Laptops for New Work Team (Budget $1200)

popcornready on 20/09/2020 - 10:53
Last edited 20/09/2020 - 11:00 by 1 other user

Hi everyone,

My side business is now big enough where I need to buy 5 x laptops for 5 staff.

I want these to be windows operated laptops

Budget is $1200ish each.

I am trying to avoid buying from A place like JBHiFi/HarveyNorman etc because ideally I would like to buy under a business account and have that support available should things go wrong

Maybe Dell makes sense for the above?

These laptops need to be able to cut some data, use g suite products such as Google excel, do some basic photo editing (mainly just resizing etc rather than proper editing), have many tabs open.

Ideally they would not be redundant in 6 months, so after some decent specs.

Is $1200 per laptop too little?
If not; what would you recommend for under $1200?

If $1200 is not enough, what specs would you recommend should be the minimal and also what laptop would you recommend?

I know the above isn’t exactly a clear description on what I need, but thank you for your help in advance

Computing

Comments

  • solidussnake on 20/09/2020 - 10:59

    10th Gen I5
    8GB ram minimum
    256GB ssd minimum
    Depends what screen size you want
    FHD resolution minimum

    Easily get a laptop under that price

  • JimmyF on 20/09/2020 - 11:03

    I would like to buy under a business account and have that support available should things go wrong

    What support do you want?

    If its software support, then that is normally only 30 days. These 'business' products generally are purchased for the hardware support, so if his is what you want then yes look at Dell/HP/Lenovo who offer onsite repairs rather than sending it in for a repair and waiting weeks.

    There are a few levels, next business day repairs might be a bit of a overkill, but have a look at the warranty options for onsite.

    Many decades ago I purchased a Dell desktop with 3yr onsite repair. The DVD drive died in it after a few years and had a tech came out to my home to replace it. I just wanted the part, but that wasn't what I paid for :/

    • popcornready on 20/09/2020 - 11:25

      Yes hardware support.

      I think 13inch is the good balance between practical and portable. Everyone will have a second screen

      What would you recommend under that price from Dell/Lenovo/HP?

      • toristo on 20/09/2020 - 13:04
        +1

        If they aren't carrying them a lot, looking at the 14/15 inch screen can actually save money. 13.3" tends to be the road warrior and priced accordingly, so a slightly larger (and tad heavier with a bigger battery) can save a bit of coin.

        Agree with everyone else on the 16 gig of RAM though.

        • popcornready on 20/09/2020 - 13:39

          With the uncertain Covid situation, I would prefer they were easy to carry around

  • dealhunting007 on 20/09/2020 - 11:14

    Depends on what kind of business it is. If photo editing or high end graphics. Then 16gb ram and ssd should be must.

    Lenovo has few deals going on now a days

  • Could Be Better on 20/09/2020 - 12:32
    +2

    $1200 is more than enough for a solid work laptop. Dell Inspiron/Lenovo Thinkpads would suit the job.
    RAM: Aim for 16GB, 8GB could work but if you need more headroom for some programs open on top of a lot of Chrome tabs, 16GB will be worth it. 3733mhz is nice and fast, but probably not necessary for the workloads and highly doubt you'll find them at this price point. Will most likely be 2133mhz.
    Storage: 256GB SSD should be plenty for a work laptop
    Processor: For the tasks above, i5 9th/10th gen or Ryzen 5 4500U should be enough and there won't be a noticeable difference between those and a better/more expensive CPU.
    Screen: 13" is most common & easiest to find good prices. Aim for FHD (1920x1080p) or better.
    Battery: At least 56Whr for 13" and FHD screen

    Others: make sure there are enough ports for the workload, at least 2 USB ports, 1 HDMI port, SD card reader etc. Saves a lot of money on dongles/accessories needed for second display etc.

  • xuqi on 20/09/2020 - 13:13

    https://www.dell.com/en-au/outlet/work/shop/laptops-tablets/…

    Latitude 5400/5410, or 7400/7410 (~1.4KG's weight) would be perfect. The 13.3" units weigh ~ the same.

    The 3 years next business day onsite Pro support provides excellent service, should you need it.

    https://www.dell.com/en-au/outlet/refurbished-latitude-14-54…

    I wouldn't be buying consumer grade hardware, and related support (or lack thereof) for business use.

    Something different to keep in-mind if buying the latest 10th gen Latitude 741x laptops , is that the RAM & WLAN are soldered on to the motherboard, and therefore can't be upgraded.

    I orderd mine with the Intel AX201 Wi-Fi and more importantly 16GB.

    The older 8th gen Lattiude 7400 had 2x SODIMM modules, so you could easily swap out the RAM for 2x 16GM modules, giving you 32GB of system RAM.

    • popcornready on 20/09/2020 - 14:40

      Thanks for sharing those suggestions, but I want to avoid refurbished

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