In this article we will be discussing choosing the right laptop.
Having the right I.T equipment is essential to keeping your staff highly productive.
We help source and deliver the perfect combination of I.T equipment.
Feel free to reach out and have us tailor a solution for your needs.
The right laptop should be the right size with plenty of performance for the basics like word processing and internet browsing.
All laptop brands produce good laptop models, the key is to avoid the problematic models and stick to laptops that aren’t duds. Its difficult to know which laptops models are the better ones as on paper they all have the same specifications.
Reliability is key and we scour the internet and collect feedback from our clients to make sure we select only the very best laptops of what’s available.
Although we don’t often sell laptops. We do help source laptops for the best price and professionally configure and install them.
Our customers all have different requirements. Some customers have staff that need good graphics performance for opening and editing design files, blueprints and plans. Other Staff just need Word, Excel and internet browsing.
Whatever the requirements, we will make sure to listen carefully to ensure we recommend laptop models that will enable you and your staff to work at maximum performance.
Key specifications to look for when selecting a laptop:
1. Size:
If the laptop is to be carried around a lot then a smaller size is preferred. We find that 13″ screen size is the smallest we would recommend while still being a big enough screen to be functional.
Some users need a larger screen as having the extra space makes it easier to navigate and be productive. In this case we recommend a 15″ screen.
Going with a large size laptop generally means more weight however it is possible to get a larger 15″ screen in a slim lightweight laptop.
A preferred screen size for business use is 14″ as its a happy medium between portability and screen size.
2. Processor (CPU) speed:
Laptops come in a range of processor speeds, generally you get what you pay for here. We like to think of the processor as your laptops brain, your laptop can only think as fast as its processor allows. We recommend steering clear of cheaper entry level processors as usually the laptop wont keep up with basic tasks. It can be hard to tell which processor is better and generally we like to advise on this on a per customer basis.
3. RAM memory:
Ram memory is a type of storage your laptop uses when you have many things open at once. At a minimum we recommend 8GB of RAM and much prefer 16GB if the laptop is going to be used with a lot of things open at the same time.
4. Storage
Storage has changed a lot in recent years. The big thing to watch out for is the older mechanical Hard disk drives and go for Solid state drives instead. Storage comes in different sizes and speeds. Its best to go for the faster types. The size(space) needs to be big enough and varies depending on what you intend to save on the laptop. Having the right amount of storage ensures hassle free operation.
5. Graphics
Graphics performance for laptops is limited. There is only so much you can squeeze into a laptop and desktop computers can generally have much better graphics performance. Having said that it is possible to get advanced graphics performance with the addition of a discrete graphics card. Some higher end laptops come with a discrete graphics card and work much better for design files and opening large graphics files such as blueprints and plans.
6. Battery
Battery life is important if you intend to use the laptop away from your desk for long periods. Battery life ranges in hours from 2-3 hours all the way to over 10 hours. Weight is a consideration here as larger batteries generally increase weight.
7. Weight
Easily overlooked, having a lighter laptop makes a big difference when travelling. The lightest performance laptops weigh just over 1kg.
8. Cost
With laptops you generally pay more for performance, battery life and lightweight. Once you know the features that are required then we can help you source a good laptop and get bang-for-your-buck.
