Acer TravelMate X3 is an affordable and svelte 14-inch Windows 10 business laptop
Summertime is here, and for many business folks, this means working outdoors. Sure, some employees will prefer working indoors with air conditioning, but it can be quite refreshing to sit outside and enjoy the fresh air.
If you choose to work outdoors, you obviously need a laptop -- setting up a desktop and monitor under a tree or on a picnic table is not ideal. If you need an inexpensive and lightweight business-focused laptop, Acer has you covered. The TravelMate X3 is both affordable and svelte, making it a wise choice for sitting outdoors or traveling on an airplane.
"The 14-inch TravelMate X349 notebook, first in the series, is ideal for busy professionals looking for a portable device built to work on-the-go. It has an impressive battery life of up to 10 hours and a sleek, all-aluminum chassis that’s less than 18 mm thin and weighs just 3.3 pounds. The thin and light design is perfect for productivity, anywhere. This notebook also comes with a 720p HDR webcam for high-quality videoconferencing and Skype for Business", says Mollie Ruiz-Hopper, Editor-in-Chief, Windows Blog.
Starting at $649, this 1080p Windows 10 laptop has a lot going for it. All models come with Intel Skylake processors and DDR4. Of course, it also offers USB Type-C -- the new standard that is all the rage with consumers. You will also get an SSD by default, contributing to speed and battery life savings.
When working at a desk, the laptop can double as a workstation, thanks to the optional USB Type-C dock. This docking solution can power two 4K displays, making it a future-proof purchase for employees.
From a security standpoint, the TravelMate X3 has two things that I consider must-haves in 2016 -- biometric login and TPM 2.0. The integrated fingerprint reader works with Windows Hello, meaning you can login with your finger -- no password needed. The TPM chip allows you to leverage Bitlocker to encrypt your SSD. This is obviously important for business users, but home consumers should care about encryption too.
If you want to buy this for your business, it will be available outside of the USA in September -- America will get it a month later.