With the pandemic at its peak, working from home is a literal life or death situation. As we get deeper into the pandemic, the need for a home office is becoming a need. You need to get the basics out: a table, a nice work chair (your back will be thanking you if you get an office chair), and a laptop or a workstation.
Having a good laptop is important when working from home, you can avoid technical difficulties while multitasking or attend zoom meetings in clarity and without lag. Investing in a good work laptop will give you less stress while working (no more exasperated sighs when it takes five minutes to load an excel file). To help kickstart your search for the perfect laptop, here are 5 of the best business laptops in Singapore 2020:
Dell XPS 13 (2019)
Dell XPS 13 Specs
| Screen size | 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Internal memory | SSD 256GB |
| Processor | 10th Generation Intel® Core™ i3-10110U |
| Battery life | 4-cell 52 Whr |
| OS | Windows 10 (64bit) |
| Price | US$899 |
Why get this?
Although there are more advanced models in the market such as the XPS 15, its younger sister – the XPS 13 (2019) makes this list for its affordability. It has a slim and lightweight chassis, which is perfect for a small workstation at home. Perhaps its most eye-catching feature is its 4k display with infinity bezels and its strong performance. The webcam is also appropriately placed so you don’t look too awkward while on Skype or Zoom. It’s a great starter laptop for small to medium demand operations such as Excel or other work software.
Lenovo Thinkpad T490
Lenovo T490 Specs
| Screen size | 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Internal memory | 512GB SSD |
| Processor | 8th Generation Intel Core i7-10510U |
| Battery life | 3-cell 50Whr |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro (64bit) |
| Price | $999 |
Why get this?
Thinkpads are a household name in the workhorse laptop niche and for good reason. The Thinkpad T490 is a 2019 model that features powerful 8GB RAM for multitasking partnered with an i7 processor. It is a great workstation and houses a powerful processor to boot. The T490 is an all-around laptop that has a crisp 14-inch display, a great battery life, as well as a fingerprint scanner. The T490 might just be your best work-from-home buddy! You can always count on a Thinkpad to appear on any best laptop list.
Macbook Pro (13-inch)
MacBook Pro (13-inch) Specs
| Screen size | 13.3-inch LED (1680 x 1050) |
| RAM | 8GB / 16GB |
| Internal Memory | 256GB / 512GB / 1 TB |
| CPU | 8th Generation Intel-core i5/ i7 |
| Battery life | 6-cell 58.2 Whr |
| OS | Mac OS Catalina |
| Price | US$1299 |
Why get this?
Any laptop list is not complete without at least one MacBook on the selection. Although MacBooks come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and models, the MacBook Pro 13-inch version made it to this list for its price and prowess. If you can afford the 15-inch version, get it for a fully immersive viewing experience. The MacBook Air, on the other hand, feels more appropriate to students. A staple in the workhorse category, the MacBook Pro is a choice for many visual-intensive and demanding programs. Either the 2019 or 2020 versions, it has a larger internal memory of 3TB (perhaps the largest on this list), the signature Apple Retina display, and the keyboard setup is made much more efficient than older models.
Microsoft Surface Book 2 (13.5-inch)
Surface Book 2 Specs
| Screen size | 13.5 inch PixelSense Display (3240 x 2160) |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Internal Storage | 256GB / 512GB / 1TB SSD |
| Processor | Intel® Core™ i5-7300U |
| Battery life | 2-cell 62 Whr |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro Creators Update 64-bit |
| Price | US$1,149 |
Why get this?
Perhaps one of the most unique laptops on this list, the Surface Book 2 is a 2-in-1 laptop that doubles as a tablet when detached from its keyboard. It has a larger 15-inch version but for the sake of price, we are choosing its smaller sibling. This laptop is an amazing touchscreen workhorse with 8GB RAM. This Surface Book 2 is great for creatives and idea visualization thanks to its sensitive touchscreen. Furthermore, it has a robust build and can multitask well but may be less effective on demanding multimedia apps (for those, you might want to turn to the next item on this list). You can take it up a notch for a few extra dollars with the Surface Pen that gives you that next-level interactivity while working from home.
HP Zbook Studio X360
HP Zbook Studio Specs
| Screen size | 15.6-inch (1920 x 1080) |
| RAM | 32GB |
| Internal Storage | 2TB SSD |
| Processor | 8th Generation Intel-core i5 8300H |
| Battery life | 4-cell 64Whr |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro (64bit) |
| Price | $2,139 |
Why get this?
Another 2-in-1 on the list for creatives, the HPZbook Studio X360 is no entry-level workhorse compared to the Surface Book 2. It features an 8th Generation Intel-core i9 processor which is designed to handle complex software like AutoCAD or Photoshop and get into the tiniest detail thanks to its 4K 100% Adobe RGB and 600 nits of brightness. What makes this 2-in-1 laptop interesting is its chassis. It can rotate up to 360 degrees (although not detachable like the surface) giving you a laptop mode, tent and stand mode, tablet mode, and docked mode. If you’re looking for a powerful 2-in-1 and have the budget for it, the Zbook Studio X360 might just be what you need at home.
As with smartphones, having a laptop is crucial to daily modern life, especially if you’re working from home. Having a laptop helps you manage your own business, helps deliver tasks that are expected while working from home and helps you stay connected with your colleagues. If you have been stressed out about your old laptop lagging, this may be your sign to get a brand new one starting from the models above!
