Long gone are the days when laptop computers were enthusiast items that were prohibitively expensive and far less capable than their desktop counterparts. Huge advances in modern hardware mean that we use laptops for just about everything now, from playing video games to general web browsing, but in today’s digital age, an increasing number of us rely on these portable PCs for making a living.
If you’re a freelancer, entrepreneur, or any other type of professional who relies on a good laptop for your career, you have a number of superb small business laptops to choose from in 2019. A few brands stand above the rest when it comes to workhorse computers, though; Dell and Lenovo are arguably the best among them, and both have some great early fall sales on small business laptops going right now. These promotions feature some very sweet discounts on brand-name small business laptops, and we’ve highlighted a few of our favorites below. Read on – your next work machine is waiting for you.
Dell Chromebook 11 5190 2-in-1 Laptop
If you’re looking for a basic, lightweight, and cheap work machine, it doesn’t get much better than a Chromebook. These Chrome OS-powered PCs have come a long way lately and now make for great little small business laptops, particularly among professionals for whom portability is a primary concern but who still need something more than a tablet for doing work for extended periods of time.
The Dell Chromebook 11 5190 highlights this compact utility with a 2-in-1 hybrid design, letting you fold the 11-inch display flat to basically convert the laptop into a tablet when you need to – be it for things like graphic design work or just for enjoying some streaming after a day’s work. It’s also the cheapest machine of all three of these small business laptops by far, and will set you back just $409 right now after a limited-time $247 discount.
Dell Vostro 14 5490 Laptop
It seems like Dell has been making Windows computers for professionals and students ever since personal computers first became relatively common, and age hasn’t slowed this maker down a bit. Today, Dell still offers some of the best small business laptops no matter what your needs may be, and the Vostro 14 is a great example of the simple utility and value that Dell PCs can provide.
The Dell Vostro 14 5490 packs a 14-inch 1080p display, which is an excellent size for work – large enough to get things done comfortably, but compact enough that it’s not a burden to carry around in your bag. These newer Vostro models also come with the latest 10th-generation Intel Core processors, so you know you’re getting the latest hardware that likely won’t feel sluggish and outdated after a couple years. Several configurations of the Vostro 14 are on sale right now, but the best of bunch might be this model which features an i7 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 235GB SSD for $779 ($648 off).
Lenovo ThinkPad T490 Laptop
The ThinkPad is one of the oldest and most iconic small business laptops on the market, and Lenovo has kept the line nicely updated throughout the years with modern ultrabooks and 2-in-1s like the X and Yoga series. Sometimes, though, you can’t beat a classic, and the T-series Thinkpads are still going strong with models like the T490 offering a lot of value for professionals who don’t need all the bells and whistles (and hefty price tags) that come with more bleeding-edge laptop designs.
The ThinkPad T490 is all business when it comes to hardware, too: It’s loaded with an Intel i5-8265U four-core processor and 8GB of DDR4 RAM – perfectly good specs for work, entertainment, and multi-tasking – and for storage, you get a snappy 256GB solid state drive. Normally $1,889, Lenovo has the ThinkPad T490 on sale for $926 (more than 50% off MSRP) with the code HELLOFALL10.
Looking for more great stuff? Find tech deals, fall sales, and much more on our curated deals page.
We strive to help our readers find the best deals on quality products and services, and we choose what we cover carefully and independently. The prices, details, and availability of the products and deals in this post may be subject to change at anytime. Be sure to check that they are still in effect before making a purchase.Digital Trends may earn commission on products purchased through our links, which supports the work we do for our readers.