Business Laptop Buying Guide
Today we'll examine my picks for the best laptops with screens from 11.1 inches to 14.1 inches currently available for serious business users.
Remember that business users' needs are different from those of low-end consumers and high-end gaming enthusiasts. Also note that we will not look at convertibles/tablets.
As it turns out,
Lenovo
and
Sony
(SNE) - Get Report
are the two companies with products that fit this profile by far the best. This will change as companies such as
Dell
(DELL) - Get Report
and
Apple
(AAPL) - Get Report
refresh their product lines in coming weeks or perhaps months -- but for now, these are the best.
Except for the two smallest screen sizes, where there really is onlyone way to go in each category, I put together two configurations, one high-end and one low-end.
The high-end configurations are not necessarily completely maxed out, and the low-end configurations aren't the most basic imaginable; rather, they're reasonable ones.
The options mentioned in the two configurations are the ones where youhave to make a choice in the online configurator. Therefore, something may be included in the high-end configuration that is mentioned only in the description for the low-end configuration.
All configurations include a three-year in-home warranty when possible, but don't include
Microsoft
(MSFT) - Get Report
Office software. Office 2010 is downloadable from
for free until October 2010, when you'll have to pay for it.
Of course, configuration options and prices will change over time. The prices listed were valid as of March 27.
Sony Vaio X
Best 11.1 inch laptop: Sony X (starting at 1.6 pounds)
Pros: Thinnest, lightest and quietest. Best battery life.
Cons: 2 gigabyte memory, 128 gigabyte solid-state drive (SSD), small keyboard and screen, weak processor, no optical drive, no WiMax.
Only reasonable configuration: 128 gigabyte SSD, small and large batteries, $1,499.
Lenovo X100e
Best 11.6 inch laptop:
Lenovo
X100e (starting at 3.0 pounds)
Pros: Keyboard, screen, price.
Cons: No SSD of any size, weak processor, no 64 bit Windows 7 Professional, no WiMax, no optical drive.
Only reasonable configuration: 4 gigabyte memory, 320 gigabyte hard disk drive (HDD), Bluetooth, three-year on-site warranty, $943.
Lenovo X201
Best 12.1 inch laptop: Lenovo X201 (starting at 2.9 pounds)
Pros: Keyboard, screen, processor, weight, WiMax.
Minus: No optical drive, 128 gigabyte SSD, price.
High-end configuration: i7-62M, Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, 8 gigabyte memory(single slot), 128 gigabyte SSD, WiMax modem, three-year on-site warranty, $2,683.
Low-end configuration: i5-520M, Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, video camera,4 gigabyte memory (double slot), fingerprint reader and touchpad, 128 gigabyteSSD, 6-cell battery, Bluetooth, WiMax modem, three-year on-site warranty, $2,018.
Sony Vaio Z
Best 13.1 inch laptop: Sony Z (starting at 3.1 pounds)
Pros: Storage, processor, optical drive, weight, graphics.
Cons: Price, no WiMax.
High-end configuration: i7-620M, Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, premiumcarbon fiber, 384 gigabyte SSD, 8 gigabyte memory, Norton three-year subscription,standard battery, three-year warranty, $3,230.
Low-end configuration: i5-540M, Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, premium carbonfiber, 256 gigabyte SSD, 4 gigabyte memory, Norton three-year subscription, standardbattery, three-year warranty, $2,730.
Lenovo T410S
Best 14.1 inch laptop: Lenovo T410S (starting at 3.9 pounds)
Pros: Screen, processor, keyboard, optical drive, graphics, WiMax,battery life.
Cons: Price, 128 gigabyte SSD.
High-end configuration: i5-520M, Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, 4 gigabyte memory(single slot), 128 gigabyte SSD, 3-cell extra battery (Ultrabay), WiMaxmodem, three-year on-site warranty, $2,458.
Low-end configuration: i5-520M, Windows 7 Professional 64 bit, 4 gigabyte memory(double slot), 128 gigabyte SSD, 3-cell extra battery (Ultrabay), WiMaxmodem, three-year on-site warranty, $2,198.
Anton Wahlman was a sell-side equity research analyst covering the communications technology industries from 1996 to 2008: UBS 1996-2002, Needham & Company 2002-2006, and ThinkEquity 2006-2008.
