Devices and Delight

11 Things to Consider When Shopping for a Business Laptop in 2023

By Devices and Delight staff

Looking to buy a business laptop, and you’re not sure where to start? Well, with so many laptops on the market, most of which seem like clones of each other, your need for guidance is justified.

To help you make the right purchase, here’s a list of 11 things to consider:

1. Laptop Purpose

When shopping for a business laptop, the first thing is to establish the intended level of usage (in other words, the exact nature and intensity of your business), so that you acquire a device with the technical capacity (specifications) to deliver at that level and at the right price.

Generally, there are three levels of laptop usage:

Low-Level

This is the lowest usage tier, involving basic tasks such as word processing, spreadsheets, email, social media, and web browsing. Small to medium-level businesses would fall into this category.

Mid-Level

Most businesses are mid-level. Designed to handle more intense business activity, laptops in this category are more powerful than low-level devices.

High-Level

This category is for the most resource-intensive usage and hence features the most powerful laptops, including mobile workstations. So, if you are into heavy computing — architecture, engineering, industrial design, graphic design, and complex scientific processes, among others — this class is for you.

2. Operating System

There are effectively three computer operating systems to choose from: Windows 10 or 11 from Microsoft, Apple’s macOS, and Chrome OS from Google. Since each system has its strengths and weaknesses, the choice will boil down to the best fit for your computing requirements, if not just personal preference.

Windows OS

By far, most laptops in the world use the Windows operating system. Because they are made by so many different manufacturers, Windows laptops are competitively priced and available in a variety of designs and configurations.

On the downside, due to their popularity, Windows laptops are more prone to security attacks than other systems. Furthermore, Microsoft charges a licensing fee for Windows, whereas other operating systems are usually free.

macOS

This is a relatively stable operating system (not prone to crashing). Above all, the macOS has a strong reputation for its security — it’s hard to penetrate by bad actors.

MacBooks (or simply Macs) run on the macOS. Although they are high-quality performers, Macs have three disadvantages you should not ignore.

First, they are generally more expensive than the competition. Second, they offer limited upgradability. And third, after-sales service can be problematic in that it usually requires visiting an Apple store. The Mac design is such that all repair work should only be done by an Apple-certified technician, lest you risk voiding the warranty.

ChromeOS

The ChromeOS runs Chromebooks, which are inexpensive and highly portable laptops, very popular in education and other sectors. However, Chromebooks work mostly online, using web-based applications and cloud storage. If this is not an issue, then you’ll really appreciate the Chromebook on the go.

Other Chromebook advantages include ease of use, reliable performance, a long-life battery, and automatically downloaded updates.

3. Laptop Type

There are two broad laptop types to choose from: traditional (standard) laptops and 2-in-1 (sometimes called hybrid) laptops. The traditional, hinged design has several varieties on the market, including ultrabooks, Chromebooks, mobile workstations, and rugged laptops.

Ultrabooks

Thin, lightweight, and highly portable, ultrabooks are popular for both business and general purposes. They come in various hardware configurations and a wide range of price points.

Chromebooks

Chromebooks are effectively traditional laptops, albeit in the super-portable category.

Mobile Workstations

A mobile workstation is a special business laptop with top-of-the-line performance hardware: powerful and speedy CPUs, highly-efficient GPUs, massive memory (RAM), and plenty of storage (SSD and/or HDD).

These devices are designed to handle graphics-intensive activities such as 3D rendering, video creation, and animation. They are thus a staple among architects, engineers, and other creative professionals. And predictably, they are pricey.

Rugged Laptops

If you’re looking for a laptop to use under harsh conditions, say military, industrial, construction, or similar settings, look no further than a rugged laptop. This is a heavy-duty device designed to withstand adverse temperatures, drops, vibrations, and other physical extremes.

2-in-1s

So-called because they combine the features of traditional laptops and tablets, 2-in-1 laptops come in two sub-types: convertibles and detachables.

A convertible can be transformed back and forth between laptop and tablet modes by rotating the keyboard, whereas a detachable has a screen that can be detached from the keyboard and used as a tablet.

Other notable features of 2-in-1s include a Windows 10 or 11 OS, standard ports, the ability to run desktop applications, long-life batteries, and a relatively small form factor.

Whatever the design type, a business laptop should score favourably in the following aspects: performance hardware, display, keyboard, ports, battery, upgradability, repairability, weight, and not least, price.

4. Performance Specifications

The performance of a computer is determined mainly by its central processing unit (CPU), random access memory (RAM), graphics processing unit (GPU), and storage capacity of the hard disk drive (HDD) or solid state drive (SSD).

For a business laptop, these specifications are best considered relative to the level of device usage:

Low-Level

At this level, Windows laptops typically require Intel Core i3 or Ryzen 3 CPU; 4GB or 8GB RAM; and 128GB HDD. Apple’s entry-level laptop is MacBook Air, which uses M1 chips with integrated 8GB RAM.

Mid-Level

Windows laptops in this large category typically use Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5 CPU; 8GB to 12GB RAM; and 256GB to 1TB HDD or SSD. For graphics-oriented businesses, GPUs are required in addition to CPUs. Apple options are M1 MacBook Air and M2 MacBook Air, where M1 and M2 are the processors with built-in RAM.

HDDs are still the most common form of storage. But SSDs are becoming increasingly popular — they’re faster, quieter, more energy-efficient, more durable, and more compact.

High-Level

To fulfil high-end computing, including the heavy demands of workstations, Windows laptops in this category carry the latest generation Intel Core i7or i9 or Ryzen 7 or Ryzen 9 CPUs, discrete GPUs, 16GB to 32GB RAM, and 1TB to 3TB HDDs or SSDs. The M2 MacBook Pro is Apple’s high-level offering.

5. Display

You evaluate a laptop display mainly on the basis of size, display design, and resolution.

For business use, you want a display size in the range of 14 to 17 inches.

As for design, most business laptops use IPS (In-Plane-Switching) displays, while high-end models are OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode).

Resolution represents image quality. On a business laptop, expect a display with 1920 x 1080p resolution, also known as FHD (Full High Definition), although 3840 x 2160p resolution — 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition) — is also quite popular.

Some standard laptops have a touchscreen. However, on 2-in-1 laptops, this feature is preordained, since the gadget doubles as a tablet. Just keep in mind that touchscreen displays may be prone to power consumption and reflectivity issues.

6. Keyboard

Since your business laptop will be subjected to prolonged periods of usage, you want to ensure that the keyboard is comfortable to use and reasonably durable.

7. Input and Output Ports

A good business laptop should have at least one or two USB-A ports, a USB-C port, a VGA port, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, an audio jack, an SD or microSD card reader, a Display port, and a Thunderbolt 4.

8. Upgradability and Repairability

Regardless of type, the ideal laptop should allow easy access to components for repair and upgrade purposes. So remember that some brands and types of laptops are more receptive to repair and upgrade than others. Here, it’s worth noting that repairability and upgradability seem to be an issue with MacBooks.

And in terms of laptop type, ultraportable (ultrathin) laptops cannot be easily repaired or upgraded because their form factor hinders access to and separation of critical hardware parts.

9. Size and Weight

Rugged devices aside, a good business laptop can be any size and weight. With today’s technology, what matters most is performance capability. In fact, some ultrabooks are more powerful than bigger, standard laptops. Still, generally, thin laptops can pack only so much performance hardware. You gain ultra-portability, you forfeit other things.

10. Battery Life

Battery quality refers to how long the battery runs on a single charge and its lifespan. Run time depends largely on the quality of the laptop, battery type, tasks performed on the device, and upkeep. Look for a business laptop with a battery that will provide a run time of 8 to 10 hours.

Lifespan is also affected by the aforementioned factors, the average being two to four years.

11. Price

Laptop prices range from about US$250 to US$600 for entry-level devices, US$600 to US$1,000 for mid-level, and US$1,000 and above for high-level. How much you pay should be guided by a combination of the above 10 factors.

We hope that with this information at your disposal, shopping for a business laptop will be a bliss.

Happy computing in 2023 and beyond.

30 Top Business Laptops

Here’s our selection of popular laptops from all three general levels of business. To facilitate your choice, we have stated the key hardware specifications for the CPU, GPU, RAM, Hard Drive, and Display. Also indicated are the Operating System and, perhaps most time-saving, the device’s recommended business level.

It’s useful to remember that some laptop brands are upgradable, especially Windows devices. That allows you the economy of starting with an affordable configuration and upgrading the laptop’s performance specifications down the line. But, if you’re shopping for a Mac, it’s advisable to be precise, right from the beginning, with the specs that your business activities demand.

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