Lenovo ThinkPad P1 (Gen 8)
Kyle Kucharski/ZDNET
Whether you’re looking for a laptop for your own small business or you’re gearing out your employees, the primary considerations remain the same: you need a laptop that not only handles your workflow — but masters it, has the right form factor, and can be upgraded down the line.
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There’s no shortage of fantastic small business laptops out there, we have a our own extensive list, but it’s important to prioritize the right features. Simply shelling out the dough for the fanciest hardware won’t guarantee you the right laptop for the job. Not to mention, small businesses have different budget constraints than large corporations, so you want a device that will not only last, but will provide you and your employees with the best bang for buck.
The right operating system
This first decision is one of the most important, as it determines what laptops you can choose from. If your company has a policy with a specific OS, then your choice is made for you, but if you’re the one making that call, here’s what to consider.
Windows 11 Pro is by and large the most common OS on business laptops. With Windows, you’ll have the most flexibility in terms of what apps you can download and integrations with software, and even though it has its sticking points, it is still what I’d recommend for the majority of users.
If you want to go with Apple’s ecosystem, MacOS is a fantastic choice for users of all business needs in visual fields such as media, advertising, and design, as well as pro creatives who have demanding workflows. MacBooks range from the extremely affordable $799 Neo, to the mid-range MacBook Air, to top-of-the-line MacBook Pros at the cutting edge of processing power.
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ChromeOS, the operating system found on Chromebooks, is a streamlined, fast, and efficient OS centered around the Google ecosystem for users who live and work in the cloud. GoogleBookOS is a brand-new operating system on new devices that just launched, with some unique functionalities for Android phones. Lastly, Linux is the best choice for advanced users in development and programming.
Form factor and portability
I suggest considering what you’ll be using the laptop for, envisioning what a seamless workflow looks like, then choosing the laptop that hits those features. First, I’d consider form factor: how important is portability for you or your employees? Most business users will want a laptop that is either 14 or 15 inches, but a 16-inch device isn’t out of the question if that’s your preference — it just might require a little more bag space for the commute.
If you want a lightweight laptop, consider a device that is no more than three pounds. It’s not hard to find business laptops that are well under that number, but anything more will be better suited to a desktop replacement that stays put most of the time. One such laptop we’ve tested is the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x, clocking in at just 2.7 pounds.
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The flip side to portability is battery life. If you aren’t working tethered to a power source, you’ll want something with exceptional power efficiency. One of the best we’ve tested is the MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+, which can get up to 20 hours of use on one charge. Laptops with Intel Core Ultra Series 3 “Panther Lake” processors and Snapdragon X-series processors feature exceptional battery life in our testing.
For everyday office users who spend most of their time managing emails, working out of the browser, and performing tasks that don’t require specialized apps or programs, I recommend a device with 16GB of RAM or greater, 512GB of local storage or more, and a webcam that’s at least a 1080p Full HD resolution with subtle AI image enhancement features for low-light.
For power users working with dozens of browser tabs and specialized plug-ins, large data sets or spreadsheets, and multiple displays, you’ll want at least 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a GPU that is at least a step above the basic offering (Intel’s Arc Graphics, for example). One such laptop we’ve tested that hits these notes is the Asus ExpertBook Ultra B9, which has a brilliant OLED display, portable build, and handles multiple displays like a pro.
For mobile executives, you’ll want something with a good camera, a premium build, and thoughtful presentation features. I recommend the Microsoft Surface Pro for Business (13-inch), which mimics a physical notepad with its functional stylus, foldable form factor, and good webcam. If the 13-inch is too small, another
Longevity and sustainability
Business laptops are expensive, so you want them to last. For small business owners, being able to replace or upgrade parts yourself can be a significant cost saver. Look for devices with modular elements that can be repaired, replaced, or upgraded by the end-user instead of being shipped off to a manufacturer, which takes time and costs money.
The winner of our recent business laptop lab test, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (14th Gen) Aura Edition earned our top spot on our best business laptop list for its excellent repairability features. It features a unique double-sided motherboard that allows for easy access to replace internal components including the trackpad, ports, and storage — all things that will extend the life of the laptop when replaced.
For advanced users, you can take this a step further and customize each individual component down to the modular ports on the Framework Laptop 13 Pro, a laptop that earned our Editor’s Choice award for its impressively premium build with an excellent keyboard, display, haptic touchpad, and fantastic battery.
All that said, if self-repair and upgrade is not possible for your business, opt for a laptop that comes with an enterprise-level warranty. Lenovo ThinkPads are known for warranty bundles lasting three to five years, and Dell’s ProSupport offers on-demand IT support for its products, among others.
Minimum specs to look for
You don’t have to get too in the weeds here, but you do want to stick with some minimum specs to make sure the device can handle modern multitasking requirements. Here’s a rough breakdown of minimum specs to aim for in a new business laptop.
- CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 or 7 (Series 2 or 3), AMD Ryzen 5 or 7, Snapdragon X Plus or Elite series, Apple M3 or higher
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 6 or 7, Bluetooth 5.4 or higher
- Memory: 16GB of RAM minimum, 32GB or higher preferred
- Storage: 512GB minimum, 1TB or higher preferred
- Ports: Variety is good here. At least one each of USB-C Thunderbolt 4 or higher, USB-A, and HDMI
- Display: Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution or higher, 400 nits of brightness or higher
- Webcam: 1080p Full HD resolution or higher
- NPU/AI processors: 40-50 TOPS or higher
Security and enterprise features
You’ll need to consider security features whether you’re working remotely or in an office, and this is where the big differences between Windows Pro and Home become apparent. For example, Windows’ BitLocker — a powerful tool that encrypts the contents of your drive in case your laptop is lost or stolen — is a must for any business dealing with sensitive data. Administrators have full control over this feature in Windows 11 that can prevent a business’ data from being leaked, even if the SSD is physically removed from the device.
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Windows 11 Pro has much stronger enterprise device management features overall, allowing administrators to manage large fleets of machines remotely, running virtual machines (VMs) with Hyper-V, and working with Group Policy to establish policies on laptop usage such as application behavior, permissions in Windows, networking defaults, and removable drive permissions.
Business laptops also come bundled with proprietary security suites that sit on top of the OS for an extra level of customization. Each manufacturer has its own: Dell’s SafeSuite, Lenovo ThinkShield, and HP’s Wolf Pro to name a few.
Features to skip
Like any tech product, manufacturers invent all sorts of flashy features to add value to laptops. Some of these may be useful, depending on what you’re looking for, but many of them are safe to skip, especially if they’re optional upgrades that cost extra.
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The first thing you’ll no doubt see advertised with any new laptop is AI processing power of the NPU, measured in TOPS (trillions of operations per second). Although AI isn’t going anywhere, and it’s likely to find its way into the majority of business workflows eventually, there’s no sense in fixating on these metrics unless you’re specifically looking to run LLMs on-device or making extensive use of AI models.
New laptops with any of the CPUs mentioned above are more than capable of running the typical agentic AI models on-device, relevant for business users.
A high refresh rate (anything over 90Hz) isn’t critical for most business users who aren’t working with video. It’s certainly a nice feature to have, as it will make video and on-screen animations appear smoother, but you probably won’t need to pay extra for it.
The same goes for discrete, high-end video cards, which are great for gamers and creators editing video, but overkill for business users. Finally, consider dual-screen laptops like the Asus Zenbook Duo, which is an impressive device for artists and creators, but not as practical in a boardroom.
In the end, the ideal business laptop is one that handles the workflows assigned to it, has hardware that is optimized for business use cases (multitasking, working with large office files, and excellent connectivity) is an appropriate size, and has enough longevity to last. Getting those metrics right is a balancing act, but one that we’ve considered in our best laptops for small businesses list, as well as our recent laptop reviews, which always include the business user.
