Earlier this year, we took a look at ‘The Right Laptops For MBA Students.’ But, as it is with most large purchases, the market tends to change very quickly. Plus with the holiday season ready to go into full-swing, it’s a pretty good time to go shopping again. Here are some of this year’s best deals on laptops perfect for MBA students.
There are several important distinctions students must recognize before committing to a purchase. First, will your new computer function for both work and personal use? What is your budget? And what are the most vital components when it comes to using a laptop for business and studying?
Budget Tiers
Laptops generally come in three budgeting tiers: lower, mid and high. For the sake of organization, lower-tier laptops tend to hover below $400, mid-tier range from $400 to as high as $800 and the higher-end range of laptops are usually priced above that threshold.
Important Features
If you’re an MBA student looking for a new laptop, features like great gaming graphics and virtual reality aren’t generally going to be the most important part of the purchase. Along with price, features like battery power, processing power and memory may be vital when in use. It’s important to note that what you prioritize matters most in which laptop you commit to.
Best Budget Laptop Deals
If simple internet access and a decent battery is all that truly matters to you when it comes to owning a laptop, there is long and steadily-growing line of Chromebooks that are perfect for everyday needs.
Acer Chromebook 14
Ranked as the ‘Best Chromebook For Business’ by Laptop Mag earlier this year, the Acer Chromebook 14 can be had for as low as $299 with the Acer Chromebook 14 For Work starting at $350. The cheapest version comes with an Intel Celeron Processor (the drop-off in price usually comes at the expense of processing power), 4GB of ram and 16GB of flash storage on a 14” screen with minimal bezels (the space between the screen and the edge). Those that opt to pay for higher specs can upgrade to a sixth generation Intel Core i-5 CPU with 8GB of RAM and 32GB of local storage with a pristine 1080p display, which will mark up the price above $700.
The real plus of the model is when it comes to battery life and durability, which is good no matter what the specs are. The Chromebook 14 can last nearly 10 hours, which is above average for Chromebooks and better than similar models from HP and Dell. And despite its thin design (the Acer Chromebook 14 For Work measures at 13.03 x 8.94 x 0.88 while the Chromebook 14 comes in slightly bigger at 13.42 x 9.31 x 0.67 inches, 3.42 pounds), the models are intensely durable. Protected by Gorilla Glass 3, users will not have to worry about dropping the laptop by accident.
Lenovo Thinkpad 13 Chromebook
No single line of PC’s is perhaps more synonymous with business than Lenovo’s Thinkpad series. Like the Acer 14 Chromebook, many of the Thinkpad iterations are beloved by Laptop Mag for business purposes, and the inexpensive, reliable Chromebook version is perfect for the budget-conscious buyer.
Right in time for the holidays, the least-pricey version of the Thinkpad 13 Chromebook is available for just $263 on Amazon. This version comes with an Intel Celeron 3855U Processor (which can be upgraded to an i-3 or i-5), and 4GB of SD Ram. As well, the Thinkpad 13 Chromebook beats the majority of the Chromebook market in battery terms of battery-life and SD transfer-speed margins, according to Notebookcheck.
ASUS VivoBook E403SA
If Chromebooks aren’t your thing but you still want to keep costs down then there may be no better laptop on Earth for under $500 than the ASUS VivoBook E403SA. Unlike the aforementioned Acer 14 Chromebook and the Lenovo Thinkpad 13 Chromebook, the VivoBook E403SA runs on Windows, rather than Google’s ChromeOS, which is likely the more familiar of the two to new buyers.
Beloved by both PC Mag and Laptop Mag, which both gave the notebook at least four out of five stars in their respected rating systems, the VivoBook E403SA boasts some of the best visuals for any budget laptop available (1,920-by-1,080 full-HD resolution) and battery life, with PC Mag clocking it at better than 10 hours on a single charge. The resolution in itself is worth the price alone, but unlike much of the budget laptop market, the ASUS VivoBook E403SA also comes with an all-too-often underrated feature: a beautiful, sleek design.
The rich exterior and display make it seem like a steal, which it might be for just $389 at the ASUS Store.
Best Mid-Tier Deals
Once you enter the mid-tier of laptop pricing, the internals of the computer begin to vastly upgrade. Virtually every PC or Apple computer in this tier runs on Intel Processors that are at least i-3, and the visual capabilities are greatly improved. However, considering you still aren’t paying a “premium” price, not every feature will be perfect.
Dell XPS 13
Dell’s XPS series may be considered the crown-jewel of the current laptop market. Starting at $799, the XPS 13 model (non-touch screen) earned an Editor’s Choice award from PC Mag and Laptop Mag, which crowned it the best laptop of 2016. Similarly, CNET awarded the most recent version of the XPS 13 with a score of 8.5 out of 10 and Engadget tabbed it as one of the best 14 laptops available now.
Considered an “ultrabook” for people who love grand titles, the cheapest iteration of the XPS (which, if desired, can go north of $1,600) comes with the most recent generation i-3 processor, 4 GB of ram and a 128GB solid state drive. The beauty of the model comes in its exterior design and visuals, with a crisp 13.3 inch FHD AG (1920 x 1080) InfinityEdge display and limited bezels for a maximized screen.
Unlike the aforementioned cheaper models, the XPS 13 can handle a lot with its pristine CPU performance with the benefit of a standout battery life and unbeatable Wi-Fi connectivity. It’s unclear whether the model will be on sale for the holidays, but even at standard price it’s still a fantastic deal.
Lenovo Yoga 900
So far, it’s hard to beat the Black Friday deal Best Buy is offering for Lenovo’s stellar Yoga 900 2-In-1. The model normally floats at or above $1,000, but in stores on Black Friday the model can be had for just $699.
Regularly regarded as one of the best 2-in-1 models on the market, for those that enjoy touchscreen features, the Yoga 900 comes standard with a ridiculous 3200 x 1800 resolution, 256GB of solid state storage and a sixth generation i-7 Intel processing unit. It may not be the prototypical business-type of laptop that MBA students are used to, but for $699 exceptions can be made. Have fun camping!
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
Those willing to camp out for the aforementioned Lenovo Yoga 900 might have a tough decision on your hands, because Best Buy is also running a Friday Doorbuster deal for a staggering $400 discount of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 4 models. The least costly version is already just $799 without the keyboard, so it’s nice to see Best Buy will actually bundle both together even with the discounts.
The cheapest model comes with 128GB of solid state storage, an Intel Core i-5 processor and a 2736 x 1824 resolution display. So it may not touch the Yoga 900 when it comes to hardware, but, it’s one of the most easily portable computers on the market – perfect for the amount of traveling an MBA student will have to do. But perhaps more than anything else in our guide, the Surface Pro 4 stands out because of its infinitely fun design. Meaning even when you aren’t working, it’ll be a joy to use.
Best High-End Deals
Once you’re willing to part with more than $1,000 for a laptop, the options tend to get pretty wide. At this range, virtually every laptop you can get will be more-than suitable for heavy use in an MBA or business setting, so what you want comes down to preference.
Razer Blade Stealth
What is a Razer Blade Stealth you may be asking? While it’s not part of any of the “big” computer manufacturers, Razer has been well-regarded for years in the gaming community. Meaning, the Razer Blade Stealth offers some of the best hardware for price.
The 12.2” model comes stacked with gorgeous visual capability with a 2,560×1,440-pixel touch display. The cheapest model comes at $999, featuring an i-5 processor, while the most expensive ($1,599) boasts an i-7 processor and 512GB of solid state storage, in addition to 4K video display capability. So if you want a laptop that can do absolutely everything, but look like a sleek ultrabook, head to Amazon now.
ASUS ZenBook 3
Dubbed the “cure for Macbook envy,” the Asus ZenBook 3 is one of the thinnest and most powerful ultrabooks on the market, and still will cost cheaper than some Macbook models.
The $1,100 model comes standard with an Intel Core i-5 seventh generation processor, while the $1,545 iteration comes with the most up-to-date Core i-7 and 512GB of PCle solid state storage. It may not have the battery life you’d want for the price, clocking in close to seven hours according to CNET, but performance-wise it’s tough to beat. Unfortunately, like many high-end laptops, sales don’t come too often.
Apple MacBook Pro
Apple fans, of course, are more willing to pay a premium price for a premium model, so the new MacBook Pro can’t be ignored. The company just released its newest model, which has the option to include a very pricey Touch Bar, which starts above $1,700. The Touch Bar may not be totally conducive when it comes to business or studying, but it has a definite appeal for Apple fans.
As with any recent Pro model, the hardware and performance is incredibly smooth and the battery life is substantial, according to CNET. This model is slightly smaller and lighter than virtually everything in the Apple library, so transportation is still very easy. Considering its newness, sales won’t be happening any time soon, but, if you’re willing to pay a premium price then there’s no better Apple laptop to be had.
