Our working style has really changed since the past 1.5 years. Before that, the standard routine was to travel to office, sit on your desk and work all day. Now, we work out of the leisure of our home and have the liberty to sit anywhere to work. What you really need now is the right machine that can keep you productive all day in this new work environment.

Essential Specs to Consider

First, let’s get first arrive at the basic specs like CPU, RAM, GPU, Storage, Battery, and Screen size. The configuration you choose really depends upon the type of work you do. There’s not much of a change to consider here.

CPU: For CPU, you could choose between Intel or AMD, where the former is popular and preferred. Choose the latest generation CPU if you can afford, but if your budget doesn’t allow, then you can choose one from the previous generation also, but avoid going below that.

GPU: When it comes to GPU, the one that’s integrated into the system is usually sufficient for most office requirements. However, if you’re a video editor, architect, or graphics professional, then choosing a discrete GPU is a must. The exact version depends upon the level of work you do.

We’ve written an entire article in this section around what CPU+GPU combo is suitable for different requirements.

RAM: When it comes to RAM, 8 GB is recommended for most professional work. For graphics and video professionals, 32 GB or higher RAM is recommended, and 16 GB is the minimum you should consider.

SSD: Here, it has already been established by now that SSD gives far better performance than HDDs. With prices of SSDs coming down significantly, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t opt for a machine with one of these. If you’re getting a device with a HDD, then try to get an additional 256 GB SSD added for the OS. You won’t regret your decision.

Screen: 12.5 to 14-inch screens offer the best balance between portability and usability. If you prefer a large screen, then be ready to compromise on the portability because laptop weight increases considerably with screen size. You should also check the supported display resolution which should be 1920x1080p or higher.

Security and Privacy

Security becomes crucial when choosing a system to work from home, because according to various reports, there’s nearly a 300% increase in cyber-attacks in India. Homes are particularly vulnerable because the systems are not sitting behind the safety of corporate firewalls. You therefore need a system that has advanced threat protection built-in. Nowadays, there are business laptops with built-in AI based malware protection that can keep you safe from the most common and rarest of attacks.

Crash Recovery Features to Minimize Downtime and IT Support Requirements

A cyber-resilient PC is the need for every professional working from home, wherein the system is designed to quickly and automatically recover itself to a working state. Today, attackers have become smarter. They can bypass existing protections and inject malicious software/firmware into the target platforms. A cyber-resilient system can minimize downtime via automated OS recovery capability built into the hardware and firmware. It recovers the PC whenever needed throughout its lifecycle, so you can focus on the tasks you have to do without wasting time in trying to figure out how to make it work.

Protection from Spam/malicious websites

You can’t really tell by visiting a website whether it has malware or not. You need a smart solution that can recognize and then isolate untrusted websites and files in its own isolated virtual containers. So, malware is unable to affect your PC, access your files, or get into the browser.

Day-long battery life

When you’re working from home, you could be sitting anywhere, and not necessarily always near a wall plug. You therefore need a laptop that can last a very long time on its battery power. Even if gets drained out, then look for a laptop that supports rapid charging so that you can re-charge it quickly.

Warranty

When you’re working from home, you need a laptop with long enough warranty for hasslefree working. Some business laptops, like those from HP, come with 3 years warranty, which is more than enough to give you the peace of mind that if anything does go wrong, you can get all the technical help without having to worry about spending out of your nose for it.

Conclusion

Besides choosing powerful hardware specs, you also need to look for a machine that can match your professional requirements and keep you secure from any threats. For instance, HP EliteBook 1000 G8 Series of laptops provide all the required security protection, battery life, and specs you need to enhance your productivity as you work from home. These machines are equipped with the latest 11th gen Intel Core processors and built on the Intel Evo platform to deliver high performance, long battery life and more. These laptops come with built-in modern security features including Built-in Tile, HP SureView Reflect, SureShutter, SureSense, SureRecover, SureClick, etc.

So when choose a laptop for the new normal, look beyond the specs because those aspects have become equally important now.

Check out https://store.hp.com/in-en/default/hp-business-offers for some good deals by HP.