Top Tips For Choosing The Best Work From Home Laptop

Working from home comes with a lot of great benefits. But they can’t be enjoyed without the right kind of equipment. Choosing a laptop for working from home requires a little more consideration than usual. 

So, to help you choose the right laptop for you, here are some top tips for choosing the best work from home laptop.

 

• Make screen size a priority.

The kind of work you do is going to determine the size of the screen you will need. If you regularly work with word documents, then you won’t need anything too large. Even if you’re used to working with a large screen, you will quickly become used to working on a smaller screen. Around 13” to 14” should be enough. Remember that laptops this small are often reduced in their capabilities. For example, something like a Chromebook or a Vivobook. Make sure to look up some comparisons to learn more.

If you work on something like data spreadsheets, then you will need a slightly larger screen. This will allow you to see more without having to zoom in. This means you can look at a spreadsheet more clearly. You will also reduce the risk of damaging your eyes by squinting and peering at lots of small boxes and numbers. Look for a laptop that is around 15” to 16”. 

If your job involves a lot of visual work, for example graphic design or architecture, you’re going to need a much larger screen. This can be anywhere from 18” to 20” or more.

• Don’t put everything on the speed.

High speed satellite internet is something that is important for every laptop, no matter your job. The speed of a laptop is generally determined by the Central Processing Unit (CPU). But there are other factors to consider. This will include the amount of memory and several other factors that will depend on your work.

The CPU is a complicated piece of hardware. So we won’t go into too much detail. And most laptops will have the most up to date and fastest CPU available. All you need to do is consider is the number of cores. The more cores a CPU has, the more efficiently it will work.

Depending on the type of work you do, the speed is also going to be determined by your Wi-Fi connection. Your laptop cannot impact the speed or quality of your internet connection. So it’s important to factor in home working when assessing the quality of your Wi-Fi provision. This is especially true if you’re new to working from home and working in a more rural setting.

Even if you are in rural surroundings, then it is easier than ever to get high speed satellite internet to match the quality of your new device. You might think your connection is fine until you need to use it for 8+ hours a day, so it’s important to make sure you go for the best available.

 

• Don’t forget about portability if you will be taking your laptop outside as well.

 

Portability is another really important factor. Laptops are intended to be used anywhere. After all, they are portable computers. And screen size should be determined mostly by the kind of work you do.

But, if you often need to take your laptop with you, you might need to compromise. For example, if you’re an architect, you will need a large screen size. But if you often need to visit sites in person, you will need a smaller laptop. You might decide that a large laptop is worth the difficulties of carrying it around. Or you can consider investing in both a laptop and a desktop computer.

Of course, it’s important to remember that the overall size of your laptop will have a large impact on the price. 

 

• Don’t forget the importance of storage.

 

The type of storage that you use will generally depend on the systems chosen by your organization. They might prefer you saving documents in desktop folders or on an online space such as SharePoint. 

But, even if you do need to upload documents to an online storage space, you’re going to want a backup. You will also likely want to save drafts on your physical hard drive. So, even if you don’t think you will need much storage, it’s worth trying to find a laptop with a large storage capacity. 

 

• Battery life is still important, even when you’re near a socket.

 

When considering working from home, you might assume that you will always have access to a socket. But this won’t always be the case. On top of all the general appliances and lamps that require sockets, there might be others who need the sockets too. 

So, it’s worth factoring in the need for a long battery life. A laptop that can last for at least 10 hours.

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