Price is often the main consideration when companies want to buy business laptops for their employees. With the existing budget, companies can estimate the specifications and brand of business laptop they will buy. Many companies still rely on price when looking for the best business laptop. Although this step is correct, it would be better if the company considered other factors beyond price.
When procuring business laptops for employees, the company’s goal is to get a laptop that is durable, easy to use, and whose performance can be relied on to increase productivity. Therefore, your focus should be on long-term use, not cheap price. Even though there are many cheap laptop choices, buying a more expensive business laptop can save costs and reduce stress in the future.
Price is no longer a consideration when buying a business laptop
Procuring a business laptop for the office should not focus on your personal preferences. Think about the long-term impact the company will have if it chooses the wrong product. Even though there are many cheap laptop offers with various discounts, your main focus should be on specifications that ensure employees can work efficiently every day.
Cheap laptops usually have standard specifications so their performance may decrease in the next 3 to 5 years. Slow performance can hinder productivity. On the other hand, more expensive business laptops have longer-lasting performance and longer-lasting build quality so they are safer when the laptop changes hands, from old employee to new employee.
Before buying a business laptop for the office, there are several factors to consider, namely:
- Expensive laptops last longer. Expensive business laptops have bodies made of magnesium, stainless, or carbon. These materials are stronger against impacts so they are not easily damaged if dropped or hit.
- Cheap laptop batteries don’t last long. Of course, with a cheap price you can’t get a high quality battery. Low battery quality means the laptop won’t last long. You certainly don’t want to work with a laptop that has to be constantly plugged into a socket, right? If so, what is the difference between a laptop and a desktop PC? Instead of saving on laptops, office electricity bills actually increase.
- Standard Processors Hamper Productivity. Most cheap business laptops are not equipped with adequate processors and storage. In the next 3 to 5 years, laptop performance will decline and hamper employee productivity. Multitasking and creating documents takes a long time. Imagine if all your employees worked on slow laptops, how much time would be wasted completing work that should be completed quickly?
To avoid all the problems above, you should pay attention to the balance between price and specifications. Don’t be tempted by big discounts or cheap prices. Choose specifications that are safe to use for the next 5 years. Make sure all the money you invest now is worth the increased productivity you will get for years to come.
Business Laptop Specifications to Pay Attention to
With so many business laptop models and brands to choose from, it makes procuring a business laptop more complicated. After determining the procurement budget, the next step you must take is to review the specifications of each laptop. The following are the specifications to consider when buying a business laptop:
- Processor (CPU). Business laptops powered by 11th generation Intel Core and AMD Ryzen equivalents are suitable for business laptops this year. The newest processors have a higher number of cores and higher clock speeds. Faster Core support guarantees smoother multitasking.
- RAM and Storage. The recommended RAM capacity for business laptops is 8GB. If it’s less than that, running a browser with lots of tabs will be difficult. The type of RAM used should be the latest type for faster data access. Business laptops must also use SSD, not HDD, because they are definitely faster and last longer.
- Battery Life. For an affordable business laptop, it’s best to have a battery life of 10 to 12 hours. Meanwhile, more expensive models should be above 13 hours. In addition, make sure the processor used has good power efficiency.
- Connectivity Ports. Business laptops need at least USB Type A and C ports, HDMI, SD Card Reader, or VGA and DVI.
- Laptop Weight. For employees who have high mobility, you should provide a business laptop weighing less than 1.5 kg.
- Screen Quality. A 13 to 14 inch screen is ideal for office use. Make sure the laptop screen is equipped with anti-reflective equipment so that it is more comfortable to use in sunlight or strong office lighting.
- Operating System. Windows 10 will no longer be supported in 2024. It is safer to use Windows 11 because it is equipped with new features, efficiency and security enhanced with AI. Apart from Windows, you can also choose a MacBook laptop with macOS which is suitable for the creative industry.
- Physical Durability of Laptops. Premium business laptop bodies are made of magnesium, stainless, or carbon. The hinge is also made of strong material that can withstand opening and closing the screen for years. Testing via MIL-STD 810 ensures the laptop is safe from extreme temperatures and impact.
Choosing a Good Laptop for Your Business
To help you estimate what kind of business laptop to buy. Here are some guides from us to adjust laptop specifications to your needs.
1. Standard Usage
Employees with standard laptop usage patterns need reliable performance for sending email, browsing, streaming video, and using various office applications. For user convenience, you can choose a laptop with 8GB RAM. Storage must use SSD, because even the lowest variant is faster than the fastest HDD. The recommended screen size is 14 inches or 15.6 inches because it is ideal for long-term use.
2. Above Average Usage
Using a medium to above average laptop requires a faster processor capacity. Faster laptops can handle intensive applications such as: CMS, SAP, photo and video editing, and heavy multitasks. The latest processors have stronger security features to prevent cyber attacks. The connectivity ports are also up to date, such as USB Type C. Build quality is also safer and has been tested against impacts.
3. Heavy Use
Heavy and intensive use requires the fastest processor specs. RAM is recommended at least 16GB and SSD 512 GB. Heavy applications such as graphic design, application or website development, and architecture can be run simultaneously. Fast data transfer can move large amounts of data in a short time. These business laptops are usually expensive and have thin and compact bodies. On average, laptops have been tested to the US military standard MIL-STD 810 which is safe from extreme temperatures and impact.
Conclusion
Some useful conclusions for those of you who want to buy a business laptop are that the price of business laptops is more expensive than consumer laptops. By paying a little more, you can get stronger durability and performance in the long term. To save your budget, you can give expensive laptops to management level or technical employees. Meanwhile, staff employees only need to use standard laptops.
For a typical business laptop, it’s best to have at least 8GB RAM and an SSD. For employees who work with lots of heavy applications, it is recommended to choose 16GB RAM and SSD specs. USB Type C and Thunderbolt options are good for employees who need high speed for data transfer.
Limited procurement budget laptops for small businesses sometimes “forces” you to buy a cheap business laptop. However, don’t let the cheap price compromise the quality you get. You can buy a business laptop from a well-known cheap brand. Most importantly, make sure the specifications can be relied on for the next 5 years.
