Business Laptops Buyers Guide
When selecting a business notebook computer, most companies look beyond price and focus on features that are important to the mission-critical tasks of small-to-medium and even large companies. These include such things as the weight, physical size, communications capabilities and the power and speed of the system’s CPU. Durability is also important since many of these systems will be used by a mobile workforce and have to endure the bumps and bruises of business travel.
In terms of weight and the general form factor, it is best to find a system that balances the features and power you need with the overall heft of the system. Most business users will opt for a smaller LCD screen and a thinner form factor over a larger and more bulky multimedia system. Ideally, “road warriors” want the weight of their laptops to be about five pounds or less. Such safeguards as self-parking hard disks or SSDs are also desirable to protect business data an against minor bumps or drops that cause damage.
In general, the higher the storage drive capacity the better, especially since more business users are dealing with multimedia-rich files and large spreadsheets. A flash-based solid state drive is useful, since there are no moving mechanical parts, but a better and more flexible option might be a traditional or hybrid hard drive. Traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) are also much less expensive and can easily be swapped out, if necessary.
Many business notebooks have built-in security features, or even incorporate a GPS function to track stolen or misplaced laptops. By far one of the more important features, however, is the system’s communications capabilities, which should include a built-in Ethernet port for wired connectivity, and support for multiple wireless technologies, including 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, a cellular modem and Bluetooth short-range connectivity.
Recent Business Laptops Reviews
Review
INHON CarbonBook User Review
The balance between portability and power is always tricky for laptops. We put the INHON CarbonBook to the test to see if its performance is as impressive as its design. Read full article
Review
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2014) Review
This high-end business Ultrabook features a gorgeous 14-inch WHQD display, carbon fiber construction and an adaptive keyboard. Read on to see how this featherweight stacks up. Read full article
Apple Review
Apple MacBook Air 11-inch (2014) Review
Here is the question: Is the MacBook Air still a viable choice for those looking for portable yet powerful laptop, especially in a market flooded with Ultrabooks and hybrids? Read full article
Ultrabook Review
HP Zbook 14 Review: The Workstation That Thinks It’s an Ultrabook
With a chassis that can be opened without tools, great power and plenty of ports, the HP Zbook 14 acts like a workstation, but with Ultrabook size. Read our full[...] Read full article
Dell Review
Dell XPS 13 (2014) Review: Same Style New System
The Dell XPS 13 is back and it’s better than ever. The update injects new life into the line with Intel’s fourth generation Haswell processors and full touch capability, all[...] Read full article
Review
Dell XPS 11 Review: Flexible or Flailing?
The 360-degree hinged Dell XPS 11 2-in-1 laptop/tablet offers a solid Windows 8.1 experience in both modes and offers good connectivity, but will its odd keyboard make it fall flat?[...] Read full article
Review
HP EliteBook 850 Review
This premium 15.6-inch business-oriented notebook incorporates state-of-the-art technology into an 0.8-inch thin chassis with very little not to like - here's our take. Read full article
HP Review
HP ZBook 17 Mobile Workstation Review
HP reinvents its mobile workstation notebook line with the HP ZBook 17. The device offers strong performance and ample connectivity, but is it enough to justify the steep price?[...] Read full article
Lenovo Review
Lenovo ThinkPad S431 Ultrabook Review
Lenovo brings affordable thin and light mobility to the business sector with the 14" ThinkPad S431. This Ultrabook features a 1600x900 touch display and excellent ergonomics. Read full article
Laptop
Lenovo ThinkPad T431s
Equipped with a 1.9 GHz third generation Intel i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD and Intel HD Graphics the Lenovo ThinkPad T431s offers solid performance capable of handling[...] Read full article
INHON CarbonBook User Review
The balance between portability and power is always tricky for laptops. We put the INHON CarbonBook to the test to see if its performance is as impressive as its design. Read full article
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (2014) Review
This high-end business Ultrabook features a gorgeous 14-inch WHQD display, carbon fiber construction and an adaptive keyboard. Read on to see how this featherweight stacks up. Read full article
Apple MacBook Air 11-inch (2014) Review
Here is the question: Is the MacBook Air still a viable choice for those looking for portable yet powerful laptop, especially in a market flooded with Ultrabooks and hybrids? Read full article
HP Zbook 14 Review: The Workstation That Thinks It’s an Ultrabook
With a chassis that can be opened without tools, great power and plenty of ports, the HP Zbook 14 acts like a workstation, but with Ultrabook size. Read our full[...] Read full article
Dell XPS 13 (2014) Review: Same Style New System
The Dell XPS 13 is back and it’s better than ever. The update injects new life into the line with Intel’s fourth generation Haswell processors and full touch capability, all[...] Read full article
Dell XPS 11 Review: Flexible or Flailing?
The 360-degree hinged Dell XPS 11 2-in-1 laptop/tablet offers a solid Windows 8.1 experience in both modes and offers good connectivity, but will its odd keyboard make it fall flat?[...] Read full article
HP EliteBook 850 Review
This premium 15.6-inch business-oriented notebook incorporates state-of-the-art technology into an 0.8-inch thin chassis with very little not to like - here's our take. Read full article
HP ZBook 17 Mobile Workstation Review
HP reinvents its mobile workstation notebook line with the HP ZBook 17. The device offers strong performance and ample connectivity, but is it enough to justify the steep price?[...] Read full article
Lenovo ThinkPad S431 Ultrabook Review
Lenovo brings affordable thin and light mobility to the business sector with the 14" ThinkPad S431. This Ultrabook features a 1600x900 touch display and excellent ergonomics. Read full article
Lenovo ThinkPad T431s
Equipped with a 1.9 GHz third generation Intel i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD and Intel HD Graphics the Lenovo ThinkPad T431s offers solid performance capable of handling[...] Read full article