For better or worse, the pandemic has changed the way we work, study, and live our daily lives and as the number of COVID-19 cases continues to rise, many businesses have realized and are even encouraging their employees to work from home.
This new way of working has become surprisingly effective for a lot of people but it does require workers to source the best laptop for working from home.
What Laptop Specs Do I Need for Remote Work?
Choosing a good work laptop or even for school depends on many factors. One of these is the type of job or course you are taking. Those with creative jobs, such as graphic designers, content creators etc, will need a powerful processor and color-accurate display. Remote workers who teach or attend many virtual meetings should consider webcam quality, storage, or even battery life.
If you are just working from home, you don’t need to worry too much about battery life, weight, or size. However, if you are on the go, then these might be important.
You might not think much about screen display, but having a great display makes working on your laptop more encouraging since you’ll be seeing everything clearer with more vivid colors. I didn’t think much about displays until I tried the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED because trust me, an OLED screen will change the way you look at your laptop screen and even save your eyes.
There are tons of options out there, and there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. So before you convince your parents or splurge your money on something that looks cool, here are the things you should consider first when buying a laptop
1] BUDGET: This is by far the most important thing you should set before considering which laptop to buy. After all, your choices are limited to what you can afford. But don’t worry! Nowadays, laptops come at all price points.
You can get basic devices that won’t break the bank but be aware of limitations. If you are willing to spend a bit more, then you will be rewarded with a machine that could last you for years and even earn back your investment making every peso worth it.
Having an idea of the amount you can spend will significantly narrow down your choices. You can then choose the most appropriate based on specifications and your needs.
2] PROCESSING POWER: Your laptop should have a good enough processor for your type of job. If you’re looking for a laptop for general use, like word processing and web browsing, you don’t have to worry much about its technical specifications. But if you are serious about being productive and getting things done on your laptop every day, I suggest you go for an Intel Core i3 or higher. Intel Core i5, i7, i9, Xeon, and Apple’s M1 chips are better for high-intensity work but are pricier.
But if your course or work requires specialized software and hardware, like video editing, 3D rendering, and particle simulations, you should invest in more powerful hardware. Powered by the latest 12th Generation Intel Core processors, up to 16 GB RAM, and Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED gives all the performance you need for smooth multitasking and effortless productivity.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED has an Intel Core i7-12700H processor + 16GB RAM and throughout the past three months of using it, everything went running smoothly and we didn’t encounter any slowdown despite opening and switching between multiple tabs and browser windows, office apps and doing some photo and video editing and light gaming. Its ultrafast PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD storage and gigabit-class Intel WiFi 6E (802.11ax) means you won’t be waiting for apps or websites to load, either. ASUS IceCool technology gives you a choice of three cooling fan modes via the MyASUS app, ensuring that it keeps cool even under pressure.
3] BATTERY LIFE: As I mentioned earlier, If you’re working or studying at home, battery won’t matter, but if you’re going to be moving around a lot, a laptop with a good battery should be one of your top considerations. If you use your computer at a coffee shop or outside the office and run out of juice during a meeting, it’s a hassle to look for an outlet.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED comes with a 63Whr battery and it usually lasted me around 6 hours doing light work and browsing and at least 5 hours when I stream movies and play a bit of games. You don’t have to worry though as the 100W USB-type C charger can fully charge it in about an hour.
4] CLEAR DISPLAY: If you are going to spend hours at a time in front of your laptop—like when you’re doing reports, writing papers, programming, editing etc, you need a laptop with an OLED display.
You might think your usual LED display enough, but you’d be surprised at how much better it can get when you are working on an OLED screen. ASUS Zenbook OLED laptops have been praised for having best-in-class color gamut, reproducing colors with superb real-life accuracy for professional-grade visuals.
OLED technology has become more mainstream in recent years and has been adopted widely for commercial usage, as the OLED panel not just enhances the viewing experience but also ensures good eye health.
OLED displays have the advantage of being easier on the eyes, due to the nature of the special organic light-emitting compounds they use. Compared to LCD displays it can reduce harmful blue light by up to 70%, making them extra gentle on the eyes to reduce the risk of retinal damage.
Regular screens produce high amounts of blue light, and this has been linked to problems like blurry vision, eyestrain, dry eye, macular degeneration, and cataracts. It can even cause some sleep issues. Using a laptop with OLED screen reduces exposure to blue light by 70 percent, making it more comfortable and healthier to one’s eyes– something you should consider especially if you have younger children using the laptop.
The 16:10 2.8K UHD OLED NanoEdge display on the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED delivers stunningly detailed and realistic visuals, with ultra-vivid colors, PANTONE Validated color accuracy, and a cinema-grade 100% DCI-P3 color gamut. It’s also VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified for deep blacks and increased dynamic range. The refresh rate has been upped to 90Hz from the usual 60Hz for smoother transitions and animations.
ASUS laptops are number 1 when it comes to displays, so I suggest you check them out first to see the difference.
5] .SIZE and PORTABILITY: A bigger screen is undoubtedly better if you are only going to use the laptop at home. However, digital nomads need to consider size and weight for transportation purposes especially if you are commuting.
You should check the laptop’s weight and size if you’ll be using it outside most of the time, after all you’ll probably be carrying other things besides your laptop. A lightweight 14” laptop with just the right power is preferable over a giant 17” gaming laptop that will leave you tired at the end of the day.
The ZenBook 14X OLED retains the series thin profile with a chassis measuring only 15.9mm thin. It is made of aluminum making it still lightweight at around 1.30kg. This small and light profile makes it easy to fit in your bag and be carried all day.
It has a full-sized chiclet-style keyboard which ASUS calls “Ergosense” and has 3 levels of white backlight. The keyboard has a 19.05 mm key pitch that is the same as a desktop keyboard allowing you to type with comfort and accuracy.
For those who input a lot of numerical data, you don’t need a separate number keyboard as ASUS integrated the Number Pad into the touchpad. NumberPad 2.0, it makes it a dual-function touchpad with an integrated LED-illuminated numeric keypad. Even when NumberPad is activated, the touchpad can be used for cursor control. As with other laptops the power button also doubles as a fingerprint scanner/ Windows Hello.
The laptop comes with ASUS ErgoLift hinge that elevates the keyboard by a few degrees for a more comfortable typing position and give it more breathing room. It can be pushed further to 180° to lay flat, should you need to show content with your colleagues around the table.
What You Want Versus What You Need
It is tempting to get the laptop you want—that is if you or your parents have the money, getting the best laptop money could buy is a no-brainer.
But if you have to stick to a budget, you should choose which spec is more important to you. Do you value portability? Processing Power and long battery life? But you definitely have to consider a great display like an OLED screen. Think about your what your work requires you to do, your activities, and lifestyle and from there, you will know what laptop is best for you.
The ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED might be a bit over your budget, but for young professionals and executives especially those working in design creatives/photography who value the importance of accurate colors, vibrant details, this laptop is a solid investment. Plus considering you will be working long hours in front of the screen, its OLED screen will give your eyes the treat it deserves.
