most of your programs, meaning you need it to be larger than your SSD. Somewhere around 500GB for your secondary hard drive is most likely the size that’s best for you.
Types of Hard Drives:. SSD: Solid-state drive, more expensive, but faster. HDD: Hard disk drive, cheaper, larger, but slower. PCIe SDD: PCIe based drives are able to move large amounts of data faster than other drives, but the difference between SATA and PCIe drives are so negligible that only if you’ll be using the computer for server applications and large data transfers. RAM RAM (short for random-access memory) is important to keep a computer running at fast speeds. More RAM lets your PC perform more tasks at once. Generally, the amount of RAM in computers is in the range of 2GB to 16GB.
Keep in mind, RAM has nothing to do with storage capacity. The MHz of your RAM is basically how often your memory can interact with your computer, meaning that a higher MHz is faster. The average business computer doesn’t require crazy MHz, somewhere in the range of 1200-2600 will work fine. For an affordable business computer that can still process quickly, somewhere in the middle of that range is best.
8GB will be able to run all but the most intensive business software. Graphics Card Integrated graphics will be fine for most businesses, but if you plan on using VR or AR at some point or other graphics intensive programs, it’s best to upgrade to a more powerful graphics card to ensure your computer is up to the task. You don’t need top-end cards made for gaming. Great mid-level budget options are the AMD Radeon RX 460 (up to 5 displays), or the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 750 Ti (up to 4 displays). These two companies (AMD and Nvidia) are two of the most popular graphics card manufacturers. You can see their respective pages listing different cards and their specs and Displays are connected to your graphics card by using a connection cable. The most popular are HDMI, VGA, and DisplayPort. DisplayPort supports a slightly higher resolution along with 60 FPS.
There are very few televisions that support this cable, so don’t expect to be able to use a TV as a monitor using this kind of connector. DisplayPort calbes can be found for about $10-$15. HDMI cables can can transmit both video and audio and is often used with TVs, it’s easy to find, and it’s cheap (around $6).
Unfortunately, unless you use HDMI 2.0, there are limitations. It caps at 3280x2160 resolution and 30 FPS. DVI cables are cabable of transmitting HD quality signals, but have been mostly replaced with Display Port connectors on graphics cards. However, a lot of monitors still have DVI plugs, but you can purchase a DisplayPort to DVI adapter for around $15 or purchase full length DisplayPort to DVI cables for closer to $10. VGA cables have been largely phased-out of use, but some are still kicking around in use.
Because they don’t work well with the LCD monitors of today, they don’t provide great picture quality. Do your best not to use VGA cables. Operating System Windows is usually the best choice for your business computer OS. It’s compatible with almost all of the software on the market, and most personal computers come with Windows 10 Home, but workstations often come with Windows 7 with a Windows 10 upgrade option Windows 10 Pro comes with several advantages for businesses over Windows 10 Home. These include access to Bitlocker, the ability to create domain networks, and other features that have specific uses for businesses.
Specs of your Current Computer In order to help you understand how much of an upgrade you're getting over your current computer, it's userful to check the specs. Here's how: Windows: ComputerMy ComputerProperties Your system specs will be listed under the ‘System’ section on the Properties page. MacOS: Click on the Apple menu and on the dropdown menu select ‘About This Mac’.
Your specifications will be listed here. For a laptop, you are looking at spending between $900-$2,500.
You can expect this investment to realistically last you anywhere from two to five years (if you get an SSD hard drive as we recommend, the life-span will be closer to 5 years, if not, it will be closer to 2). Here are our top three picks for a business laptop: Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Lenovo knows what mobility is about. It’s comfortable, durable, and it’s got a spectacular battery life. Don’t think that battery life means that it doesn’t have much under the hood, as it’s still definitely a strong laptop. It’s admittedly rather pricey for a laptop, but it’s definitely the way to go if you can afford it. Take a look at it Processor Intel Quad Core i7 (up to 4.2 GHz) OS Windows 10 Pro 64 Graphics integratedgraphics RAM 16 GB DDR3 Hard Drive 512 GB SSD Display Size 14 inches (recommend HD, non-touch) Battery Life Up to 15 Hours HP Spectre X360 2 in 1 The HP Spectre X360 is one of the best Windows-based laptops on the market, and converts into tablet mode to be used for note taking or giving presentations. The latest model was upgraded to include an increcibly crisp 4K display.
Amazon has a great deal on a certified refurbished one Processor Intel Quad Core i7 (4 GHz) OS Windows 10 Pro 64 Graphics Intel UHD 620 RAM 16 GB Hard Drive 512 SSD Display Size 15.6 inches (4K display) Battery Life 10 Hours MacBook Pro MacBooks are spectacular laptops. They’re designed very well, they’re thin and light, and they’re powerful.
Unfortunately, the price of a MacBook can become very high, and they simply aren’t compatible with some important business software. Unless you’re certain that the software you will be running is available on MacOS, it’s difficult to recommend buying a MacBook Pro. However, they are great computers, and you can buy the MacBook Pro Processor Intel Quad Core i7 (4 GHz) OS macOS X Graphics Intel HD Graphics 530 (1 additional display supported) RAM 16 GB DDR3 SDRAM (not expandable) Hard Drive 512 GB PCIe-based SSD Display Size 15 inches Battery Life 9 Hours If you don’t think any of these options are for you, there are Remember, there are a couple of downsides to a laptop computer. First, a laptop can be easily lost or stolen, especially when you're working in a public place or low security office space.
You can mitigate this problem by purchasing, a software product that tracks and helps recover stolen laptops. We also recommend regularly backing up your files so that you can still access important business documents in case of disaster. (For more information, read our guide on.) Second, a laptop has a smaller keyboard and monitor than a traditional desktop computer.
This issue can be mitigated, though, by purchasing a - a device you attach to your laptop, which allows you to use a regular monitor and keyboard (basically turning your laptop into the equivalent of a desktop PC tower). Quality high-powered desktops will set you back about $500-$1,600. Here are our top choices: Dell Inspiron 3847 Desktop The upgraded Dell Inspiron desktop packs a lot of power in a very reasonably priced package. It looks nice enough, and comes with a 128 GB SSD plus 1 TB HDD and 16 GB of Ram. The tech specs on the base model are solid already, but for some extra cash you can upgrade the processor and graphics card. Give it a look Processor Intel Core i7 (7th Generation) OS Windows 10 Pro 64 Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 RAM 16 GB Hard Drive 128 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD Display Size Purchased Separately HP Z240 If you don’t mind spending a bit more than on the other two options, you can get a large performance boost by buying the HP Z2 G4. Starting at $1,000, you’ll definitely get value for your investment.
Give it a look Processor Intel Core i5 Hexa Core (8th Gen) OS Windows 10 Pro 64 Graphics Integrated Intel HD 630 RAM 32 GB SDRAM (Expandable up to 64 GB) Hard Drive 256 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD Display Size Purchased Separately HP Envy 34-inch Curved All-In-One For $2,1300 this is a powerful space-saving PC that packs an amazing 34” curved screen, has the latest Intel i7, 6 core processor and even has Alexa built in.Unlike the other business desktops listed here, the HP Envy is an all-in-one, so no additional monitor purchase is necessary. This model also includes a wireless keyboard and mouse and has a built in privacy camera that only pops out when in use. Check it out Processor Intel Core i7 Hexa Core (8th Gen) OS Windows 10 Home Graphics NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 RAM 16 GB RAM Hard Drive 1 TB Hybrid Drive Display Size 34 inches If you don’t think any of these options are for you, there are.
Are you tired of having to use a bulky, outdated machine at work? Do you covet the slick-looking, ultra-thin laptops you see in Starbucks or on the train? Then you may need to find a new business laptop. There’s no excuse for using a paving-slab sized laptop that feels like it’s running at a snail’s pace – there are plenty of high-quality, affordable options out there that won’t embarrass you when you pull them out at a meeting. If you’re baffled about what you should be looking for in a business laptop, that’s understandable; there are almost too many options out there, and it can be confusing finding the right one for you. Luckily, we’re here to help.
Read on to see our top picks for business users from the likes of Apple, Dell, HP and Microsoft. READ NEXT: How to buy the best business laptop for you There are many things to consider when buying a business laptop, and they’re not always the same things you might think about when buying a laptop for personal use. You might want to ask yourself these questions before making your decision. How much should I spend? For a decent business laptop, you’ll generally be looking at forking over anywhere from £800 to £1,200. There are options that fall outside of this range, of course, but that’s the sweet spot in terms of compromising between quality and affordability.
We’d recommend spending around £1,000, if your budget allows it, as that’ll usually get you better performance and a higher level of build quality. What specifications should I look for?
Hardware specifications can be a confusing area when shopping for laptops, and business laptops are no exception. In general, the main things to look out for are the processor and the amount of RAM. RAM is relatively easy: you should aim for 8GB or over, though 4GB should suffice in a pinch. Processors are slightly trickier, as you’ll have to pay attention to the model number. Intel processors, which most business laptops use, are classified in groups ranging from Celeron to Pentium to Core i3, Core i5 and Core i7, with more cores and higher speeds as you work your way up the range. We’d advise sticking to the Core models, and going for the Core i5 or Core i7 over the less powerful Core i3. However, the challenge doesn’t end there.
In addition to identifying whether it’s Core i5 or Core i7, you should also check which generation the processor is, which is denoted by the first number of the product code. So, for instance, a Core i7-8550U processor would be one of Intel’s eighth-generation chips. Where possible, you should go for the latest generation available, as that will ensure that your device is still speedy enough in a few years to keep up with your requirements. One last note about hardware: where possible, stay away from any processor with a “Y” in its product code, as this denotes one of Intel’s ultra-low-power chips. These prioritise low power consumption over performance, so they probably won’t be fast enough to support more demanding users. What other features do I need? Connectivity is especially important to bear for business laptops.
Many newer Ultrabooks have eschewed older ports such as HDMI or the standard Type-A USB 3 port in favour of smaller, multipurpose USB Type-C inputs. If you need specific ports, you should double-check to make sure you get a laptop that supports them, or invest in a dock or adaptor. Similarly, you should make sure to check the compatibility of your chosen laptop with the software and tools that you’ll be using at work. It’s all very well getting a shiny new MacBook, but if the rest of your company runs exclusively on Windows, getting it to work correctly with the rest of your IT could end up being a big headache. READ NEXT: The best business laptops to buy in 2018 1. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon: The best laptop for business productivity Price: £1,527.
The venerable ThinkPad series has been a staple of offices around the world for more than twenty years, and the latest iteration is a perfect example of why. It’s thin and light, with a timeless corporate-friendly design and more than ten hours of battery life.
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The construction is virtually bullet-proof, and Lenovo manufactures arguably the best keyboards of any laptop brand. What’s more, the X1 Carbon is built specifically for businesses, so you can expect heaps of connectivity, strong management options and other enterprise features. The current line uses Intel’s previous generation of chips, so it can’t quite match the power of some of the newer devices in this list, but it should be more than speedy enough for the average worker. If you can stomach the (admittedly fairly high) price, then this old-school stalwart won’t disappoint.
Read our full for more details. What “best laptops” list would be complete without an appearance from the trusty MacBook Pro? Apple’s latest notebook continues the trend of offering impressive performance in a gorgeous package, but what really seals the deal over other laptops is that absolutely breathtaking retina screen. With superb, accurate colour and an incredibly sharp picture, it’s ideal for image-editing, design, video-editing and animation. As with any Apple device, you can expect to fork out a fairly hefty amount for a mid-tier MacBook (and we’d advise going for one of the more powerful configurations). However, that super-accurate screen, turbo-charged SSD speed and excellent overall performance make it a perfect choice for anyone doing a lot of graphics work – particularly professional photographers or editors.
Read our full for more details. One of the most widely-known laptop manufacturers on the face of the planet, Dell has been churning out high-quality business devices for years. The most recent XPS 13, however, has got to be one of its crowning glories. The design hasn’t changed all that radically from the previous version, but it’s been slimmed down and refined while the internals have been overhauled with the latest hardware. The XPS 13 represents an ideal confluence of power, portability and battery life, which makes it perfect for busy mobile professionals. It’s not the thinnest notebook out there, but the ability to last for more than ten hours in our tests means it’ll have more than enough juice to power you through those days when you just don’t have time to find a power point.
Read our full for more details. Microsoft might have intended its first proper clamshell notebook to appeal to the lucrative student market, but it also accidentally created a rather excellent business machine.
The sleek, minimalist design is absolutely gorgeous with an Alcantara-covered keyboard surround that is downright delightful to the touch, and it’s backed up by enough power to cover even more demanding power users. It has a great screen, excellent battery life and a fantastically usable keyboard. It’s a pleasure to work on. One thing it is somewhat lacking is ports, with just one USB port and a mini DisplayPort for connecting external devices.
If you can get past this, however, the Surface Laptop is one of the most wallet-friendly choices on this list, coming in at less than £1,000 for a speedy Core i5 model, and considering how nice it is that’s an absolute bargain. Read our full for more details. We’re still not 100% convinced about the usefulness of 2-in-1 devices, but if you’re after a business hybrid then you’re unlikely to find one better than the Lenovo Yoga 920.
A gorgeous lightweight design and heavy-duty performance are big attractions, but the real standout feature is the Yoga’s amazing hinge. The watchband-style hinge negates one of the usual problems with 2-in-1 devices, in that it holds the screen stiffly in place at any angle regardless of whether you’re prodding at it or carrying it around. Despite that, it still manages to somehow be fluid and easy to adjust when you need to. Add in a bundled stylus, and the Yoga 920 becomes the perfect business convertible for those who want the power of a laptop with the versatility of a tablet. Read our full for more details.
Microsoft’s first Surface Book was impressive enough in its own right, but its sophomore effort is something else entirely. The Surface Book 2 is seriously high-quality, with a super-high-resolution screen, a powerful eighth-generation processor and even (in some configurations) a dedicated GPU. Not only is it powerful enough to use for serious tasks like video editing, it’s also a detachable, so you can use it to do some sketching, or annotate documents and the like. It may not be the fastest or the most portable entry on this list – and it’s definitely not the cheapest – but the Surface Book 2 is a near-perfect all-rounder, capable of handling pretty much anything you’d care to throw at it and able to turn its hand to just about any role or application. Read our full for more details. The 2-in-1 variant of Dell’s XPS 13 was somewhat disappointing, featuring a decidedly underwhelming dual-core processor. Imagine our surprise, then, when the XPS 15 2-in-1 turned out to be one of the fastest business laptops we’ve ever tested.
Thanks to Intel’s Kaby Lake-G chips and AMD’s Radeon Vega graphics, this machine is an absolute beast, only narrowly slower than its clamshell stablemate. Frankly, the fact that it’s a convertible is the least interesting thing about it – considering it’s a 15in machine, it’s remarkably slim and light. The battery life is also excellent, given the amount of power on display. If you’re looking for a laptop with serious grunt, this is the machine to go for. Read our full for more details. Business laptops no longer have to be the ugly, slab-like monstrosities they once were, and nowhere is this more apparent than with the HP Spectre 13. Okay, so it’s not strictly designed for the business market, but it’s perfectly capable of keeping up with the demands of enterprise users.
It’s also absolutely stunning to boot; razor-thin, measuring just over 10mm wide, with a matte-black and bronze colour scheme that’s immediately eye-catching. The Spectre 13’s beauty isn’t just skin-deep either, thanks to the Core i7 Coffee Lake processor that powers it.
Its biggest weakness, unfortunately, is its battery life. With a score in our tests of less than five hours, it’s nowhere near as long-lived as some competitors from the likes of Apple and Dell. Still, if you want a laptop that’s going to make your colleagues green with envy, it’ll more than do the job. Read our full for more details.