Business travel is a great way to get away from your home and work life, but it can also be stressful. You have to pack everything you need to ensure that you don’t forget anything important when you leave.
If you are going on business trips often, you may want to consider buying the best business travel laptop. That way, you can take all your files with you wherever you go and not have to worry about finding an emergency PC.
But how do you choose the best laptop for business travel? Let’s look at some examples of what you should look out for and think about when making your decision.
Think About Your Primary Use Case
Before you start shopping, it’s important to think about what your primary use case is. Do you need a laptop that can run many applications at once? Or do you want something light and portable so you can carry it with you everywhere?
If you’re going to be using your computer for work for the most part, then the best laptops for traveling for you will have more power.
But if you’re only going to be using it now and again, then you might not need all those extra features. After all, you could spend that money on something more valuable to your business. Examples of this could be travel costs or expenses.
And, think about the weight. If you’re planning on taking your laptop on business trips or vacations, opt for lightweight. But if you’re staying in one place most of the time, you don’t always need a powerful machine.
Consider Where You’ll Use Your Laptop.
Are you going to use it most of the time on public transport or in a hotel room? Will you be working from home most of the time, or will you also be traveling outside of the office? The answers to these questions will help you determine which features you need in the best laptop for business and travel.
If you’re going on business trips often, opt for a powerful model that supports long battery life. That said, if you are only using your laptop when you’re staying in hotels, you may not care as much about battery life.
Security and Safety
Traveling with a laptop leads to all kinds of security and vulnerability issues. For example, suppose your laptop gets stolen while you’re out of the country.
There’s no guarantee that the thief won’t sell it online. It would be best if you looked into buying a laptop that comes pre-loaded with anti-theft software.
Extra Use Cases
Since you’ll be traveling a lot, it’s good to understand how else you’ll use your laptop. Is it going to be a work laptop, or will you be using it off-shift?
Suppose you’re going to be gaming. You’ll need a powerful high-end machine like a Lenovo that uses the Intel Evo technology even if the most you’re doing otherwise is basic web browsing and writing documents for work.
That said, if this pushes your budget sky high, look at an alternative option. Streaming services for games can bring the cost of the laptop you need down by a significant amount.
For most businesses, the more you do online, the less processing power you need. In turn, that makes the laptops cheaper.
It’s a great way for enterprises to save money as well as enter the modern digital age. It allows you to embrace cloud computing and everything it brings.
Functionality vs. Portability
Suppose you’re looking for a laptop that’s both functional and portable. Chances are you’ll need to make some compromises.
Many people like to travel with their computers on them, and it feels safer having the laptop with them, especially in unknown parts of the world.
Yet, if you’re planning to take your laptop on planes, trains, or buses, you’ll want a lightweight one, and you’ll have to sacrifice some functionality for the price unless you want to pay a premium price for an ultrabook or Macbook Pro.
Comfort in Use
If you’re going to be using your laptop a lot, then you’re going to want one that’s easy to type on the keyboard. It doesn’t matter how fast your processor is if you can’t navigate through menus and windows with ease. As long as you can write emails and browse the internet without lag, you shouldn’t have any problems.
Yet, suppose you’re going to be spending most of your time watching movies or playing video games. You’ll want a laptop that’s comfortable to hold for extended periods. There’s nothing worse than being on a long-haul flight, cramped in by your oversized screen!
Convertible or Ultrabook?
If you’re looking for a convertible laptop, you’ll want to consider whether you need a tablet mode at all. Tablets are great for watching movies and playing games, and that said, they’re not ideal for serious computing tasks.
They also tend to be heavier than traditional laptops. So unless you plan on using your laptop as a tablet, you can save money and go for a notebook instead of a convertible.
Notebooks are, in essence, regular laptops that fold up into tablet form factors when not in use, and Ultrabooks are generally lighter than convertibles. That said, for a similar price point, you get more power in the hardware department.
Don’t Forget Your Accessories.
Does your line of work need accessories? If so, make sure you’ve got enough USB ports to accommodate all your extras. Although you can always buy a travel adapter, many prefer to have it all within the laptop.
That said, there are some sacrifices when it comes to premium models. The classic example is the lack of a 3.5mm jack socket for headphones.
Another thing to keep in mind is that some laptops come with built-in speakers. If you want to listen to music or watch videos, you’ll need to invest in a pair of external speakers. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a pretty poor audio experience.
Durability
Of course, if you’re traveling a lot, your laptop will need to be hard-wearing and durable. Whether that’s in the form of a hard case or the laptop itself is up to you.
Your decision depends on whether you’ll be carrying it in person or baggage. Also, consider if you’re going to be using it in dusty climates.
Suppose you’re taking your laptop on planes. You’ll need to ensure that it doesn’t suffer from electromagnetic interference. It is especially important if you’re working on sensitive projects.
What’s more, you’re going to want reliability on the parts as well. So check for any extended warranties and what they cover. Also, it’s worth taking a look at your business insurance.
That way, you can see whether you’re eligible to cover your laptop should it break down outside of the warranty. It might be you also need to take out extra cover should you need coverage for accidental damage.
Storage Capacity
Suppose you’re looking for a large capacity storage drive. You’ll want to think about how much data you’re likely to be storing.
If you’re only doing basic word processing, then you might be able to get away with something smaller. But if you’re running many programs at once, you’ll need a bigger drive.
And even if you do most of your work on the cloud. It’s a good idea to have more storage or opt for a model with an SD card slot.
That’s because you never know when you’ll be out of the internet or lose access. So it’s always advised to have more than one backup of your data in all circumstances.
Cross-Compatibility
Do all your gadgets start with the letter “i”? If so, then an Apple Macbook might be your go-to preference. That’s because it syncs up straight away with iPhones and iPads. In turn, these give you the optimal cross-platform experience.
Or, it might be you’re after a Windows machine. In which case, Dell XPS 13 is one of the best options available.
It has an excellent build quality and great battery life. They also have a wide range of ports, including HDMI, Thunderbolt 2, and USB Type C.
It might be, though, you don’t care about compatibility or that you’re starting from fresh. If so, then you could also consider a Chromebook.
They’re cheap, easy to use, and very portable. Plus, if you’re an Android user, you can use your phone as an internet modem in a seamless fashion. So it’s worth considering if you don’t need fancy hardware to run on your laptop.
The Best Business Travel Laptop Is the Right One for You
So there you have it! We hope these tips will help you find the best business travel laptop for your needs. As long as you follow our advice, you’re bound to find the best laptops for traveling for businesses that work for you.
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