B u y i n g a B u s i n e s s L a p t o p
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There are hundreds of brands and thousands of designs out there. So how on earth do you choose the best laptop for your business needs? Your first step is to ask yourself what exactly it is that your business laptop needs to do. If you are a graphic artist or in some field that requires state of the art graphics work then you will need to make certain that the laptop you buy has a graphics card that is capable of handling this need. Outside of high-end graphics fields, the average business laptop has very few demands that are expensive to meet. A very basic laptop that can run spreadsheets, budget software and copious amounts of writing is fairly inexpensive to purchase. When researching what laptop will best suit your business needs you need to remember that the machine does have to be able to perform at whatever level you are going to need. Even if you plan to use it for graphic design only once the entire system will have to be able to handle that single use. Most people tend to overbuy their laptop computer. If this computer is going to be used in instances where you frequently travel you may want more from it simply because it may also come in handy for providing entertainment during long delays or during overnight trips. However if you are not looking for an entertainment and graphics machine you can get a laptop very inexpensively. While most laptops come with certain preinstalled software packages it’s important to make certain that those are not only full versions of the products but also that they are compatible with software on your desktop or whatever system your company chooses to work with. All laptop computers now come with wireless capabilities and setting up the internet on these machines usually takes less than 5 minutes. You will want to be certain that the laptop you choose is comfortable for you to work on and that the screen is adequate. Most businesses with special software can have it installed on your new laptop in only a few minutes. See your company’s tech support staff for help if you need it. While searching for your new laptop you are likely to run into the new netbooks now available. The primary difference between the two is that laptops are normally considered to be desktop replacements and boast more power, more data ports, and more storage space. Laptops also generally have full size keyboards and screens. Netbooks are much smaller, lighter and naturally less expensive. If you need a computer for more than just surfing the internet and jotting down a few notes you are probably going to want a laptop instead of a netbook. Finding a good laptop for your business is not time consuming or difficult. Simply determine what you plan to use the laptop for and go from there. A good basic business laptop need not be expensive to be a welcome addition to your business team. Nasreen Haque |
N e t b o o k s f o r B u s i n e s s T h i n k i n g B i g M e a n s T h i n k i n g S m a l l
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The laptop is undoubtedly one of the more popular tools for business executives, second only perhaps to the smartphone. While netbooks have been around for quite some time, it hasn’t quite captured as many users what with issues of limited power and incomplete feature set. These days, however, it may be more practical to use a netbook in place of a laptop. Reasons to Use a Netbook The recently concluded Computex 2009 should be proof that the next generation netbooks will boast of features that may rival that of a laptop’s. Some of the devices slated for release later this year make use of processors that not only increase performance but also allow for enhanced video and graphics capabilities. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip alone will allow netbooks to have the same appealing attributes of a smartphone such as 3G connectivity and excellent battery life. Other chips promise to deliver speed even as low power consumption capability is enhanced. More and more manufacturers are coming out with netbooks running on the Google platform Android which will perhaps provide superior user experience compared to Windows XP or Linux that netbooks typically run on. One of the drawbacks of a netbook is screen and keyboard size but that is no longer an issue as there are several docking options available to the user. You can attach the netbook to an external screen, keyboard or a mouse. If docking isn’t to your liking, Synaptics is slated to release its latest touch pad model, the ClickPad, which enables consumers to use finger gestures to operate the netbook. Recommendations If you’re looking at netbooks for use as a business tool, there are a few recommendations that provide good value for money. The HP Mini 1000 is optimized for Internet tasks and entertainment. It operates on a Linux-based software so you also get open source software as extras such as OpenOffice and Thunderbird. The HP Mini 1000 is exquisitely designed with a 10 inch screen made of flush glass. The screen makes for convenient surfing and users might find the keyboard a plus as it is almost the same size as a regular keyboard. The user interface of the Acer Aspire One makes the computing experience decidedly more convenient. The homescreen is organized into four areas: work, connect, files and fun. You can create documents, spreadsheets and multimedia presentations easily on this netbook. Connectivity is also simplified with features such as single sign-on which enables you to manage all your e-mail and IM accounts in one click. Challenges While netbook sales have been steadily increasing over the past few years, there is reason to believe the netbook industry will be in for some serious competition from ultra-thin laptops especially as these laptops will be priced more affordably. Customers with a few more dollars to spare may not mind shelling out extra cash to get a full-range laptop instead of a netbook. The focus on creating low-voltage chips in ultra-thin laptops may also figure in importantly in consumer choices. The chips will be operating under Intel Core 2 which is more efficient than Atom processors typically found in netbooks. GP About the Author: |
