Business Grade Laptop Advice

p1 ama on 15/08/2013 - 16:31

I'm looking for a business grade laptop for use as a portable daily driver when away from my desk, where I have a desktop PC.

I don't require top-notch performance, but I do want reasonably good performance. Right now, I've shortlisted what I want to one of four options, maybe someone could help me go through them.

1) Wait for a $749 deal on the Lenovo T430 again. There were a few on OzBargain last year, not happy about missing out. However, what I can do is get a T430 imported from B&H Photo Video for around $950 AUD.

2) Lenovo T430U - the ultrabook version of the T430, I can get this for around $900, probably my best option at the moment. Replace the internal HDD with a 128GB SSD and I should be good to go.

3) Lenovo X1 Carbon - too expensive really, unless there's a deal where it'll be $1000 or less.

4) Get a consumer grade laptop such as the HP Envy 6, there's one for $760 from MSY which is good.

I like the look of business grade laptops and do appreciate that they are durable, however, is the premium worth it?

Computing

Comments

  • scotty on 15/08/2013 - 17:37

    ThinkPad T430U is just cheap alternative to X1 Carbon and I probably won't buy it. It does have Mini Dock connectors if you want docking support.

    HP Envy aren't really business grade laptops.

    There are some new & refurbished Latitude E6430 or 6430U in this deal which I think are better deals.

  • _Bruce_ on 15/08/2013 - 17:39
    +1

    Lenovos are good, but service is not. These are just examples, but it is enough to put me off:
    http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/112218

  • p1 ama on 15/08/2013 - 18:29

    The Dell Latitudes look good, but I do like Thinkpads, I've used Thinkpads in the past, starting with the T20, then the T60 and the T400, all of which have served me extremely well. I know that brand loyalty is silly sometimes, but I'd just honestly be happier off with a Thinkpad.

    Scotty - what's wrong with the T430U? Is it cheaply made or something? I'm not interested in docking, I have a desktop for desk use.

    P.S. What exactly is a business grade laptop anyway? Like I have a feel for which laptops are business grade and which aren't, but what do they offer over consumer grade laptops?

    • Colombian on 15/08/2013 - 18:57

      Business grade offer more durability, more years warranty (3) and better customer service. I got a Dell Precision and I called them once for problems in my LCD and they came next day to replace it at home.

    • scotty on 15/08/2013 - 19:15

      T430u has low resolution screen… It still has T series quality, but I don't think T430u lives up to the brand.

      For me, build quality is one reason, and I really want the docking station support. That pretty much means either Lenovo T series or Dell Latitude for me.

    • [Deactivated] on 15/08/2013 - 19:25

      Heres some advice for good hardware/performance go HP for good price go Acer for good service/fast warranty go Dell. I'm guessing if it's a business you can't afford to be without your laptop for more than a week which puts Acer out of the picture, I asked a guy from a gov division how HP vs Dell response was and he said HP were 3-15 days response with average of 5 and Dell were 1-4 with average of 2. I can easily do without an i7 but I can't do without a working machine so I'd get a Dell every time. For home use I'd get a HP. For disposable i'd get an Acer.

  • Davo1111 on 15/08/2013 - 21:33

    My vote is either for ibm/lenovo or toshiba. Both have very nice business laptops.

  • meroveus on 15/08/2013 - 23:22

    Apart from Dell and Lenovo (I use T520 which has crap build quality compared to my old T42s) there are also the HP Elitebooks.
    I lust after a DreamColor display!

  • nebula98 on 16/08/2013 - 08:04

    I repair laptops and would have to say that the business class laptops are well worth buying as they normally have a metal frame that makes the laptop very strong and stops the motherboard from flexing (main cause of failed motherboard s ) ,they are very well made and will last years longer than consumer grade laptops.

    I just love my hp6930p laptop with ssd ,it boots in 20 seconds and is very fast it even beats my wifes i5 in most things( must get around to putting a ssd in her laptop)do not buy dedicated graphics as they get too hot and have shorter lifespan.

    There are some really good prices on ex lease 3 year old( so just out of warranty) business class laptops on eBay ie dell e6400=$300. HP 6930p = $200-300.
    If USB 3 is needed a lot of these can take a card buss USB 3 card that only costs $15.

  • Brouw3r on 16/08/2013 - 10:51

    My work got me a HP ProBook 6570b with a docking station and it's excellent, had quick look at the price and I think it's probably out of your price range, maybe a second hand / refurbished?

  • p1 ama on 16/08/2013 - 19:01

    Hey guys, just updating you all, I ended up getting a pretty much brand new Lenovo T420 from a friend of mine who didn't use it much for $400.

    It's Sandy Bridge, but thankfully it has a 1600x900 screen. I threw in a 128GB SSD instead of the hard drive and 4GB more of RAM (8GB total) and the thing flies. I'm probably going to replace the ODD with a 750GB HDD I have lying around for extra storage, but that's not urgent at the moment.

    So it looks as if I've put off a new computer for another few years at least, I'll probably look into getting a 9-cell battery for this thing and it should be able to last me a full day, it lasts around 5 hours at the moment on the 6 cell, with minimal power saving efforts, 8 hours honestly is more than enough for me.

    At the end of the day though, I think I got an alright deal for $400, couldn't really ask for more.

  • Trevorb on 22/08/2013 - 11:49

    Good luck to all those who ever need service on their pc.

    http://www.productreview.com.au/p/dell-australia.html

    • scotty on 22/08/2013 - 12:37

      We've integrated ProductReview store reviews to OzBargain for a few months now and I'll say — take them with a grain of salt. My own experience with Dell's NBD support was excellent.

    • p1 ama on 23/08/2013 - 22:50

      I agree with Scotty on this one, take it with a grain of salt. Usually these review sites suffer from a very severe case of non-response bias. Only those with a bone to pick, an axe to grind or a problem to complain about will head over there and complain. Usually those who are happy using their products just happily use their products.

      So my experience is to never really trust them. It's always best to look on forums or other places where it's more discussion based. Apart from that, to be honest, I've never had to send anything back for warranty, though I have had to change out busted HDDs and RAM…etc. which I just refuse to send to warranty for (they're just so cheap that I'd rather not have to send my stuff around), but I guess if you do encounter a MOBO failure or something, then you probably will need that warranty.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join