Business laptops vs consumer laptops: What’s the difference?
Consumer laptops and business laptops have a lot in common. You can certainly get business done on a consumer laptop, and you can consume content on a business laptop. But let’s be honest: The line between a business and consumer laptop is fuzzy. That’s because the real difference is more of a marketing one.
Business laptops are marketed to businesses and have features businesses are looking for, while consumer laptops are marketed to the average home user. You’ll find some high-end consumer laptops that have a lot in common with high-end business laptops.
Business laptops tend to be more expensive than the average consumer laptop – there’s not a big focus on “budget” laptops like there is when we talk about consumer laptops. They prioritize features for work and productivity, like more ports, including built-in HDMI for connecting to projectors. They’re often sturdier and hold up better for travel. A higher-end premium consumer laptop might have a lot of these same features.
But while they may be packed with powerful CPUs, lots of RAM, and plenty of storage, business laptops tend not to include powerful GPUs. They prioritize battery life over graphics horsepower, and they aren’t going to be the ideal gaming PC.
Looking to pick up a brand new laptop? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available today.
Business vs. consumer laptops: Price
Business laptops are often more expensive than consumer laptops. Companies sometimes receive a discount on these prices by buying laptops in bulk for their “fleet” of computers. If you buy a single business laptop for your own use, you might not get a great deal.
In contrast, consumer laptops are primarily marketed to the average computer user – someone who might want to get work done sometimes, but who might also just want to watch movies and browse the web. Their prices tend to be lower, and they’re not set with that kind of “bulk discount” pricing in mind.
There’s a whole range of consumer laptops from the least expensive “budget” laptops up through “midrange” laptops and “premium” laptops. You almost certainly aren’t going to find a business laptop for $300 to $500, for example – that’s the domain of “budget” consumer laptops.
Consumer laptops and business laptops have a lot in common. You can certainly get business done on a consumer laptop, and you can consume content on a business laptop. But let’s be honest: The line between a business and consumer laptop is fuzzy. That’s because the real difference is more of a marketing one.
Business laptops are marketed to businesses and have features businesses are looking for, while consumer laptops are marketed to the average home user. You’ll find some high-end consumer laptops that have a lot in common with high-end business laptops.
Business laptops tend to be more expensive than the average consumer laptop – there’s not a big focus on “budget” laptops like there is when we talk about consumer laptops. They prioritize features for work and productivity, like more ports, including built-in HDMI for connecting to projectors. They’re often sturdier and hold up better for travel. A higher-end premium consumer laptop might have a lot of these same features.
But while they may be packed with powerful CPUs, lots of RAM, and plenty of storage, business laptops tend not to include powerful GPUs. They prioritize battery life over graphics horsepower, and they aren’t going to be the ideal gaming PC.
Looking to pick up a brand new laptop? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops available today.
Business vs. consumer laptops: Price
Business laptops are often more expensive than consumer laptops. Companies sometimes receive a discount on these prices by buying laptops in bulk for their “fleet” of computers. If you buy a single business laptop for your own use, you might not get a great deal.
In contrast, consumer laptops are primarily marketed to the average computer user – someone who might want to get work done sometimes, but who might also just want to watch movies and browse the web. Their prices tend to be lower, and they’re not set with that kind of “bulk discount” pricing in mind.
There’s a whole range of consumer laptops from the least expensive “budget” laptops up through “midrange” laptops and “premium” laptops. You almost certainly aren’t going to find a business laptop for $300 to $500, for example – that’s the domain of “budget” consumer laptops.
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Summary
Business vs Consumer Laptops: Key Differences and Pricing
The main differences between business and consumer laptops lie in their marketing strategy, with businesses and home users as target audiences respectively. Business laptops tend to be more expensive due to prioritization of features
The main differences between business and consumer laptops lie in their marketing strategy, with businesses and home users as target audiences respectively. Business laptops tend to be more expensive due to prioritization of features