It’s a great time to be an entrepreneur. In the 2020’s entrepreneurs all over the world are running entire businesses with only their skills, talents, and their laptops. You may have the passion, work ethic, and skills to launch and run a successful business, but what about your hardware?
If you want to grow your business in this competitive landscape, you must make sure that you are well equipped. This includes having the right technology to run your business efficiently. Although smartphones have come a long way, they have yet advanced enough to replace a powerful laptop.
The right laptop will help you become more efficient, productive, and help you stay on top of your business in the 2021. That is why we’ve compiled a list of the 10 best laptops that will help you grow your business. Whether you need a great but affordable laptop or a more powerful machine, there is a laptop out there that is right for you and your business.
But before you buy a laptop that will be used for business, there are many things to consider.
What is Your Budget?
When selecting the right laptop for a business you must also consider your budget. There are 3 price tiers to consider; entry-level, mainstream, and premium.
- Entry-level– These laptops price for about $600 or less. These are good options if you don’t have a lot to spend on tech for yourself or your team. Although you may find something that will work for you in this price bracket, I do recommend you stay away from the laptops that are less than $300. For some options, check our article 5 Best Business Laptops that are Under $500. These are great to get you started but as your business grows, you’ll most likely need something more powerful with more features.
- Mainstream–These computers are priced between $600-$1,000. This category also has the most options to choose from. If you are looking for a reliable, powerful, and capable laptop for a modest price, a machine in this category is your best bet.
- Premium–If you are looking for the best of the best, you will find a few premium laptops that can handle just about anything your workday can throw at it. The average price for these premium laptops start at around $1,000. For the price, you’re gain longer battery life, improved performance from more powerful internal hardware, higher-resolution displays overall better build quality not to mention reliability.
What will you be doing day-to-day?
An important question to ask yourself is “what will you be doing daily within your business?” If your work consists of just using web applications and answering emails, you may do just fine with a simpler laptop. However, if your workload is a little heavier and you will be doing things like downloading files, invoicing, using spreadsheets, uploading videos, etc, a more powerful laptop is a better choice. For me, I found that I enjoyed the speed of a faster premium computer. It saves me time which is a top priority for me.
Will you be traveling?
When choosing the right laptop to run your business, another thing to consider is whether or not you will be traveling. If you intend to be moving traveling with your laptop, then you may opt to choose a lighter laptop with a longer battery life.
Do you need a touchscreen?
We are not getting accustomed to having touch screens on just about all of our tech. From phones to vehicle displays, most devices now operate using touchscreens. But a touchscreen isn’t necessary for your business, it may not be a good idea to purchase a laptop with this option. Touchscreen laptops are usually heavier than those that are not touchscreen. Also, touchscreen machines use a lot more battery power than those without, even if you don’t actively use the touchscreen feature.
What operating system will work best?
When selecting a laptop it is important to decide which operating system is going to serve you best. There are three primary operating systems available; Chrome, Windows, and Apple OSX. The majority of computers in the world use Windows. This means you will have more options to choose from if you decide you would like a Windows-compatible laptop. Macbooks and Macbook Pro computers use Apple OSX. These laptops have a reputation of having a well-designed interface, great screen quality, user-friendly features, and all of the other things you’d expect from a premium laptop. And, of course, Chromebooks operate using Chrome OS designed by Google.
Answering these questions will help you narrow down which device is best for you.
1. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
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This beast of a laptop is a Lenovo gem that can handle lengthy jobs. Together, the Intel Core i5 processor and 16GB of RAM, along with the 512 GB SSD hard drive, work at top speed to bust out anything you throw at it. The carbon-reinforced chassis protects against spilled coffee and accidental drops. For added security, the X1 Carbon has a fingerprint reader on its power button.
The 14″ high-definition touchscreen display allows for a hands-on, intuitive approach to your work. You can enjoy working from anywhere with a reliable battery life of up to 15.5 hours and a recharge time of under an hour. Previous models of this machine were not equipped with Bluetooth but since 2019 these models now have that option.
2. Huawei Matebook X Pro
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The Huawei Matebook laptop was designed with productivity in mind, with an astounding 91 percent screen-to-body ratio. At a 3:2 aspect ratio, the display is spacious enough for all your programs to fit onscreen. By default the Matebook X Pro features an 8th-gen Intel processor with an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card, making it ideal for image processing, video editing, graphics modeling, and much more.
It packs quite a punch for its price compared to its competitors. The keyboard is spill-proof as well, and the large trackpad has palm detection so the cursor stays still while you type. A fingerprint scan is integrated into the power button for a smoother login process. And it only weighs 2.93 pounds and is only 14.6 mm thick.
3. Acer TravelMate P6 P614
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The Acer TravelMate is a great choice. The base system comes with an Intel Core processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, which is quite a package. The graphics card offers enough power for video editing and graphic design. This laptop is only 2.7 pounds and 0.7 inches thick, making it a viable portable option. The TravelMate P6 P614 has also passed several military durability tests, so it can take a beating.
However, its security options are where it shines the most. It has a fingerprint sensor to log in and features an IR webcam for facial recognition. If you get paranoid that someone’s looking through the cam you can cover it with a camera shutter. It also comes with a Kensington lock port in case you have to worry about someone snatching your work laptop at the office or in college. Otherwise, this laptop has all the features you’ll need to accomplish your daily tasks and more.
4. Apple Macbook Pro (2021)
