Best laptops for business 2017: Best laptops for UK business, choosing from Windows laptops vs Macbooks vs Chromebooks vs tablets

Almost every business will plump for a budget Windows laptop... and almost every business is right to do so. For a little over £300 you can pick up a perfectly serviceable, no-frills notebook that will run all Windows software and connect to the web.

Basically, it will do what you need it to do, without looking sexy. Potential down sides include weight and heft, life away from the mains. Cheap laptops don't tend to have great battery life. Also you will need security software, and beware a cheap display that reflects the strip lights of your local Starbucks.

If you are going to go for a Windows laptop, there are a few business users shouldn't ignore. The HP 250 G4 is one of the best-value, low-cost laptops out there and for just over £300, you can get very good CPU, loads of storage and plenty of RAM.

Or for those stretching the word 'budget', the Dell XP 15 (around £1350) is an excellent laptop offering superb screen resolution and good battery power for a laptop with this type of powerful processor.  It also offers 32GB DDR4  of RAM, which is pretty mindblowing.

Like a budget laptop, only better. And more expensive. Ultrabook is an Intel term for a thin-and-light Windows laptop that offers powerful performance and true portability. Other features might include a touchscreen, or tablet functionality. Ultrabooks offer all of the advantages of any Windows laptops, and more. But they are not cheap. In fact, at this price you may as well plump for a Macbook.

The Asus ZenBook UX310UA is an excellent ultrabook offering, mainly because its impressive screen quality and excellent 8 to 10-hour battery life, making it ideal for travelling business people.

Other great options include the Acer S 13 S5-371 and the Acer Swift 7.

Macbooks are what Ultrabooks are templated on. Sleek, portable, powerful... expensive. But generally great. There is no nicer laptop to use than a Macbook Pro. No more portable laptop than a Macbook Air. And running OS X means you have less to worry about on the security front. Down sides? Well price is one. Lack of Windows compatibility the other. But if you must have a Windows laptop, and price is not a major consideration, you can always run Windows on your Macbook.

Released in October 2016, the newest Macbook Pro offers three different (but pretty similar) models, the 13-inch MacBook Pro without Touch Bar and Touch ID, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Touch ID and the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar and Touch ID. 

All come with 256GB of SSD storage and four Thunderbolt 3 ports, while the 15-inch model offers double the amount of RAM than the other two options (16GB RAM).

The new Touch Bar admittedly does look nice and will offer a range of functions depending on what task you're performing on the Macbook. For example, if you're browsing the web it will list bookmarked sites or when editing photos, it will provide additional editing buttons. However, this might just be an added cost that won't create that much value or be used that frequently.

New MacBooks in 2016: Podcast discussion

The joker in the pack. Chromebooks are laptops that run Google's Chrome OS. In essence, they use Google Docs, Gmail and other Google tools instead of Windows or Mac software. You can use them when offline, but really they need a regular connection to the web to work. But Chromebooks are super cheap, as well as stylish and powerful. And there are no real security worries. Just don't use a Chromebook if you need to use Windows, Office or any other Microsoft software. (Or games.) (For more, see: Review: Dell Chromebook 13.)

If you're thinking of buying a Chromebook there are a few options worth considering. The Dell Chromebook 11 (3120) offers a long battery life, good durability and oddly a waterproof feature. Dell is a good choice when it comes to Chromebooks as it has a range of well-produced devices on offer.

Alternatively, both Acer and Asus offer solid Chromebooks options for about £250. 

Another option if you can escape the world of Windows or OS X is Linux. A quick Google Shopping search throws up multiple laptops from the likes of Lenovo, HP and Acer that run on a Linux OS. Linux OSes vary, but in general the open source software is similar to Windows in look, feel and functionality. And being open source it can be tweaked to suit your business' needs.

There is no software licence fee, so the same hardware is often cheaper running Linux that it is Windows or OS X. And you don't have the same security needs as you do in Windows. But compatibility is an issue, with both software and other devices. Choice is limited. And you will get funny looks off your colleagues.

Microsoft would have you believe that the Surface Pro 4 is the tablet that can replace your laptop. Apple makes similar claims about the iPad Pro. And there are myriad Windows tablets trying to squeeze into the space.

The truth is that if your major concern is portability, the Surface Pro 4 in particular is a stunning device. Just expect to get what you pay for, and understand that the best laptop for using on your lap will always be... a laptop. (See also: iPad Pro vs Surface Pro for business.)

Samsung announced its latest tablet at MWC in Barcelona this week, geared towards business users. The Samsung Galaxy Book offers built-in Windows 10 available in both 12 and 10-inch sizes. This tablet also comes with a keyboard, is 'S pen stylus' compatible and has a 2.6GHz Intel Core M3 CPU and 4GB of RAM.

Other good options include the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro S2 8, the Sony Xperia Z3 and of course the Google Pixel C.