![]() ![]() You can use it to connect cards with specialty I/O ports (FireWire, eSATA, network interfaces, and so on) and special features (everything from TV tuners to sound cards). The HP ZBook 15 shown above has both Smart card and ExpressCard slots. ExpressCard is more of a legacy interface that replaced the even older PC Card and PCMCIA technologies. Smart cards are a robust security feature that can be used to prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to the computer while it’s powered up but unattended. Smart card and ExpressCard slots are found exclusively on business laptops. Some business laptops also offer the option of cellular connectivity via a SIM card that can be installed inside the laptop or plugged into an external port. An integrated 802.11ac Wi-Fi adapter is your best choice, but 802.11n adapters are cheaper and more common. Wireless networking is de rigueur in both classes of laptops. That same penny-pinching mindset explains why legacy technologies like VGA hang around for so long on business laptops-they’re needed to connect to aging video projectors. In this case, it’s because corporate nickel-nursers don’t want to pay for something that’s not-and might never be-mainstream. It has Smart card and ExpressCard slots, too.īusiness laptops at all price points usually lag in offering the latest connection technologies. HP’s ZBook 15 mobile workstation includes just about every I/O port you can imagine, including Thunderbolt, DisplayPort, and USB. Thunderbolt is a good example, despite its ability to transfer data twice as fast as a USB port can (10GB per second-and Thunderbolt 2 can transfer files at 20GB per second). ![]() Bleeding-edge technologies, on the other hand, have been much slower to catch on. These days, many I/O technologies-such as USB 3.0 and HDMI-have been around long enough to become ubiquitous on consumer laptops at just about every price point. The port selection on consumer laptops usually bifurcates according to price tag: High-end machines sport the newest technologies early, while budget machines lag behind. User-serviceable components aren’t unheard of in consumer notebooks, but they are becoming increasingly uncommon as laptops become disposable commodities. Slide open two friction locks and you can remove its bottom panel to access its memory, storage, Wi-Fi adapter, battery, and more. And with a machine like HP’s ZBook 15 mobile workstation, you won’t even need that. You won’t find uncommon fasteners like these Pentalobe screws on most business laptops-unless it’s a MacBook Pro, that is.Ī common Phillips screwdriver should be all you need. When a manufacturer introduces a new business laptop, they often commit to keeping the exact same machine available for 18 months to 5 years, so its corporate customers can add to their fleets down the road. This stability reduces the tech-support burden on the company’s IT department. ![]() ![]() Most businesses standardize on one or a few laptop models, and they keep them in service for at least three years. ROBERT CARDINĪluminum and magnesium are some of the most popular materials used to build business-oriented laptops, such as the Dell Latitude 6430u shown here. Consumer laptops-especially budget models-are often built using copious amounts of plastic. As such, they’re usually fabricated from stronger material-aluminum or magnesium, for instance-and they feature more rugged construction. Durability and life cycleīusiness laptops are expected to remain in service much longer than consumer notebooks, and they’re expected to withstand at least a little rough handling. Once you understand those differentiators, you can decide if they’re worth the added expense. The cost of those attributes is reflected in the price tag of the product. The primary reason why business PCs cost more than consumer models is because businesses-large and small-want computers that are built to last and easy to maintain.īusiness laptops also come with longer warranties, stockpiled units and replacement parts, robust tech support, extra security features, and remote-management capabilities. The PC market is incredibly competitive and profit margins are razor thin. There might be an element of truth to that, but it certainly doesn’t tell the whole story. ![]()
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