Best Laptop For GIS
Hi, before choosing the best laptop for GIS stuff, first we need to know the minimum requirements of the GIS software. Then we can decide which laptop would be best for us.
There are lots of GIS software are available like ArcGIS, QGIS, MAPublisher, Maptitude, and MapInfo Professional, but the ArcGIS is one of the most popular and powerful software among them. If any laptop or computer can run the ArcGIS then it will probably capable to run any GIS software easily.
Here are the minimum requirements of the ArcGIS and some other GIS software. Your computer specs are fine, except for the hard disk. Spend $200 and swap the drive out for a 512GB SSD. It will automatically become 5x faster.
GIS tends to be I/O bound. This makes an SSD upgrade doubly important. As for the display, hook up an external monitor. It doesn’t matter what laptop you upgrade to, none will have a built-in panel as large as a 24in stand-alone display.
Consider getting a mobile workstation with a desktop-class quad-core processor and discrete graphics, such as an HP ZBook 15/17 or a Dell Precision M4x00/M6x00. If you’re on a budget you can get one that is one or two generations old (such as M4600) for a steal – it will still outperform most current consumer laptops.
It’s getting slow not because it’s getting outdated (i5). That thing should last you a few more years feeling fast. It’s getting slow because of software/registry key problems.
Your best bet on getting it fast again will be to back up all your files to an external hard drive, then doing a complete system wipe and restore.
Best Laptop For GIS in 2023 / Student – ARC Pro / Work
If you want to take lighter laptops you have to look at ‘Ultrabooks’. You have a wide range of options for Ultrabooks these days. Asus, Lenovo, Acer, Dell, and HP have launched many Ultrabooks these days.
Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 14, ThinkPad S440, Lenovo Carbon X1, Lenovo Yoga Pro 3, Asus UX303LB-R4016H, Asus Zenbook UX303LN-R4290H, Asus UX303LB-R4060H, Acer Aspire S7, Acer TravelMate P645-SG-709F. And Dell XPS 13,14,15 and Inspiron 15 7548-3849.
Have a look at these laptops and they are pretty decent for you to work.
It’s that time of year again. The summer is winding to a close and that means colder weather, leaves changing their color and schools everywhere are about to open their doors.
One thing that a lot of parents (and students) are dreading is that schools are beginning to require their student’s own laptops to use in their classes. But fear not, for I have compiled a guide that will make buying the right laptop much easier for you.
Best Sellers in Laptop Computers
And if you’re not going to school this fall, this guide should still assist you in your quest for a business or personal laptop for yourself or someone in need this holiday season.
Why are you buying a new Laptop?
Maybe you’re one of the parents looking to find a laptop for their child to take to school this year, or perhaps you’re looking for a system that will give you a new edge at the office.
The reason you are buying your laptop is going to determine what you’re going to need out of the new system. If your laptop is going to be using Computer Animated Design software, for example, you’re going to want a more powerful processor than if you’re merely using it for Word Processing or Internet based research.
Are you a hardcore gamer? Do you like editing photos or creating videos? Are you a musician looking to get some better exposure?
It may be best for you to jot down every possible scenario you could see yourself using the best laptop for GIS before you read the next section of the guide, to be sure you’re getting everything you need out of the system.
Laptops come in all shapes and sizes.
Size does matter.
This is a feature that a lot of people overlook when buying a laptop, but the size and physical features of the laptop are arguably some of the most important. Where the processor, amount of ram, and the hard drive can be upgraded and replaced as needed, features like the size of the laptop, the placement of its various input/output ports and it’s weight are all things that you’re really going to be stuck with after your purchase it.
Some things to ask yourself are:
- How large of a screen am I going to need?
- Am I going to be carrying this laptop around a lot?
- How many peripherals are going to be attached to the laptop?
- Am I going to miss not having the NUMPAD on my keyboard?
The size of the screen is going to directly affect the size of the laptop, so this question is important. If you are buying this laptop to edit photos, create videos, play games, or watch movies and television then you’ll likely want a large screen.
Keep in mind that large screen laptops are heavier, and therefore if you’re going to be crossing a large campus on a daily basis you’ll need to consider that as well.
The number of peripherals you’ll be attaching to the laptop also helps narrow down what you’ll be using it for. The most important consideration is the number of USB ports you’ll have, as most accessories and devices connect to a laptop using these ports.
A printer that isn’t wireless, a drawing tablet, a wired or wireless mouse, and a USB storage drive are all examples of devices that connect via USB. If you intend on connecting your laptop up to a monitor at any given time you’ll want to consider the Output connection on the laptop as well.
Best Sellers in Laptop Computers
Finally, one of the most overlooked features of a laptop is the presence or absence of the NUMPAD on the keyboard. The NUMPAD is the 16 button portion beside your arrow keys that sort of resembles a telephone.
Though it is possible to purchase a USB powered external NUMPAD for a laptop, if you’re used to having one, it’s best to have it attached to the laptop itself.
1. Acer Aspire 5 GeForce MX150 15.6
Price: $899.00 + $65.93 shipping
Geared for Greatness
The new Aspire 5 Series is the perfect laptop for every need. It packs a beautiful 15.6″ Full HD screen, solid performance, and the latest WiFi into an attractive design that’s easy to place in a backpack and take to class.
This budget-friendly laptop has all the essentials you need so you can quickly browse the Web, manage a budget, or catch up on schoolwork.
Free Amazon tech support included:
- 8th Generation Intel Core i7-8550U Processor (Up to 4.0GHz)
- 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) Comfy View widescreen LED-backlit display
- 8GB DDR4 Memory & 256GB SSD
- Up to 7-hours of battery life
- Windows 10 Home
- Best Laptop For GIS In 2021
| Screen Size | 15.6 inches |
| Max Screen Resolution | 1920 x 1080 pixels |
| Processor | 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7 |
| RAM | 8 GB |
| Hard Drive | 256 GB Flash Memory Solid State |
| Graphics Coprocessor | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 |
| Chipset Brand | NVIDIA |
| Card Description | Dedicated |
| Graphics Card Ram Size | 2 GB |
| Wireless Type | 802.11ac |
| Number of USB 2.0 Ports | 2 |
| Number of USB 3.0 Ports | 2 |
| Average Battery Life (in hours) | 7 hours |
2. Dell XPS 15 9570
Product description
CPU:512GB SSD + 4K Touch | Style:Laptop Only
Xps 9570 8th generation Intel Core i7-8750H Processor, (2x8GB) ddr4-2666 MHz, 512gb M.2 2280 PCIe solid State drive, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050Ti with 4GB gddr5, 15.6″ 4K Ultra HD (3840 x 2160) InfinityEdge anti-reflective touch IPS, 100% minimum Adobe RGB 400-nit.
- The virtually borderless display maximizes screen space by accommodating a 15.6 Inches Display inside a laptop closer to the size of 14 inches, thanks to a bezel measuring just 5.7 millimeters
- Beautiful from any angle: The anti-reflective screen combined with superior 400 nit brightness frees you to enjoy your entertainment outdoors. Plus, the IPS panel provides a wider viewing angle, so you can share your screen without missing a thing
- With the UltraSharp 4K Ultra HD display (3840 x 2160), you can see each detail of every pixel without needing to zoom in. You can edit images with pinpoint accuracy without worrying about blurriness or jagged lines
- Screen Size: 15.6 inches
- Max Screen Resolution: 3840 x 2160 pixels
- Processor: 4.1 GHz Core i7 Family
- RAM: 16 GB SDRAM
- Hard Drive: 512 GB 512GB M.2 2280 PCIe Solid State Drive
- Graphics Coprocessor: NVIDIA GeForce
- Chipset Brand: NVIDIA
- Card Description: Dedicated
- Graphics Card Ram Size: 4 GB
- Number of USB 3.0 Ports: 3
- Best Laptop For GIS In 2021
3. HP 15 15.6″ HD Touchscreen
- Fast Processor 10th Generation Intel(r) Core(TM) i5-1035g1 Processor quad-core 1 0 GHz Base frequency up to 3 6 GHz with Intel’s) Turbo Boost Technology
- Display 15 6-Inch diagonal HD SVA bright View micro-edge WLED-backlit touchscreen display (1366 x 768)
- Fast boot up with SSD Boot up in seconds transfer files without waiting hours and enjoy a snappier experience with the internal solid-state drive 512 GB PCIe(r) NVME(TM) M 2 Solid State Drive
- 1 HDMI 1 4b 1 headphone/microphone combo 1 USB 3 1 Type-C Gen 1 (Data Transfer up to 5 Gb/s) 2 USB 3 1 Gen 1 (Data transfer only) 1 AC smart pin
- Windows 10 Home No DVD
Product information
- Brand Name: HP
- Series: HP i5 touch
- Hardware Platform: PC
- Operating System: Windows 10 Home
- Item Weight: 5.4 pounds
- Package Dimensions: 19 x 12 x 3 inches
- Rear Webcam Resolution: 1 MP
- Processor Brand: Intel
- Processor Count: 4
- Computer Memory Type: DDR4 SDRAM
- Flash Memory Size: 16.00
- Hard Drive Interface: Solid State
- Hard Drive Rotational Speed: 5400 RPM
- Optical Drive Type: No Optical Drive
- Batteries: 1 Lithium-ion battery required. (included)
Technical Details
- Screen Size: 15.6 inches
- Max Screen Resolution: 1366 x 768 pixels
- Processor: 3.6 GHz Core i5 Family
- RAM: 16 GB DDR4
- Hard Drive: 512 GB SSD
- Graphics Coprocessor: Intel Graphics_coprocessor
- Chipset Brand: Intel
- Card Description: Dedicated
- Graphics Card Ram Size: 0.01 MB
- Number of USB 3.0 Ports: 3
2019 Lenovo Legion Y540 17.3″ FHD Gaming Laptop Computer, 9th Gen Intel Hexa-Core i7-9750H Up to 4.5GHz, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 1TB 7200RPM HDD + 256GB PCI-E SSD, GeForce GTX 1650, Backlit Keyboard, Windows 10
- Price: $1,389.99 & FREE Returns
- Get $50 off instantly: Pay $1,339.99 upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card. No annual fee.
- Brand: Lenovo
- Operating System: Windows 10
- CPU Manufacturer: Intel
- Screen Size: 17.3 Inches
- Computer Memory Size: 16 GB
About this item
- Powered by the latest 9th Generation Intel Hexa-Core i7-9750H Processor @ 2.60GHz(6 Cores, 12M Cache, up to 4.50 GHz), Powerful 6-core, twelve-way processing performance.
- 17.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, 300nits, anti-glare, 60Hz Display; NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB Graphics
- 16GB DDR4 2400 SDRAM Memory for full-power multitasking; 1TB 7200 rpm HDD + 256GB PCI-E SSD offer enough storage for your files. PCI-e SSDs are great for major gaming applications, multiple servers, daily backups, and more.
- 802.11AC (2 x 2) & Bluetooth 4.1; USB-C, 3 x USB 3.1 (Gen 1), Mini DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, RJ45, Kensington lock, Audio combo jack
- Windows 10 Home; Backlit Keyboard – US English
Vanquisher 8-Inch Industrial Rugged Tablet PC, Windows 10 Pro/GPS GNSS / 4G LTE/Drop Survival, for Enterprise Field Mobility
Price: $549.99 & FREE Returns
Get $50 off instantly: Pay $499.99 $549.99 upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card. No annual fee.
- Size: Standard Version
- Screen Size: 8 Inches
- Brand: Vanquisher
- Series: Touch
- Memory Storage Capacity: 128 GB
- Item Dimensions LxWxH: 8.98 x 5.79 x 0.65 inches
- Best Laptop For GIS In 2021
MILITARY GRADE RELIABILITY
Ruggedized construction, IP67 sealed housing & MIL-STD810G standard allow for vibration, shock, drop, liquid in any harsh conditions. Adopting Corning Gorilla glass panel for outstanding durability.
Can withstand wild handling in outdoor, extreme conditions & demanding industrial environments from mining to maintenance in all weather conditions. The compact 8″ size and included sturdy backhand strap make it easy to carry in the field, ideal for mobile solutions.
WINDOWS BASED ENTERPRISE MOBILITY
Microsoft Windows 10 PRO (64-bit). Intel X5 Cherytrail Z8350 Quad-Core processor with speed up to 1.92GHz. 4G RAM, 64G ROM. Up to 128GB expandable memory through micro SD. Support OTG mode (Mouse/Keyboard). Integrated 7800mAh Li-ion battery for 8+ hours full-shift.
MULTIPLE DATA COMMUNICATION CAPABILITIES
Support 4G LTE data (AT&T, T-mobile), WIFI 802.11(a/b/g/n) dual bands & Bluetooth 4.0 to keep your team always connected.
Without worrying about data loss in the field. An essential production tool for the mobile workforce, consultants, engineers, geologists, field workers, maintenance staff, to get jobs done.
BUILT-IN GPS
Integrated U-Blox GPS module (Neo-7 GNSS) for navigation & positioning without WiFi or cell signal in remote conditions. Support Windows offline map. Works with MAGNET Field for collecting land positioning data and perform GIS mapping.
SDK is available for customized program development. Ideal for geological survey, construction, navigation, fleet management, vehicle tracking, asset management, field data collection, etc.
RICH PORTS & INTERFACES
Full-size USB *1, micro USB *1, micro HDMI *1, micro SD slot *1, micro SIM slot * 1, Pogo pin (docking charger not included). All come with a rubber seal for waterproof.
HP 15.6-Inch HD Touchscreen Laptop (Intel Pentium Silver N5000 1.1GHz, 4GB DDR4-2400 Memory, 1TB HDD, HDMI, HD Webcam, Win 10)
Price: $519.00 & FREE Returns
Get $50 off instantly: Pay $469.00 $519.00 upon approval for the Amazon Rewards Visa Card. No annual fee. Available at a lower price from other sellers that may not offer free Prime shipping.
- Brand: HP
- Operating System: Windows 10
- CPU Manufacturer: Intel
- Screen Size: 15.6 Inches
- Computer Memory Size: 4 GB
- Best Laptop For GIS In 2021
About this item
- 15.6″ HD LEDTouchscreen Display (1366 x 768), 10-finger multi-touch support
- Intel Quad-Core Pentium Silver Processor N5000 (1.1GHz, up to 2.7GHz)
- 4GB DDR4-2400 Memory; 1TB HDD Hard Drive
- Intel UHD Graphics 605, HDMI, HD Webcam, DTS Studio Sound, Intel HD Graphics 620
- 1 USB 3.0, 2 USB 2.0, 1 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Win 10 Home 64-bits, No DVD Optical Drive
- Best Laptop For GIS In 2021
Warranty and support – Best Laptop For GIS In 2021
Amazon.com Return Policy: You can return any new computer purchased on Amazon.com that is “dead on arrival”, that arrives damaged or is still in unopened boxes, for a full refund within 30 days to purchase.
Amazon.com reserves the right to prove “dead on arrival” returns and impose a fee to the customer equivalent to 15 percent of the product’s sale price if the customer misrepresents the condition of the product.
Any returned computer that is damaged by customer misuse is missing parts, or is in a non-salable condition due to customer handling, will be charged a higher restocking fee depending on the condition of the product.
Amazon.com will not accept returns from any desktop or laptop computer more than 30 days after receiving the shipment.
Best Sellers in Laptop Computers
New, used and reconditioned products purchased from suppliers in the Market are subject to the return policy of the individual supplier.
What makes a good Laptop for GIS 2023?
Now that you have an idea about what you want your laptop to look like on the outside, it’s time to consider what you’d like to see on the inside. If you’re buying this laptop merely to use programs like Microsoft Office, an internet browser, and iTunes then you’re not going to need a whole lot of power from your system.
Laptops on the retail market these days come equipped with Windows 7 as an operating system, and unlike their Vista counterparts, a couple of years back will come designed to handle running the operating system smoothly.
That being said, a good benchmark to set for your system will be 4GB of RAM; preferably DDR3, A quality dual-core processor (avoid the Intel Celeron series for example), and then a hard-drive-based one how much you plan to store on your computer.
Typically hard drives from 250 – 500GB are the most commonly found on lower to mid ranged laptops, and that should be more than sufficient storage space.
If your plan is to use more intensive programs, such as Graphic Design software, Music editing software, or anything else that will create an intensive load on your system you’ll want to take a closer look at your Processor.
Best Laptop For GIS
A processor that boasts dynamic performance enhancement, such as the Multithreading feature offered in the Intel I series of processors is a good choice for this.
The cores of the i3-i7 processors are designed to divide tasks up into threads within each processing core, allowing your system to think it has more cores to work with, the end result being that it can force a little extra power out of your system in a pinch.
Another handy feature to watch for is the size of your L2 and L3 cache. The larger the cache, the more your system is able to do without slowing itself down to access more distant memory sources, and that means quicker response times to whatever you need to access.
If you’re buying this system specifically for gaming, or for High Definition multimedia or 3D modeling, you’ll want to consider the Graphics Card your system will come with.
For the most part, a 1GB of video memory in the graphics card should be more than powerful enough to handle whatever your needs are, but it would be wise to check the specific requirements of the game or software you’re installing and be sure that the features you need are included in the design of the card.
Best Sellers in Laptop Computers
Finally, the battery life of the laptop could be important as well. If you plan on using the laptop in a lot of places where there are no power sources, you’ll want a laptop with a longer than average battery life.
And considering the average battery life of a laptop varies from 2-4 hours, this can be a very important decision for the commuting over-achiever or social butterfly.
The Hard Drive of a Laptop store all your data.
Where to go from here?
So you’ve finally decided on a laptop that fits all your needs. It’s the right size, has the NUMPAD on the side, doesn’t weigh too much and it’s a sweet shade of charcoal gray.
Now that you’re ready to dish out on the system, it’s time to consider everything else you’re going to need to work at maximum efficiency.
For software, consider again what you’ll be doing with your laptop. If you’re ever planning to take it online by any capacity (and who isn’t these days) then you’re going to want a reputable Antivirus program.
One of the best right now is from a company called Kaspersky. As of this writing, it has been found to locate and quarantine/remove the largest library of malicious software of any Antivirus in the retail market.
The internet security package also includes metrics to protect your personal identity online from online phishers. This can be important if you access your bank information or log into sensitive company assets over the internet.
Another must-have for business and school is the Microsoft Office suite. Microsoft Office comes in many packages, and the one that is right for you depends on what you need for work.
Best Laptop For GIS In 2023
Most users will find the Home and Student offering to be enough, featuring Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. This allows you to create professional documents and resumes, organize slide show presentations, and create powerful spreadsheets.
Other popular programs included in other Office suites are Outlook, a program used to organize e-mail in ways most internet services can not, and Access, a program that can create Databases for organizing and storing information on anything from sales records to your Elvis Presley collectibles.
Make sure when you’re purchasing a copy of Microsoft Office that it has every program you need to be successful.
Graphic designers or photography buffs will want to get their hands on photo editing software such as Adobe Photoshop. A music producer will need a program to allow them to record, edit and store music.
Best Sellers in Laptop Computers
Gamers will need to shell out for their latest digital fix, and Web Designers will likely want to purchase a license for Macromedia Flash or Adobe Dreamweaver.
What about Accessories? Best Laptop For GIS In 2023
So now you have a laptop and software to go with it. What else could you possibly need? Well for starters, what do you plan on carrying it in? Laptop bags come in several varieties.
Slipcases for storing your system in a backpack or briefcase, messenger bags for carrying your laptop and a couple of needed accessories, and larger briefcase style bags to carry your laptop along with work materials.
They come in all sizes to accommodate a laptop of any size, so be sure the bag you’re buying will hold the 17″ widescreen your purchased.
Another accessory to add to your list is a wireless mouse. Most people (myself included) do not like the touchpad that comes with your laptop, so by plugging a receiver into a USB port of your laptop you can replace that dodgy pad with a traditional mouse, AND you don’t have to untangle 4 feet of wire first, either.
Other input peripherals include a NUMPAD if your laptop keyboard doesn’t have one, or a Tablet for sketching or signing documents.
If you plan on listening to a lot of music, voice chatting, or even just taking verbal notes for your to-do list, you may want to consider purchasing a USB Headphone/Microphone combination.
How to flip an image in Google Docs
If you want to add video conferencing, or creating video blogs to that list you’ll want to purchase a web camera as well. (keep in mind that many laptops come with a camera and/or mic built into the screen). If you’re storing a large amount of data or storing sensitive data you can’t afford to lose, invest in an external hard drive.
They store at least as much data as your laptop and can even back up your entire system on a scheduled basis. Plus, they’re simple to install and can even be portable, to take with you wherever you go.
If you’re going to be printing a lot and working in different areas of the house, a wireless printer is a good addition to any laptop purchase.
They’re no longer more expensive than their wired counterparts, and the added range and flexibility more than makeup for the money spent.
Make sure you weigh the cost of the printer with the cost and yield of its ink cartridges. Typically the cheaper the printer, the costlier the ink to sustain it.
Finally, if you’re not yet wireless at your home, there’s no better time than now. Your laptop will come with a wireless adapter built right into it, so all you’ll need to pick up is a Wireless Router.
For the cost of technology, spend the extra $10 or so dollars and opt for a Wireless N system. Best Laptop For GIS In 2023
It has a faster wireless download speed and a much larger signal range, allowing you to update your Facebook status from the bedroom, or destroy your best friend’s Town Hall from the comfort of your lawn chair.
Keep in mind that just about any wireless router you purchase comes with at least 4 Ethernet ports so your wired desktop and/or gaming consoles can still be connected to the network as well.
Best Sellers in Laptop Computers
Most of your accessories will connect to your laptop using a USB connection.
The Router Goes Where?
So now you’ve finally made your big shopping list of everything you’re going to need to get back to school in style this year, and looking at the list you’re starting to wonder how you’re going to get it all installed, set up, and be ready in time for the start of your classes.
It’s time for you to consider the last step of buying a new system…
Any retailers worth their salt can offer you assistance in setting up a new laptop. They’ll power it on, install your hardware titles, install your printer’s drivers, and in some cases, they can even go as far as driving to your home and setting up your wireless network.
If the idea of configuring your home computer, new laptop, Xbox 360, and iPod Touch to a single network frightens you, it may save you hours of frustration to pay and have it all professionally installed and configured.
One last thing to consider as well as protecting your investment. If you’re starting from scratch, you’re likely spending close to a thousand dollars on your new set up, and in some cases even more than that.
And though the idea of adding another expense to the already daunting list you’re prepared to shell out may seem like a bad idea, the next consideration can literally save your butt in a pinch.
What I’m talking about is the dreaded Extended Service Plan.
Unfortunately, I think that used car salesman and commission based Electronic stores have given ESP’s a bad rap.
The Extended Service Plan actually exists to protect your investment from the limited warranty provided by the major electronic manufacturers. The One Year Limited Warranty provided by companies like HP or Dell covers manufacturer’s defects only.
Meaning that unless the issue can be traced directly to being a flaw in the manufacturing of the product, HP or Dell will deny you any assistance or monetary compensation for the system. And believe me, they will do anything to convince you that they didn’t mess up.
- What is GIS?
- Top 5 Best Laptops for GIS. Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition. Asus ZenBook 14. Microsoft Surface Pro 6. New Apple MacBook Pro. Asus Vivobook S14.
- Best Sellers in Laptop Computers
- Best Laptop For GIS In 2021
What does that mean for you?
Well, without assistance from an Extended Warranty, odds are good that you’re stuck with that laptop with the dead hard drive and faulty screen.
The extended warranty, however, will protect your Laptop against any and all damages and defects incurred during the life of the warranty, typically between 2-4 years.
This means that if a year and a half down the road the cheap hard drive that HP placed in your laptop dies out, you can call the company that you purchased your warranty from and either get your laptop repaired, get it replaced, or get your money back (less the money spent purchasing the warranty).
And in most cases, the cost of the warranty is less than even the cost of buying the replacement part, let alone the cost to have it replaced.
I hope this guide has been helpful in assisting you in purchasing not only a new laptop for Gis but everything that you’ll need to go with it.
I spent a lot of time writing this from first-hand knowledge, and any feedback you can provide will be most appreciated. Happy hunting and I’ll see you online!
Best Sellers in Laptop Computers
Best Laptop For GIS In 2023