Shopping for a business laptop? Sounds easy, but if your office debates about the minutia of things like Coke vs Pepsi, Arrow vs the Flash, Desktop vs Laptop and PC vs Mac then you might have a serious decision on your hands.
Desktops offer a great value, especially if you are investing is a large number for your workforce. Laptops, however, allow employees and business leadership to have crucial applications and files at all times: at the office, at home, and on the road. And while, in general, a laptop is still more pricey than a similarly configured desktop, the price gap has narrowed enough that you won’t have to spend a lot more to gain that convenience and motility. It is for that reason that more and more businesses are opting for the accessibility factor of buying a business laptop.
Laptops for Business
If that is where your business has landed, in your quest for new computers, the choice comes down to . . . . which laptop is the best for the type of business you run? This is an entirely different set of considerations before making that purchase. Since a laptop will be used on the fly and for things like presentations and graphics, you will need to take into consideration durability, security and multimedia functions. Here is a list of things to consider before making your business laptop purchase.
- Choose an Operating System – There are three major laptop operating systems that you may want to choose from: Windows, OS X, and Chrome OS. Windows 10, the latest version of the operating system, comes with a handful of new features that can boost your productivity. However, many consumers prefer OS X, favoring its slick design and integration with Apple’s iPhones and iPads. Chrome OS doesn’t run Mac or Windows software; instead, it relies on internet applications. This decision will likely be one of your more difficult depending upon the applications and services you will need to successfully run your business.
- Durability – Obviously, a laptop is meant to go from place-to-place and handle movement and potential bumps along the way. Therefore, durability is a huge thing to consider when choosing a laptop. Almost every business-class notebook comes with a shock-mounted hard drive that’s designed to cushion vibration when setting the machine down. A solidly constructed laptop will save you money in the long run.
- Security – Business laptops may carry sensitive business data including credit card and personal information about clients or employees. For your everyday laptops around the office, most business buyers will be well-served by strong Windows and Web passwords and passphrases. But, for salespeople, managers, and executives who have sensitive client, customer, or employee information on their laptops, layered security consisting of a biometric reader and drive encryption is a must. You may want to consider security items like BitLocker (Windows), fingerprint scanner or a Smart card.
- Extras – There are many extras that you can swap in and out of laptops that may give you wiggle room when it comes to software that you really need. Upgrading battery components and length of warranties may also be an extra that you are willing to pay for.