Laptops are an essential part of modern life, and especially if you are working with GIS, you need to have the best laptop.
Depending on the work situation, you can’t afford a PC that may stop during work. Moreover, you will need a PC with advanced specifications and features.
This article will help GIS users to find the 6 best laptops for GIS with unique features and specifications for beginners and professionals.
The laptops are according to the requirements of the GIS software. But before jumping towards the main topic, it is necessary to understand the term of GIS.
What is GIS?
GIS stands for a geographic information system. It is a field of technology in which this software user can easily create and map geographical statistics. In these, geographical features the tabular data is combined for visualization, analysis, and mapping of the information in the best way.
This method is adapted in all the global industries to hand all the business activities. Therefore GIS software is well-known in these industries, especially corporate offices of different modes of work. This software is helpful in every field for organizing the data.
You will find usage of this software from the hospital to the police station for the best outputs. Therefore, there is a high demand for GIS professionals, and an expert is nothing without a good laptop having the best ability to carry GIS software.
There are many types of GIS available such as QGIS, ArcGIS, Maptitude, MAPublisher, and many more. ArcGIS is most popular among them. The laptop that can run ArcGIS can run all other GIS apps like this. A usual computer or laptop cannot handle the high-performing task of the GIS software.
Buying Guide For Best Laptops for GIS
For GIS, the laptop should have the following qualities. This article will provide the basic guidelines to buy the best one.
Processor:
The processor of the laptop or computer is an integral part of it. Its capability tells us what type of software it can bear and manage. For GIS, the laptop looks for a processor that could run ArcGIS efficiently.
This processor of the PC will generate the pulses to operate various devices of the PC. For this software, the processor should have a speed of 3GHz or more. The quad-core, Intel core i5s, and i7s processors that can work on various calculations are the best ones with hyper-threading support. The processor with TurboBoost technology can also handle the GIS working.
Memory (RAM):
The memory of a mobile, computer, or laptop has a pitfall effect on its performance and usability. For the high performance, 8GB is the best, but it is not enough for GIS laptops. For GIS, the RAM with high GB is better. You can look for 16GB RAM for your GIS laptop.
Graphic cards:
Graphics are the vital part of the GIS laptops as it is visual software. The graphic cards of the PC determine the graphics memory. It is none upgraded for the future. For GIS or ArcGIS, the graphics memory should be 256MB as it relies on 3D pictures and high res imagery. You can use integrated graphics cards for your GIS laptop if you are a regular geographical software user.
Storage:
Most of the laptops have solid-state drives. SSD allows the laptops to store more data for the future. It is faster, efficient, and more reliable than HDD technology. To run GIS software smoothly, you need 32GB of storage space on SSD. For storing a lot of the data, choose the one with a large storage capacity.
The Best Laptops for GIS
The following are the best laptops for GIS. They fulfill the entire requirement that the GIS laptops should have;
- Acer Aspire E15
- Dell Inspiron i5577
- Lenovo ThinkPad E590
- Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition
- Microsoft Surface Pro 6
- Apple MacBook Pro
Acer Aspire E15 GIS laptop:
Acer Aspire E15 GIS laptop is the to-pick for the GIS users. It is the best budget laptop that stands best in terms of durability and specification.
The features of Acer aspire laptops are unique, and users love to buy them. For dealing with trading, web browsing, financial modeling, and other programming, this laptop has an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 Quad-Core processor.
You can also watch movies and HD quality videos on its 15.6 inches IPS LED-backlit display. This laptop has an incredible memory of 16 GB DDR3 with a maximum storage of about 1TB HDD and 256 SSD.
If you think this storage is not enough for your work, you can also replace hard disk or RAM with a better storage system. It is light in weight and travels friendly so that you can carry it easily with you.
The laptop has top-notch graphics with an NVIDIA GeForce MX 150 graphic card, along with a 2GB GDDR3 capacity. You will find the pre-installed window 10 which is the best home operating system 64 bit.
It has multiple connectivity options and excellent battery life. This laptop is best for gaming in free time, with smooth loading and streaming.
But its screen is not as much better as require it may flick after 30 sec of idle status that could be a disturbance when multitasking.d
Also, read: Best Laptop for Interior Design 2021
Dell Inspiron i5577 GIS laptop:
Dell always offers the best laptops with unique features for multiple purposes. Dell Inspiron i5577 GIS laptop is the best pick of dell for GIS users. When you are dealing with ArcGIS or any other GIS for mapping the soil and wetland, it is the best choice as it has a 7th Gen Intel core processor.
This processor shows the best performance for all tasks. Moreover, the Max Turbo will help you in boosting the speed up to 3.8GHz. You can play games and do all work enjoyably on 15.6 inches FHD anti-glare LED display.
It provides fast loading speed and allows users to store all types of data with 512GB SSD and 16GB RAM. The design of the laptop is sturdy and unique. It also has a pre-installed window 10 operating system.
GIS has a Herculean system and high-quality graphics, NVIDIA GTX 1050 with 4GB GDDR5 memory that provides a clear crystal graphical image. It also comes with many connectivity options such as an SD card reader, HDMI port, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi connectivity. It is heavy, and the battery runs only 7- hours that will cause a problem with constant working.
Lenovo ThinkPad E590 GIS laptop:
Lenovo ThinkPad E590 is the perfect choice for beginners and professionals. The Lenovo laptops have high storage and fast processors. That’s why they are considered the best for ArcGIS and GIS workers. It is the best business laptop with an Intel i7 processor, incredible machine, and 15.6 inches ISP display screen.
The processor makes the system fast and durable so that it may last for a long time. The laptop has a maximum storage capacity of 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD. It is best to work with ArcGIS and all other such software. This laptop is light weighted, has unbeatable performance, and high durability.
The Intel UHD 620 graphic card provides average and decent graphics. It is also the best one for security as it has a fingerprint reader. Additional features of the Lenovo laptop include a headphone/microphone, combo jack, security keyhole, microSD card reader, and other connectivity options. It is an affordable, cheap, and travel-friendly laptop.
Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition:
In my collection of the best laptops, the next most favorite is Huawei MateBook X Pro. It is the competitor of the MacBook series and also the best laptop for ArcGIS and GIS software. This laptop has a full view screen that is about 91% of the total body ratio.
The 13.9 inch screen has a touch display with the best resolution and a high-quality display screen. 1.8 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB RAM, and 512 GB SSD makes it more adorable for GIS professionals. It provides fast speed that allows the user to enjoy its work for a long time without interruption.
It is light in weight and also looks more incredible with a unique design. With it, you will not feel discomfort with any battery life issue. It can work for 12 hours with constant working.
The pop-up camera that also works as a webcam is its additional feature. It can work as handy came during online class or conferencing video calls.
The other features such as security and connectivity systems are also the best ones. It facilitates the user with a fingerprint login system. It is a bit expensive, and the connectivity ports are not much enough. But with other facilities, you can compromise with them.
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 GIS laptop:
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 is the best laptop that carries the GIS work with ease and excellence. Although it is not the best like Huawei MacBook, the Asus Zen book is better in many ways. The laptop works with the perfect speed with a 1.3 GHz Intel Core i5 processor that is enough to carry out all the work of GIS and ArcGIS.
This laptop has 8GB RAM, 12.3 inches touch display screen & 128 GB SSD storage. It is a 2-in1 laptop that you can use in both laptop and tablet mode. The storage and RAM are best for the tablet mode. You will need to buy a stylus and keyboard separately. The battery life excellent that can last up to 13 hours. But it has a limited connectivity option. You can’t use an external device except for a USB.
Apple MacBook Pro GIS laptop:
The Apple MacBook Pro laptop is a unique device that is best for stunning software such as GIS. Keep in mind that you can’t run ArcGIS on Apple MacBook.
You will need to install Windows OS from boot camp for it. It will help you in using ArcGIS software on the Apple MacBook pro. It has a powerful processor of 1.4 GHz Intel core i5. The 13.3 inches HD display, 8 GB RAM, and 256 GB SSD make it perfect for high-end software.
The SSD drive provides the fastest speed, and you can also upgrade it up to 2TB. The battery life of this laptop is about 10-hours. It is enough to do continuous work for a long time. The fingerprint security and best connectivity options make it adorable for users. But the Apple laptops are a bit expensive, and if you never want to install OS windows, it is not suitable for ArcGIS.
