Buy a business laptop: 6 models in comparison and what they can do

Outlook, Teams, Excel, and Chrome are the programs that most business laptops have to deal with. The good thing is that none of the office applications need a strong graphics card or a lot of processor power. However, they usually run on the computer at the same time. And that is exactly what can overwhelm an older laptop with only two cores and little memory. As a rule of thumb, a decent business laptop should have a processor with four cores, at least eight gigabytes of RAM and 512 gigabytes of internal SSD storage by 2021.

A full HD resolution for the display does just as little harm as a flat design and low weight. 17-inch laptops are too big for most bags; buyers of a 15.6-inch laptop are more comfortable on the go. In addition, buyers of a business laptop should trust well-known PC sizes such as Dell, HP or Lenovo. They offer certified workshops and dealers who are the first point of contact if the device needs to be repaired or help with data recovery.

Dell business laptops

Dell offers its customers two product families that fall under the category of business laptops: the models of the XPS series and Inspiron laptops. The two series differ in appearance and configuration options from the built-in components. With XPS laptops, you have the choice between a full HD display without touch function or a 4K display with touch function (for a surcharge). Dell, on the other hand, equips current Inspiron laptops with a 4K display or Full HD display without a touch function.

Dell XPS 13 9300-1451

the is a handy notebook with a screen diagonal of 13.4 inches (34 centimeters). Its touch display dissolves in 4K. The Intel Core i7-1065G7 has enough power to work on several programs at the same time. The RAM is generously sized at 16 gigabytes, as is the 1 terabyte SSD hard drive. Windows 10 works on the computer. The connection options are a bit sparse. After all, two Thunderbolt ports are on board, which dress in the form factor of a USB-C socket.

Business-Laptop: Dell Inspiron 15 7501-NJ0N6

One size larger in the display, a bit weaker on the processor . This shouldn’t deter buyers, however, because the Intel Core i5-10300H processor is a CPU in the computer that will easily cope with Excel, Teams & Co. for the next few years. At eight gigabytes, the RAM is half the size of the XPS.

The same applies to the internal memory, which is 512 gigabytes in size. Both are sufficient to work. The Inspiron laptop is superior in terms of connectivity. In addition to two Thunderbolt sockets, it also offers two USB-A inputs and an HDMI slot. How to connect the laptop to external displays is child’s play. The integrated screen has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels (Full HD) over a diagonal of 39.6 centimeters (15.6 inches).

Business laptop from HP: EliteBook 850 G8 (3C7Z5EA)

With its EliteBooks, premium manufacturer Hewlett-Packard (HP) offers formidable business laptops that are in no way inferior to Dell’s models and even add useful functions. Who does not know it: You sit on the train, work concentrated and every now and then the curious person sitting next to you peeps at your display to catch what you are typing. Unpleasant! That’s why HP donates his a screen with privacy protection. Otherwise, with the built-in quad-core from Intel, 8 gigabytes of RAM and 512 gigabytes of internal memory, you are well prepared for the next few years.

Business-Laptop von Lenovo: ThinkPad T14s G2

ThinkPads from Lenovo are among the more expensive business laptops. Lenovo is one of the few manufacturers to give them an LTE module. That also happens with for use. Sure, most smartphones can be configured as WLAN hotspots for the PC. But that sucks either on the smartphone or the PC battery when the mobile phone is connected to the laptop. In terms of performance, the Lenovo laptop is of course in no way inferior to its rivals. However, the internal memory of 256 gigabytes could be too small for some users.

Microsoft Surface: Das Convertible

If you enjoy taking handwritten notes, signing PDF documents or editing them by hand, a convertible could be your device of choice. It is a hybrid of a laptop and tablet. The best-known representatives of this genus are the from Microsoft, on which Windows 10 works.

A convertible as a business laptop offers the advantages of both worlds: You can edit emails or Excel documents like on a classic laptop with a trackpad and keyboard. You can take notes for minutes of important meetings by hand using the appropriate pen. The same applies to signing important documents – if you want to save paper. There is no real disadvantage with the convertibles – except that you usually have to buy a keyboard and pen separately and the connection options are inferior to those of a laptop.

MacBook as a Business Laptop?

At the Opinions are divided as to a business laptop. And there is a reason for this: Apple buyers are usually at home in the creative industry, i.e. they cut videos, edit photos or the like. Anyone who works with colors attaches great importance to the fact that the display shows them true to the original so that the print or film does not look different than on the display. And the Apple displays of the MacBooks offer these excellent color values. A quality that a business laptop doesn’t necessarily need.

And that’s why the MacBook only makes sense as a business laptop if you have got used to MacOS, are not afraid of the extra price compared to Windows and do not want to switch to Windows. By the way: A few years ago there was a dispute between MacOS and Windows. The files from Microsoft Office for MacOS differed from those from Windows Office. Accordingly, there were compatibility problems when different people worked together with Windows and Mac. These teething troubles have now been cured and the Microsoft Office suite works with Windows computers under MacOS without any problems.

The most secure business laptop

If you are looking for a particularly secure business laptop, you cannot avoid Linux. There are several reasons for this: On the one hand, Linux is not as widespread as Windows. And because that is the case, there are simply fewer viruses for Linux. The chance of catching a Trojan horse that is spying out important data through a rash click is lower. There are also Linux laptops like the one that have kill switches for microphone and camera.

Killswitches are buttons that mechanically disconnect the device from the power. And that’s not all that unimportant when you’re working with sensitive data that could be a target for industrial espionage. If the child has fallen into the well and the computer is already infected, at least the attacker cannot overhear and see what is going on at work. Granted: Very few people are likely to appreciate a laptop like this – but it can’t be secure enough for those who do.

You have to keep this in mind with the business laptop

Anyone who likes to work in and with several programs at the same time wants to have at least one quad-core processor built into the laptop. The more cores a processor has, the better it can handle several programs at the same time. In addition, there can be 16 gigabytes of RAM so that the processor always has enough space to temporarily store its tasks there.

512 gigabytes of internal memory are sufficient for processing Word and Excel documents. For image or video editing, it can be more because the files are naturally larger. The business laptop does not necessarily need a dedicated graphics card. The integrated graphics unit of the processor is sufficient in 90 percent of the application area. The only exception: You want to connect your laptop to two or more 4K displays. Then a dedicated graphics card in the laptop can make sense.

4K or Full HD: Which is Better?

As for the display, you die a death on the business laptop. Either you opt for a display that dissolves in 4K. Then you have more space to place multiple windows and programs next to each other. But the place has its price and not only in the wallet. Because more pixels also need more power, the battery of a laptop with a 4K screen is empty faster than if the same device has a display with Full HD resolution.

Here buyers have to decide for themselves what is more important to them. But one thing should be said: Because programs, windows and buttons are very small in a native resolution of 4K on a 15.6 or 17 inch screen, most users scale the resolution up to see buttons and windows larger. Of course, the space advantage of the 4K resolution is lost. Most consumers therefore prefer the Full HD display with the better battery life. Incidentally, WQHD displays on the notebook offer the perfect sweet spot between battery life and resolution. The resolution is usually only found in gaming laptops.

17, 15.6 or 13 inches: the right size

Otherwise, the business laptop should be as light as possible and fit in your pocket that you carry to work. This usually applies to 15.6 or 13 inchers. Anyone who attaches particular importance to securing their laptop wants a device that offers biometric security functions such as a fingerprint sensor. Real data foxes also appreciate so-called kill switches, which mechanically disconnect the webcam and microphone from the notebook.