Dell vs. Lenovo: Which laptops are best for business?

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Dell

is making a steady stream of announcements at Dell Technologies World in Las Vegas this week, including among them

updated models

the company's Latitude and Vostro laptops.

Dell's Latitude series p>

and

Lenovo's ThinkPad Series

are popular options for business users due to the inclusion of several hardware and security features. TechRepublic compares the two product lines to help you decide which is best for you.

The Business Case for Dell Latitude Systems

The recently announced Dell systems offer essentially the same feature set for business-class systems available from HP and Lenovo. These include an aluminum and/or carbon fiber chassis, privacy screen settings to reduce the field of vision, fingerprint readers, Windows Hello compatible infrared cameras and card readers. smart.

Aluminum and carbon fiber p>

The Latitude 7000 Series

includes 13- and 14-inch models and the 12-inch 2-in-1 model (Latitude 7200), while the carbon fiber Latitude 5000 series includes 13-, 14-, and 15-inch models. The budget-focused Latitude 3000 uses the same form factors, without the carbon fiber reinforcement. All use 8th generation Intel Core processors. The new models announced are available from May 1, the 7000 series from $1299, the Latitude 7200 2-in-1 from $999, the 5000 series from $819 and the 3000 series from $599 .

, the latest Latitude and Vostro models (properly) place the webcam at the top center of the screen bezel, avoiding the "nose-cam" effect. However, there is no cover for the webcam, leaving the users who need to cover the camera with tape or sticky notes, while Lenovo includes the "ThinkShutter" to cover the camera when not in use.

TO SEE:

The 16 Best Laptops for Business Users in 2019 (Free PDF)

(TechRepublic)

If you work in particularly adverse conditions,

Dell's Latitude Rugged Series

offers far superior protection than available on Lenovo's ThinkPad line. While ThinkPads aren't fragile by any means (more on that later), the Latitude Rugged 5420 is MIL-STD 810G and IP52 certified and would be fine in environments where such systems aren't likely to be handled with care. Dell's Latitude Rugged and Rugged Extreme series are more competitive with

Panasonic ToughBook series

, because there is no direct competitor among the ThinkPads.

The business case for Lenovo ThinkPad systems

Due to a distinctive design language, the ThinkPad is virtually synonymous with "business laptop", although fans of IBM's original models are often quick to criticize Lenovo's brand management. Twelve years after Lenovo took over IBM's ThinkPad business, some changes have been made, although they generally reflect industry-wide changes in the way laptops are designed.

Among these is the use of 16:9 screens, which are often criticized for being designed for media consumption rather than productivity. Although Dell and HP systems use the same screen type, MacBooks use 16:10 screens, while Microsoft's Surface line of devices adopted 3:2 screens in 2014, similar to Pixelbook and Pixel systems. Slate from Google. The abandonment of the seven-row keyboard (except for the

ThinkPad 25th Anniversary Edition

) has also been the subject of criticism.

Dell's and Lenovo's A-class systems are on a par for ease of user maintenance, although the extent to which this is possible has diminished in recent years. The ThinkPad X390 has soldered RAM, as does the 2-in-1 version of the 2018 Dell Latitude 7390, although the standard laptop version of the 7390 has soldered RAM and a SODIMM slot. (Dell's model number diagram leaves a lot to be desired.) For comparison, recent HP 13-inch laptops, including the EliteBook 735 and EliteBook 830 G5, include two SODIMM sockets.

Soldered RAM makes it impossible to upgrade after ordering and leaves buyers captive to the manufacturer's price for RAM, which can often be exorbitant. While slightly more forgivable on a 13-inch system, the unique soldered RAM + SODIMM combination on the 15-inch T590 is objectionable.

TO SEE:

Beyond the PC: Lenovo's ambitious plan for the future of computing (PDF cover story)

Whats your pick? #HP vs #Lenovo vs #Dell #laptops

— Dharam C. Saigal Mon Jun 24 06:00:20 +0000 2013

(TechRepublic)

Fortunately, Lenovo offers the P-series mobile workstation with superior serviceability, with the P52 and P72 including 4 SODIMM slots, 2 M.2 2280 SSD slots, and a single 2.5-inch SATA drive. This expandability comes at a price, as the P52 weighs 2.59 kg (5.71 pounds). Although heavy compared to contemporary systems, it is lighter than older systems with similar expandability: the T510, for example, weighs 2.81kg (6.19 pounds).

The verdict

If you want to get an idea on sales alone, Lenovo shipped just over 3 million more systems worldwide than Dell in the first quarter of 2019, giving the company a 23% market share compared to 17, 7% for Dell,

according to IDC

. Lenovo and Dell, ranked 2nd and 3rd respectively, were the only companies to report year-over-year growth in the first quarter, while HP Inc., in first place with 23.2% market share, fell 0.8%. Sales aren't everything, however, and the ripple effect isn't a precisely useful metric.

Linux users are also well served by the Latitude and ThinkPad systems, as both officially support Linux, and are among the most popular laptops among Linux developers.

For users who need expandability, Lenovo's P-series is probably the best bet, though for rugged use cases, Dell's Latitude Rugged-series is better suited.

Modern Dell systems should not be judged on

defaults

company history

, while Lenovo's ThinkPads don't live in IBM's shadow. Essentially, the differences come down to aesthetics and price. If you see one you like and can grab it on a sale, go for it.

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Picture: Lenovo