Laptops / Notebooks

Laptops & Notebooks

Computing power made mobile: this is the true benefit of investing in a good laptop or notebook. While tablets have become more popular in recent years, they are more often just used for mobile gaming or consuming media. Laptops and notebooks have become thinner, faster, and even 4k capable. They may not replace your desktop system completely, but if you truly want a portable experience, you won’t be sacrificing much with a well-chosen laptop.

Gone are the days of bulky, heavy gaming laptops being the norm. What’s the point of going mobile if you sprain a muscle picking up your laptop? MSI has been stepping up their game with their GS Series Ghost Pro laptop that manages to cram in an Intel Core-i7 processor, 16 Gigabytes of RAM and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M with 6 Gigabytes of dedicated VRAM, all in a package that is just over an inch thick. It also features a Terabyte HDD paired with a 256 Gigabyte SSD and is 4k capable. Now that’s impressive.

Not to be outdone, Asus’ ROG line of Laptops has long been the go-to for the avid gamer. Their thinner gaming laptops feature the latest Intel processors with the current generation of NVIDIA GeForce mobile graphics cards. If you’re looking for something with a little more edge to it, the Aorus line of gaming laptops features an original design and can still pack a punch with 16 Gigabytes of memory and an Intel Core i7 processor clocked at 2.70GHz. No longer struggling behind desktop systems, these days gaming laptops can really bring the framerates while still being extremely portable.

No one likes working in the same dull environment. Having a mobile workstation laptop allows you to broaden your horizons and get inspired by your surroundings. A Dell XPS series laptop boasts an Intel Core-i7 with 8 Gigabytes of memory and a touchscreen, IPS display. Under an inch thick, its low profile means it’s extremely portable for both conference calls and business trips alike. If you really want the best of both worlds, a Microsoft Surface book lets you use it as both a laptop with a full keyboard and a tablet with its touchscreen surface. The accompanying stylus keeps the screen smudge-free and your work messages precise. No more fat-fingered typos.

To compete with that, HP went even thinner with the Spectre, a two-in-one powerhouse with a Core i7 processor, QHD IPS display offering a 2560 by 1440 resolution, and a 256 Gigabyte SSD. You won’t feel this one weighing on you while you wait to board. Lenovo, Asus, and Acer all offer competitive options when it comes to ultrabooks and 2-in-1 models. Even if you work from home, having a mobile workstation laptop is an important asset - giving you the freedom to explore that new coffee shop or travel to meet new clients.

As technology grows and becomes faster, it also becomes more accessible to the average consumer. Chromebooks have really set the bar for budget laptops and notebooks due to their easy point of entry and low price. Now, people who used to be afraid of technology due to its complexity can easily watch streaming media and write emails due to the intuitive simplicity of the Chromebook OS. Priced anywhere from $150 to $450, they cost roughly the same as a tablet, but offer more screen real estate and a full-fledged keyboard. The compromise is that additional software cannot be installed on the hardware, but this also protects the chromebook against viruses and other malware that many beginner users may have struggled with in the past.

All of your favorite brands make chromebooks, including Samsung, Lenovo, Asus, Acer, HP, and Toshiba. Asus’ C300 Chromebook features an Intel Celeron dual-core processor clocked at 2.16 gigahertz with 4 Gigabytes of Memory and a 32 Gigabyte SSD, more than enough for simple multitasking. Another benefit of a chromebook is its long battery life; often more than 10 hours with a full charge. Because it runs on Google’s framework, it can sync everything with your Google account across multiple devices. While it can only sync while connected to WiFi, more and more public places like airports and coffee shops offer free WiFi, so there’s almost never any downtime. Featuring an accessible touchscreen interface, chromebooks also offer at least one USB port so you can plug in a mouse if you prefer.

Once you’ve got your laptop, you may want to consider other accessories to help boost your productivity or give you the competitive edge when gaming. Expand your screen real estate with an external desktop monitor or a portable monitor and connect multiple peripherals like a mouse, headset, and other USB-enabled devices with a smart dock. For gaming, a mouse with a high-precision laser is a must-have, giving you the best possible control.

Of course you’re going to need a good case to store your laptop when you’re ready for that convention or business trip. Targus, Swiss Gear, Rosewill, Ogio, and Everki all make backpacks designed to hold laptops, with special pockets to make it easy to take out the laptop when going through airport security. Another laptop accessory you may want to consider is a stand for better ergonomics while working. Some even have fans built in to help cool the laptop when performing high-intensity takes like large video file rendering and online gaming.