The criteria for choosing a business laptop

A high-end laptop will not take time-consuming owners to repair and warranty, besides good information security criteria .

The line between laptops for business people and other models is gradually fading away by the variety of colors, design of "alchemy" cases, screen sizes as well as multimedia connectivity ports.

Here are some notes when choosing this laptop.

Durability - a differentiating factor

Lenovo ThinkPad T400 has a chassis made of magnesium alloy. Photo: Techarena .

A sturdy body not only eliminates potential risks in long-term business trips, but also improves data safety. So choose more metal laptop models than plastic ones. The Lenovo ThinkPad T400 has a chassis made of magnesium alloy on the outside and carbon fiber in the inner layer, protecting the components to the maximum. Meanwhile, Dell Latitude E6400 and HP EliteBook 6930p again use aluminum metal with smooth surface coated with alloy frame, high scratch resistance.

Also, be aware of models equipped with a hard drive protection device, to protect data safety even if the device is dropped or suddenly moved. Lenovo calls this technology "Active Protection", while HP uses the name "DriveGuard". Better yet, it is possible to choose solid-state drives instead of traditional hard drives. Although SSDs are more expensive, it makes data access faster and safer. In addition, laptops made from high-strength materials will have a much better life expectancy and usually have a 3-year warranty period instead of a year like plastic laptops.

The necessary features

Dell E6400 has both VGA and DisplayPort ports. Photo: Dodevice .

SSDs are just the right choice for data storage. USB ports are indispensable equipment for all laptop models. But when it comes to speed, the eSATA port is capable of twice as fast transmission, helping to connect external storage drives when integrated drives are overloaded. The VGA output port is still the most popular way to project PowerPoint slides to the big screen, but connections like DisplayPort and HDMI support better picture and sound output. Users can fully find both VGA and DisplayPort technologies with two Dell E6400 and Lenovo T400 models.

Business laptop models often include both touchpad and track stick (also called trackpad), typically Lenovo's Thinkpad. DVD drives are also standard equipment. With the exception of ultraportables, this equipment must be exchanged to get a "slimmer" body, but should choose a DVD burner instead of the DVD-ROM / CD-RW combo drive.

Webcam, memory card reader are all built into business models, well meet video conferencing (video conferencing). Sound quality must also be guaranteed. Speakers that are too small will reduce the effectiveness of Skype exchanges and videoconferencing. Therefore, it is also necessary to thoroughly check the speaker quality.

Data protection

Toshiba Tecra R10 uses Trusted Platform Module as the method
Protect encrypted information. Photos: Explore .

High-end data security features are making the difference of business laptops. The Lenovo T400 and Toshiba Tecra R10-S4401 use Trusted Platform Module (TPM) as a way to protect the encryption and electronic authentication information contained in a chip located on the motherboard. Electronic card reader (Smart-card) authenticates the user when inserting a size card like a credit card into the slot. This feature has been implemented on the HP 6930p. Or as the Dell E6400 is able to read authentication data when scanning Smart-card across the rest area using RFID radio frequency identification technology.

Fingerprint recognition sensor is the standard authentication method in current laptop models. There are also many manufacturers that utilize the device's built-in Webcam to authenticate users in conjunction with built-in face recognition software.

Wireless Connectivity

Lenovo ThinkPad X301 supports 3G. Photo: Techfresh .

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are standard laptops, but they only have the opportunity to work when users move on the road or wait at the airport. Most business laptops have 3G built-in modems and broadband. These are chips that use cell phone transmission towers to catch broadband Internet signals. Depending on the service provided, users can use it to surf the web at speeds from 300 Kb / s to 1.5 Mbps. For example, the Lenovo ThinkPad X301 and the HP EliteBook 2530p are two models that support 3G services so users can access the Internet anytime, anywhere, on cars, trains or even in remote areas.

Electric used

Laptops for entrepreneurs are now diversified in terms of processors, in which users can choose according to user needs, maximize performance or power savings, extend battery life. But moreover, it is a balanced processor between performance and battery life as well as the Intel Core 2 Duo P series. If you want a longer battery life, there is an energy-efficient Intel L series and U Series chips, but there are limitations on the ability to handle video and enforce large database applications. If the system's performance is respected, the Intel Core 2 Duo T series is a good choice, but it will be very power hungry.

In addition, the RAM capacity must be 2 GB or more. If possible, upgrade to 3 GB, partly because the price of equipment has dropped significantly. Most business laptop models run 64-bit operating systems that can make the most of 4 GB of RAM, and some even have 8 GB of RAM.

Most users of this type of laptop are satisfied with the integrated graphics card for the need to watch basic standard video formats, play 2D games, edit photos. To play high-end 3D games, decode 1080p HD video formats or watch Blu-ray movies, choose an ATI or Nvidia discrete graphics card.

HP 2530p. Photos: Notebooks .

Pin selection

A large, battery-capable battery will be a reliable "ally" on long business trips or for a whole day's work. Laptops in this segment are also very diverse in battery selection. For example, the Lenovo T400 is sold with a 6-cell or 9-cell battery. The more cells the battery has, the longer it will be used, but significantly increases the weight of the device. Dell Latitude E4300 and HP 2530p with bottom-mounted panels combined with extenders can last up to 19-24 hours continuously.