Business Laptops

[Javacat]

Over the past year or so a few of the salesmen and a few of the executives where I work have started wanting laptops for working out of the office. Now more and more are wanting them and I'm a bit lost with all of the different manufacturers and models now. Every time I've gotten one I've tried a different make or model and this is what I've come up with so far:

HP
Extremely good hardware
No (or very little) crappy software that needs removing
Not very pretty

Toshiba
Extremely good, solid cases that you could beat someone to death with and it would still be fine
Look quite nice
A bit more crappy software than the HP's, but easily removed

Sony
Decent hardware
An unbelievable amount of crappy software, some of which buggers the system up if removed
Sexeh

Acer
Cheap feeling and looking case
Decent internal hardware
About as much crap software as Toshiba


Overall I'm most impressed with the HP and Toshibas laptops, although I would probably choose a Toshiba over a HP.
The general requirements are normally:

• 15.4" widescreen
• Reasonably light and not too bulky
• Between £600 and £700 (inc VAT) (although this can be somewhat flexible)
• Sexeh
• Wifi
• Windows XP Pro

Considering the speed of the hardware available now, there aren't really any CPU/RAM requirements that aren't met by even the cheapest models. One of the biggest problems I'm starting to have now is actually finding laptops that still come with Windows XP Pro.

I'd like to try and standardise the laptops now, before the range of models we have starts getting silly. So taking all of this into account: what's everyones recommendations?

 

[Nova]

http://www.laptopsdirect.co.uk/Lenovo_3000...5UK/version.asp

 

[icurafu]

I've worked with a lot of the big corperations woring on SOEs. The pattern I notice is that they all use Dell Latitude D6xx series. But this may be because Dell gives massive discounts to large corperations.

Now that I think about it, a few were using ThinkPads.

I've not seen Toshiba or HP out of the server room in any of the places. Atleast over here, Toshiba is not competetive at all.

Anyway, I like the D630 and all the previous ones. I never have problems with them but they are a bit costly at dell.com. It depends on the budget and ego of the place you work.

 

[Fishbong]

IBM Thinkpad FTW. Very sturdy, well configured.

 

[Javacat]

Thanks for the replies

The ThinkPads and that Lenovo are a bit on the ugly side

I've worked with a lot of the big corperations woring on SOEs. The pattern I notice is that they all use Dell Latitude D6xx series. But this may be because Dell gives massive discounts to large corperations.

Now that I think about it, a few were using ThinkPads.

I've not seen Toshiba or HP out of the server room in any of the places. Atleast over here, Toshiba is not competetive at all.

Anyway, I like the D630 and all the previous ones. I never have problems with them but they are a bit costly at dell.com. It depends on the budget and ego of the place you work.

I had considered using Dell in the past, but I know a few people have had problems with them (although they work in small/medium businesses). I know a few people that have worked in large corporations and they have raved about how good Dell are for support with companies like them.
The D830 does seem quite nice, although it does appear to be a little bit fat, which could be a bit uncomfortable for every day use. I could probably recommend getting docking stations with them, so that they could use there current mice/keyboards. I guess it's time I tried Dell out for myself (providing accounts agree to it )

 

[Nova]

As for aesthetics, does that really matter? I mean they are a business laptop, not a macbook. Lenovo happen to make the best business oriented computers in the world, sure they are a tad on the ugly duckling side, but good luck trying to break one.

 

[Null]

As for aesthetics, does that really matter?

But how's he supposed to show off to his colleagues if his laptop doesn't look nice?

 

[Javacat]

As for aesthetics, does that really matter?

But how's he supposed to show off to his colleagues if his laptop doesn't look nice?


Exactly (although the laptops aren't for me).

I've purchased not so pretty laptops before, but with great hardware and they generally moan because someone else has got a prettier one. If they were running around doing manual labor I would probably go with the Lenovos, but they are for salesmen that want to impress clients.

 

[fishybawb]

I repair laptops for a living, so I know just how crappy most of them are

Seriously though, I'd go for Toshiba for reliability and build quality - something like the Tecra A9 would be great and should be in your price range. They look OK, but maybe a bit boringly corporate. The Samsung R70 might be a good candidate, they're rock solid and very sleek looking

 

[sand_man]

if i was going to buy a laptop it would be a macbook

 

[purple_goat]

if i was going to buy a laptop it would be a macbook

Mac
good (but overly expensive) hardware
crappy software OS
sexeh

 

[Vollgasasi]

if the support you get from hp where you live is anything like their support here in germany then go fucking buy a hp!
i had 2 power supllies dying on me and i just called hp and the next day i got a new one in the mail. and when i spread coke over my laptop they didnt care and just replaced the mainboard. i sent the laptop in and got it back in 2 workdays. that's lightning fast!

and the best thing is that i only payed 480 euros for that machine! so basically what i'm saying is, get a very cheap hp from their business line and be happy whatever comes. they will help you and you will be able to enjoy that sucker for at least 2 years without any hassle!

 

[P-J]

Toshba Tecra M5 every time.

 

[clarky2o2o]

as a rule i always go buy if the company name has 3 or more syllables (or initials) there laptops are usually the better

Toshiba <---my recommendation
IBM
Alien ware...oh wait there owned by dell now....pity


if you go cheap then go for a HP my girlfriends HP (ZV6000) has had an

overheating screen
pressure points
3 dead power packs
a CD stuck Inside the computer (like underneath the keyboard not in the drive)
returned to factory settings 3 or 4 times (cant remember why)

there customer support is great even if there products are fundamentally flawed

 

[craigix]

I would say Dell, they do some really high spec stuff which is very well built.

 

[FuguTabetai]

For laptops that need to last, I always go with ThinkPads. The build quality, especially on the p models, is amazing. I've got a 2000 model A31p that is going strong (3 internal hard drives, driving the internal 1600x1200 display and an external 1920x1200 as my tv replacement) and a 2006 T60p that is a beast. Also, ThinkPads always work great with linux, a big bonus in my book. The software that comes with the ThinkPads is actually useful too, if you decide to keep windows.

For laptops that I need to work on, I get PowerBooks / MacBook Pros. BSD base, plays nice with linux / Unix code, excellent LaTeX tools, great window manager. (Although recent versions of linux with compiz / beryl and the expose-like plugin are getting there too. Still have some funky oddness with the cube plugin and always showing all windows on the taskbar, but it is getting better.)

I can not recommend sony: I've known lots of people with sony laptops and I have not been impressed with the build quality. Maybe that has gotten better in the past two years or so, but basically the only laptops I see at conferences are Apple machine, ThinkPads, and a whole bunch of Panasonic Let's Note machines. (Those are crazy popular here in Japan because they are small, not something I really put too much emphasis on myself.)

I am opposed to HP just on principle because of the shit they pull with tie printers and Carly Fiorina. Don't trust a company that locks you out of their toner carts with DRM.

anyway, good luck! (I should mention that I'm a research scientist, so what I look for in a laptop is almost positively not what a business / marketing person would look for.)

 

[nickspoon]

Whatever you do, don't buy a Sony. They are horrid and expensive, and not even as pretty as a Macbook.

I would recommend an HP or a Dell.

 

[Javacat]

Lil update, I ordered a couple of Toshiba Tecra A9's on monday. Just waiting for them to be delivered.

 

[WarmFluffyUK]

We deal with quite a variety of laptops and to be honest, Toshiba are what we recommend. We have less Toshiba laptops in for repair than any other make. Also spares for them are a lot cheaper than most other brands.

Don't go for Sony unless you get a very good warranty deal, spares for them are ridiculous prices.

 

[Blah]

Don't buy HP. Nearly everything I've owned of theirs has died months into use.

Toshiba is pretty good. I'm 90% satisfied. But beware that the batteries they come with (at least mine) last only about 3 hours at the most, but they sell batteries with much more capacity (for about $100).