Your business keeps you on the move, and you need a notebook that balances power and light weight. That's why you're in the market for a business powerhouse--a reasonably-sized notebook with an emphasis on security, durability, and connectivity.

 

Business laptops encompass a wide range of features and prices, so you should know your best options before opening your wallet. Here, we provide three essential tips and suggest three can't-beat notebooks that will perform the most fundamental task of any business laptop: run applications reliably and securely.

1. Durability
This machine isn't your hobby or plaything-it's your business lifeline, and durability is paramount. Look for a notebook encased in a tough-yet-lightweight magnesium-alloy or even aluminum shell, not cheap plastic. The hard drive should be at the very least shock-mounted, and one that preferably also employs an active-protection system that parks the read/write heads should you drop the machine while it's in use. A spill-proof keyboard is quickly moving from a plus to a must-have.

 

2. Security
A fingerprint reader will help keep your data from prying eyes should your PC get lost or stolen and is a must for a business laptop. You'll also want TPM (Trusted Platform Module) circuitry to enable data security layers such as authentication and encryption. You may want to consider adding a Smart Card reader, so only a user with physical possession of the proper card can boot the system.

 

3. Multitasking Power
A sluggish machine means wasted time-and money. Invest in a dual-core CPU, such as an AMD Turion 64 X2 or an Intel Core 2 Duo, which will let you multitask. That means you'll be able to run a virus scan in the background while you work unfettered in another app-as well as run present and future multithreaded applications (Photoshop, video-editing apps, and so on). As for RAM, the new Windows Vista is happiest with 2GB.

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