Shopping for quality laptops for business and home use
When shopping for laptops the distinctions between consumer models and models for business are clearly defined by a host of manufacturers such as Dell, HP and Lenovo. But, is such a distinction always necessary? Could business laptops be better suited to a home environment? Are there advantages to buying a business laptop over one aimed at the consumer market? The answers are variable and not always as clear cut as manufacturers would have them seem. Let us look into the details and the differences between consumer and business products and appraise the advantages that appear.
Business vs consumer laptops
The details and differences
Firstly, business laptops are designed to be extremely hardy-so much so that Lenovo testers often throw models out of aeroplanes! The Lenovo Thinkpad line of business laptops are tested according to military specifications, ensuring that they are able to withstand physical extremes. Though it is unlikely domestic customers will be using their laptops in such extreme conditions, the increased durability of business models makes them a good investment in terms of long lasting value. For example, the HP ProBook 4530s business laptop has a similar appearance to the HP Pavilion dv6t marketed for domestic use. However, the Probook’s construction out of precision formed, deeply anodized aluminium means it is ultra scratch and wear resistant. Granted, more expensive portable consumer laptops such as the Asus Us6s can withstand a significant amount of wear, however, in general terms, business laptops are infinitely tougher. To illustrate, Asus fits its business built B23E Laptop with metal hinges and brackets to cushion the hard drive in the event of a fall and this suite of products is tested to a rigorous range of standards.
Equally, whilst most consumer laptops come pre-configured, with business models you are afforded the opportunity to fine tune specifications to your personal preferences. For example, whilst the consumer marked, Lenovo ideapad y470 series allows you to choose from a range of core processor speeds and hard drive capacities, options for specific personal customization are limited to increasing warranty terms or purchasing model accessories. However, Lenovo’s Thinkpad t420 business series allows for greater flexibility-one can choose to upgrade the hard drive or opt for a higher resolution display, for example.
Furthermore, business laptops produced by leading brands such as Toshiba, Dell, and Asus, tend to come with a standard three year warranty as opposed to the standard one year for consumer models.
Equally, as you would expect, given that business laptops are likely to be used to store more sensitive information than their consumer counterparts, they often come with a greater wealth of security features such as fingerprint readers and embedded security chips capable of encrypting data.
Also, in order that they be productive for efficient, on the go work and travel, business laptops are also more likely to come complete with matching docking stations or port replicators.
Lastly, whilst consumer laptops often come equipped with gloss screens which can prove problematic when travelling or working outdoors, (where the screens operate more as mirrors,) business laptops are generally fitted with anti-glare, matte displays which greatly improve visibility.
The only negative point that we can bring to light about these machines is the fragility of the display units, which is not a quality issue but rather a consumer driven demand issue. Consumers want thinner machines; and therefore the components have to go on a diet. With glass products such as the display inside the laptop, of course you are going to find that the display becomes weaker and more prone to damage than previous models that were thicker. This isn't a huge problem with the advent of replacement specialists and suppliers of screens, we've listed some of the popular business and home models below.
Popular business and home laptops
Lenovo
Links to the Lenovo Thinkpad and Ideapad laptop and netbook screen replacements can be found here: Replacement Lenovo Ideapad and Thinkpad LCDs
Dell
Dell Inspiron Screens
Replacement Vostro LCDs
Screens for Dell Precision Models
Dell XPS LCD Replacements
Dell Studio Screens
Great seller the DELL range as it caters for both business and home users either on a budget or looking for something special. The ranges are enormous and luckily so are the selections of LCD screen replacements available when you damage the screen glass.
Links to the DELL range follow:
HP
Probook and Elitebook head up the range of high end laptops but HP also serve the masses with excellent value Pavilion and Presario screens and the Netbook community with their Mini range. Excellent value for money, great build quality, and access to a large international range of spares when something goes wrong. Replacement HP screens can be found at the HP Screen Replacement site, keyboard can also easily be found with a google search.
Sony
Beautifully styled and engineered, these machines come at the budget end and the top of the top end. Sony actually pioneer technology long before it becomes mainstream, they had a product for sale around ten years ago that the Macbook Air is a debatable copy of. It wasn't successful due to its enormous price tag of £3000, however at the time it set a new era of technology to come in the future. Like their designs the screens usually are of a higher standard also, but don't be put off replacing, you can find their panels at great prices here, when you need them.
Sony Vaio Screen Replacements
