Whether your priority is cost, battery life, graphical clout or a rugged design for work in the field, we’ve got you covered
There’s no best laptop in the world if it is not serving your needs well. Even a low powered entry-level laptop can be the best if it’s getting the job done for you. A laptop can be good based on its design, processor, graphics, otherwise, even a keyboard is enough to affect your productivity at work.
Similarly, a good business laptop combines cutting edge productivity features with a portable design, and good battery life.
So are you really productive with your existing laptop?
If you are finding it difficult to say yes to this, here’s a list of recommendations that might help you choose the best. If you’re looking for a bit more power, then check out our list of the best mobile workstations, as well as our pick for the best business desktop PC.
1. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
The ultra-thin business laptop that sacrifices nothing
CPU: Intel Core i7-7600U vPro| Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 620| RAM: 16GB| Screen: 14-inch, 2560 x 1440 pixels| Storage: 1TB SSD
Smaller and lighter in every way as compared to previous versions
Improved Microsoft Precision Touchpad
Expensive
Previous versions of the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon have been the absolute best-in-class when it comes to business laptops and this year’s edition of the Thinkpad X1 Carbon compromises on nothing — be it portability or performance.
It’s smaller and lighter, has a compact profile reinforced with carbon fibre, which means it is as tough as they come, has all the I/O ports you will need and bits like touchpad improvements backed by Microsoft Precision Touchpad program.
Despite its small size, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon comes with pretty much every feature you need in a productivity machine, making it the best business laptop money can buy.
Thanks to a rated battery life of up to 15.5 hours, and a rapid charging feature that brings the battery back up to 80% capacity in only an hour, the X1 Carbon is an ultrabook that lets you keep working while you’re on the move.
2. Dell XPS 13 (2017)
A business ultraportable that punches above its weight
CPU: 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-7200U| Graphics: Intel HD 620| RAM: 8GB| Screen: 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels| Storage: 256GB SSD
Unique form factor
Long-lasting battery
No discrete graphics card option
Poor webcam position
Believe it or not, Dell classifies the XPS 13 as a business laptop, albeit one that is geared towards a home-office environment. Its powerful Intel Kaby Lake processors and bezel-less ‘Infinity Edge’ display, which shoves a 13.3-inch screen into an 11-inch frame, makes a significant impression.
It can be upgraded to 16GB of RAM and has a 1TB M2 SSD drive. Battery life is exceptional with almost 22 hours of continual use when using productivity applications.
3.Apple Macbook Air 2017
The best Macbook Pro ever
CPU: Dual-core Intel Core i5 – i7| Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000| RAM: 8GB| Screen: 13.3-inch, (1440×900)| Storage: 128GB – 256GB PCIe SSD
Long lasting battery
Lightweight
Limited storage
Not the most powerful
If you don’t want the latest and pricey Apple laptop, the Macbook Air 2017, is certainly the closest to the experience. Macbook Air is the best laptop for those who refrain from poking holes in their pockets but have no scope to compromise with the performance.
It has a phenomenal battery life which lasts up to 9 hours of work without a hitch. The performance is smooth for regular office work, until you are a designer, video editor or someone who needs an extra mile of horsepower.
It is light and easy to carry, which makes it perfect for those who work on the go. Also, the build quality is as good as a Rs 2,00,000 MacBook.
The only downside of this laptop is the shortage of ports, which sometimes falls as a hurdle in between work.
Read the full review: Apple Macbook Air (2017)
4. Lenovo ThinkPad E470
Best if you’re looking for something portable with a decent keyboard
CPU: CoreTM i7 7500U 7th Gen Intel| Graphics: NVidia 940MX 2GB DDR3| RAM: 8GB DDR4| Screen: 14-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels| Storage: 1TB SATA
Outstanding value for money
Discrete graphics card
No high capacity battery option
No Displayport
Lenovo took an existing form factor and refined it to deliver the new 2016-2017 ThinkPad E470. Powered by the 7th generation Intel Core processors, this particular SKU has a 14-inch FHD anti-glare display, powered by a discrete Nvidia Geforce 940MX 2GB GPU.
Equipped with a spill resistant keyboard, a TrackPoint and click pad with 3+2 buttons, the E470 has more than enough ports and expansion capabilities to keep the average user happy.
It’s a shame that it doesn’t have a DisplayPort, so there’s no 4K output.
5. HP Spectre Pro 13
A genuine altearnative to the XPS 13
CPU: Intel Core i7-7500| Graphics: Intel HD 520 Graphics| RAM: 8GB| Screen: 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels| Storage: 512GB SSD
Sublime design
3 Year Next Business Day onsite warranty
Colour scheme might not be to everyone’s taste
Very expensive
The HP Spectre Pro 13 G1 is a device that not only oozes luxury, but it also packs some incredible components.
Despite being just over 10mm thick and weighing just over 1.16Kg, it manages to pack a Core i7 CPU with a full HD 13.3-inch display, a massive 4-cell 38Whr battery and three USB Type C connectors. Here’s our full list of the best gaming laptops under Rs 50,000
