Business Laptops

Notebooks with enhanced security, office performance

Business laptops aren't just for businesspeople. They are an excellent choice for anyone who wants a rugged, no-nonsense laptop suitable for word processing, Internet surfing and for multitasking with office applications. Business laptops don't need video cards or big hard drives, so they can be cheaper than entertainment laptops. They do need reasonable portability, however, as well as better-than-average reliability and durable cases. Business laptops can be divided into two categories: mainstream and ultraportable. Mainstream business laptops usually have 14.1- or 15.4-inch displays and are better able to stand up to the rigors of heavy handling. Ultraportable laptops are typically less functional and durable, yet more expensive. However, their light weight, smaller screens (usually 12.1 or 13.3 inches) and thin profiles make them much easier to tote around. If you are most interested in the easiest portability, see our report on ultraportable laptops.

Laptop Magazine and ComputerShopper.com recognize the Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds (*Est. $2,100 and up) as the best business laptop. It also earns high marks in reviews from Wired and PC World. What sets the 17-inch Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds apart from other business laptops is the secondary 10.6-inch display that slides out from behind the main screen. Reviewers praise this dual-screen setup as "groundbreaking," and Lenovo calls it the "industry's first dual-screen mobile workstation." This functionality will cost you, though, in price and weight -- the Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds weighs 11 pounds (and is too thick for many laptop bags), and the base model currently starts at $2,100. Most reviewers test a fully-featured version that rings up between $4,000 and $5,000. The base model includes a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2 GB of memory and a 160 GB hard drive. Upgrade options include a Quad Core processor, 8 GB of RAM and a Blu-ray drive.

Avram Piltach at Laptop Magazine acknowledges that the Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds is expensive and heavy, but he says the laptop offers "all the power and creature comforts of a high-end desktop in a transportable package." The large display gets mostly raves for crispness and color contrast, with Tim Stevens at Engadget.com saying it is "one of the best we've seen on a laptop." Reviewers also appreciate the full-size number pad and integrated writing tablet next to the trackpad. While most reviewers are impressed with the second screen, Alan Stafford at PC World thinks it does little more than increase the cost over the comparable ThinkPad W700 (*Est. $1,500 and up). Overall, the Lenovo ThinkPad W700ds is recommended for business users who need desktop power that can be portable if necessary.

If you need to travel with your laptop on a regular basis, the lighter -- and cheaper -- HP EliteBook 6930p (*Est. $1,100 and up) may be a better choice. This laptop starts at around 5 pounds, but even the addition of a power cord and battery won't detract from this rig's portability. The 14-inch HP EliteBook 6930p is an award winner at Laptop Magazine, where reviewer Dana Wollman deems it a rugged and sturdy choice for business users. The base model comes with a 2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 processor, 2 GB of memory, 250 GB hard drive and an optional Kensington lock. Laptop Magazine's testing shows that the HP EliteBook 6930p laptop launches programs quickly and provides good graphics performance. Overall, Wollman calls it the "best bang-for-your-buck business notebook we've tested." The EliteBook 6930p still uses a matte display, and while testers at NotebookCheck.net find the color output a little lackluster, you won't have to worry about the reflections that plague most glossy displays.

The 15.4-inch Dell Latitude E5500 (*Est. $1,060 and up) also gets good reviews for business users. The base model comes with a 2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 1 GB of memory, 80 GB hard drive and six-cell battery. Users can upgrade with more memory and a larger hard drive relatively cheaply -- an upgrade to 3 GB of memory is only $75. The Dell Latitude E5500 gets a good review from NotebookCheck.net, where testers deem it a "low-priced but reliable office notebook." While testers dislike the plastic case, the Dell Latitude E5500 does impress with good battery life of more than four hours. Still, NotebookCheck.net cautions that you shouldn't expect too much from the Dell Latitude, saying this laptop is best suited for "basic office applications." The Dell Latitude E5500 weighs 6.36 pounds, so it's pretty portable.

If you want something even less expensive, see our report on cheap laptops. Many of the models covered there come in at about $800 for better configured business laptops.