Most of the world is now working from home where possible because of the COVID19 Virus. But how can you work effectively and what equipment or software do you need? Today we have look at laptops to help you work more effectively.
Your Computer
It goes without saying your computer or laptop is essential for working from home but is your current machine up for Job? Are you running Windows XP or end of life Windows 7? These versions of Windows are insecure and could put your computer and business at risk from viruses and malware.
If its time to upgrade, then consider your use case these normally drop into 3 categories.
- Student/Office Admin: I spend most of my time writing documents, updating spreadsheets and researching websites.
- General User: I use my computer for writing documents, surfing the web, but I like bit more power for streaming media, running multiple applications.
- Power User: I work with multiple applications that use graphics and need performance and mobility.
All these different use cases & budgets require different hardware to be effective.
Office/Student laptop for under £200?
A Google Chromebook may be your answer. Google has been in the laptop market place for a while now and integrating Google Suite of office applications and includes cloud storage to automatically backup your files and photos. It’s also worth noting that a Chromebook needs less memory and processing that a Windows Laptop. The Asus C223NA laptop has 4GB RAM, 32 GB eMMC storage with an 11.3″ Screen making it light (under 1kg) and mobile. This laptop has an impressive 10 hours battery life as well. Not bad value! It’s best to check with your IT department if a Chromebook is suitable as some may require additional applications. For kids doing homeschooling, this is a great and cost-effective way to complete their work.
Windows 10 laptop for under £350?
If the Chromebook isn’t for you then take a look at this Windows 10 under £350 laptop. The Acer Aspire 3 A315-42 15.6″ 1080p Full HD screen has the AMD Ryzen 3 3200U processor 4GB of RAM and 120GB of SSD storage. It also features wifi, Bluetooth and a webcam with 7 hours of battery and weighs in at 1.2KG
Need more from a Windows Laptop?
The general user that wants a laptop to multitask, needs the memory and processing power to work while listening to their favorite music. You need all the multimedia features for those conference calls and screen sharing. You can be a bit creative here and do a bit of video and photo editing. This HP laptop boasts a 4 Core Intel i5 Processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. You can achieve your work and this laptop won’t slow you down.
Power Users: Only the best Please!
This is my laptop so I can personally recommend it! It’s so beautiful in design and has a screen pad that allows you to multitasks without the need to change the window. The screen pad works perfectly with Spotify, can also be used for a number pad and useful for PowerPoint. The main 14″ screen is also a touchscreen. This elegant laptop means business, packed with an Intel i7 10th Generation Processor 16GB of Ram, 512 GB PCI-e SSD + 32 GB Intel Optane Memory. 8GB Intel GPU Graphic Processing. What this essentially means, is you can do almost anything on it, great for graphic designs, youtube editors and even games play well on this it.
Power Users: OMG!
on Sale at £1199 on Amazon RRP £2000
Is this for real? You better believe it! This Asus DUO screen laptop is what it is all about! I was really tempted by this laptop but was a little out of my price range at the time of release. The spec to the UX434 as above, i7 Processor, 512 GB PCI-e SSD, and 16GB RAM. This baby has a dedicated NVIDIA MX250 GPU. You will definitely make your work colleagues envy.
Please note these prices correct at the time of publishing and subject to change. Whatever networks is now in an affiliate program of Amazon.