Solved! Advice for Buying a Business Laptop

[xyy]

I am looking to buy a business laptop and was looking for suggestions on specific models.

1_What is your budget?

I am not sure about my budget, but I have two options:
A). Spend around $500 to buy a low-end business laptop
B). Spend around $1000 to buy a high-end business laptop.

2_What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?

14"-15"

3_What screen resolution do you want?

Standard (1280x800) or maybe Mid-range (1440x900) resolution.

I have heard that I should avoid 16:9 aspect ratio displays (resolutions such as 1366 x 768) in favor of 16:10 screens (1280 x 800, 1440 x 900, etc). Is this true?

4_Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?

Portable.

5_How much battery life do you need?

3 hours minimum.

6_Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?

No.

7_What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)

I plan to use the laptop for basic things like word processing, internet, email, but also multimedia applications such as watching videos or listening to music.

Even though this laptop will not be for a business, I want to get a business laptop over a consumer model because I have heard they are more durable.

8_How much storage (H.D.D Capacity) do you need?

250 GB or more. 7200 RPM.

9_If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.

None.

10_How long do you want to keep your laptop?

3 years or more.

11_What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc?

DVD±R/RW Dual Layer Drive

12_Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.

My main concerns are build quality and durability. So I favor brands that have decent reliability. I'd like to get a manufacturer's extended warranty, so I want a brand that also has reliable technical/warranty support. I have looked at Lenovo, Toshiba, Asus, Dell, Sony, and Apple. I would prefer to avoid Gateway and Acer.

13_What country do you live in?

USA

14_Please tell us any additional information if needed.

As I mentioned, I am looking at business laptops. In terms of the low-end business laptops, I have considered the Lenovo Thinkpad SL, L, and R series; Dell Vostro; and HP ProBooks.

For the high-end business laptops, I have considered the Lenovo Thinkpad T series; Dell Latitude; HP EliteBooks; Toshiba Tecras; and Sony BZ series.

I am leaning towards PC, but Apple laptops like the MacBook and MacBook Pro are a possibility. If I do get a Mac, I want to be able to transfer and work with files on my desktop PC.

I would like suggestions for both low-end and high-end business laptops. Thanks.

 

[Maziar]

http/www.xoticpc.com/asus-ul80jta1-p-2836.html
Would be a great choice.

 

[xyy]

http/www.xoticpc.com/asus-ul80jta1-p-2836.html
Would be a great choice.

Thanks for the suggestion, Maziar.

Do you know anything about the reliability of Asus' tech/warranty support?

They seem to offer things (like free accidental damage and defective pixel coverage) that other brands don't.

And how durable are Asus laptops in general?

 

[Maziar]

ASUS is a good brand,and has a good support AFAIK.
As for free accidental damage,well that's not what is offered by ASUS,actually XoticPC offers this kind of warranties.

 

[waynec121]

I personally would go for a 8440p. It would cost about $1200, but would have a 7200rpm hdd, i5 520 cpu, good battery life, and dedicated graphics. I would personally pay $75 extra to upgrade to 4GB of DDR3. I am really considering getting it myself.

check this video out:
http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G554HtdoUA
It is a 8540p which is the 15" model vs. the 14".

 

[xyy]

I personally would go for a 8440p. It would cost about $1200, but would have a 7200rpm hdd, i5 520 cpu, good battery life, and dedicated graphics. I would personally pay $75 extra to upgrade to 4GB of DDR3. I am really considering getting it myself.

check this video out:
http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=3G554HtdoUA
It is a 8540p which is the 15" model vs. the 14".

I have heard that some HP laptops have problems with the touchpad. Do you know if the Elitebook 8440p has this issue?

And what is HP's tech support like?

 

[IsabellaWinTeam]

I am looking to buy a business laptop and was looking for suggestions on specific models.

1_What is your budget?

I am not sure about my budget, but I have two options:
A). Spend around $500 to buy a low-end business laptop
B). Spend around $1000 to buy a high-end business laptop.

2_What is the size of the notebook that you are considering?

14"-15"

3_What screen resolution do you want?

Standard (1280x800) or maybe Mid-range (1440x900) resolution.

I have heard that I should avoid 16:9 aspect ratio displays (resolutions such as 1366 x 768) in favor of 16:10 screens (1280 x 800, 1440 x 900, etc). Is this true?

4_Do you need a portable or desktop replacement laptop?

Portable.

5_How much battery life do you need?

3 hours minimum.

6_Do you want to play games with your laptop? If so then please list the games that you want to with the settings that you want for these games. (Low,Medium or High)?

No.

7_What other tasks do you want to do with your laptop? (Photo / Video editing,watching movies, Etc.)

I plan to use the laptop for basic things like word processing, internet, email, but also multimedia applications such as watching videos or listening to music.

Even though this laptop will not be for a business, I want to get a business laptop over a consumer model because I have heard they are more durable.

8_How much storage (H.D.D Capacity) do you need?

250 GB or more. 7200 RPM.

9_If you are considering specific sites to buy from, please post their links.

None.

10_How long do you want to keep your laptop?

3 years or more.

11_What kind of Optical drive do you need? DVD ROM/Writer,Bluray ROM/Writer,Etc?

DVD±R/RW Dual Layer Drive

12_Please tell us about the brands that you prefer to buy from them and the brands that you don't like and explain the reasons.

My main concerns are build quality and durability. So I favor brands that have decent reliability. I'd like to get a manufacturer's extended warranty, so I want a brand that also has reliable technical/warranty support. I have looked at Lenovo, Toshiba, Asus, Dell, Sony, and Apple. I would prefer to avoid Gateway and Acer.

13_What country do you live in?

USA

14_Please tell us any additional information if needed.

As I mentioned, I am looking at business laptops. In terms of the low-end business laptops, I have considered the Lenovo Thinkpad SL, L, and R series; Dell Vostro; and HP ProBooks.

For the high-end business laptops, I have considered the Lenovo Thinkpad T series; Dell Latitude; HP EliteBooks; Toshiba Tecras; and Sony BZ series.

I am leaning towards PC, but Apple laptops like the MacBook and MacBook Pro are a possibility. If I do get a Mac, I want to be able to transfer and work with files on my desktop PC.

I would like suggestions for both low-end and high-end business laptops. Thanks.

Hi there,

The Sony VAIO Z is a great business laptop. It has a spacious keyboard and long battery life. At 3 lbs, it is also the perfect business travel companion and it has great multi-media specs.

What do you think?

Cheers,
Isabella
MSFT Windows Outreach Team