Author: Ian Betteridge
Date: 16/07/2008
A laptop is a great business tool - but can you get by with a cheap consumer machine?
If you read the ads for computers in newspapers or watch them on TV, you’ll know there are loads of deals for low-cost laptops at the moment – some as low as £300. A laptop is a great business tool, but are these kinds of machines actually suitable for business?
The good news is that if you’re looking for a computer for business, you don’t need the kind of high-specification, high-power machine that goes for over a grand. In fact, there are really only three things that you need to think about when judging if a laptop is right for you.
The first is how powerful it is. You don’t need something capable of creating a movie, but business applications like Outlook or Word do need something reasonable. That means a processor of at least 1.5GHz, with at least 2GB of memory – although 1GB is fine if you’re using Windows XP the latest version of Windows, Vista, really needs at least 2GB to shine.
The second thing to consider is the screen. You’ll spend quite a bit of time staring at it, so spending a few extra pounds to get a better quality display is worth the money. If possible, try to actually get some hands-on experience with the machine you’re thinking of buying, and check that the sharpness and brightness of the screen is comfortable for you.
The third element is size. Most laptops in the budget category come with 15in screens, which means they can be quite large. If you’re looking for something to carry around on a daily basis, you may need something smaller and lighter – and smaller machines are usually more expensive. If, on the other hand, your laptop will mostly be tied to your desk, then weight will be much less important.
So think about what you need before you buy – and you could find yourself a bargain.