If you're thinking about investing in a brand new laptop for blogging for 2020, you've come to the right post. Whatever type of content you like to create, whether it's blog posts, videos, or podcasts. One thing you should not do is scrimp when choosing a new laptop.
If you're on a budget, there's some great makes and models worth looking into. That being said, sometimes going down the super cheap avenue is not always the best option. Especially if you're looking for a machine that will perform at it's best, and last a long time.
Of course, it all depends on what you want to use your laptop for. If you're only writing blog posts and doing nothing else, then an inexpensive laptop might do fine.
If you like to diversify your content creation. In other words, you like to write blog posts, create videos and podcasts, etc, then you might want to invest in a better quality laptop.
Below are 5 of the best budget laptops for bloggers and content creators worth checking out. I've researched each of these and taken into consideration some key features. These features include -
OK, so let's begin.
I know we're mainly looking at budget laptops for bloggers. But if you're looking to spend a decent bit of money on a laptop. And without breaking the bank, one of the best alternatives to something like a Macbook Pro would be the HP Pavilion X360.
This particular laptop ticks most of the boxes above, in the sense that it is a great size laptop, with a 14-inch touch screen, and up to 8 hours of battery life. It also packs a ton of storage, 128GB of SSD and extra 1TB SATA hard drive.
The Pavilion X360 features a 3.9Ghz Intel chipset, with 8GB of memory, Wifi, and Bluetooth. Having plenty of storage means you can write and store as many blog posts, as well as your videos and other various content.
When it comes to ports, the X360 comes with a media reader slot, USB-C, USB 3.0, HDMI, and a mic port.
The HP Pavilion X360 can be used in laptop mode, tablet mode, stand mode, and tent mode. It also comes with Windows 10 pre-installed.
The X360 is not the lightest, a little over 5LB. Quite heavy when you compare it with a 3LB 13-inch Macbook Pro. But the design of this laptop is beautiful. This is a great all-around blogging laptop to consider.
Whether you choose to love or hate Apple, you can't deny that the 13-inch Macbook Pro is one of the best laptops out there. Not only for bloggers but for all kinds of content creators.
I've been a user of the Macbook Pro since 2016, and asides from a few niggles, I've been happy with my machine. I don't only use my Macbook Pro for blogging, I also manage a web design agency, and edit a lot of videos for my YouTube channel. And so this is where the Macbook Pro, for me, is most powerful.
So, what is there to love about the Macbook Pro for blogging?
Let's start with the size and weight. The latest Macbook Pro is one of the most portable laptops around, weighing in at just 3.02LB, with a width of around 12 inches and a width of 8.5 inches.
It's quite thin as well and can slide nicely in a nice laptop bag or travel backpack.
Next is the battery life, up to 10 hours of wireless web. The long battery life was one of the many reasons I decided to trade in my 23 inch iMac to a 13-inch Macbook back in 2016.
Then come the storage and connectivity. A basic model Macbook comes with 128GB of storage, which is pretty poor, but I use an external SSD. Yes, it's a pain in the backside, but it solves the problem.
Ports and connections on the Macbook Pro are not great either. There's no SD card reader, no USB 3.0, no HDMI ports, no Ethernet LAN port. So, again, having to fork out money on an external USB hub means extra expenses, but it solves the problem.
Performance-wise, the latest basic model 13 inch Macbook Pro features a 1.4GHz quad‑core Intel Core i5, turbo boost up to 3.9GHz, with 128MB of eDRAM. Almost comparable to the HP Pavilion X360 above.
Price-wise, well, Apple being Apple, the 13-inch basic model Macbook Pro is expensive when compared to other makes and models of laptops. That being said, you get state of the art technology inside a well-built machine.
I'll let you decide whether you can justify paying the high-ticket price or not for a new Macbook Pro, and ideally, what you will use the laptop for.
Microsoft's Surface Pro machines are among some of the best productivity laptops on the market. These can be used in laptop and tablet modes.
If you love blogging on the go and want the flexibility of having a laptop and tablet computer, all-in-one, then this piece of tech could be for you.
There are many styles and configurations of the Surface Pro. But, the one that stands out for a rock-solid blogging laptop would be the Intel Core i7 with 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of SSD storage.
The battery life on these machines is amazing, with up to 13 hours. Perfect for blogging on the move. The Surface Pro 6 is also lightweight, only 3LB making it super portable.
Storage-wise, 256GB should be more than enough for most bloggers, unless you want to configure more space for other storing video files, etc.
As far as ports go, you get a full-size USB 3.0 port, MiniDisplay port, Micro SD card reader, and headphone jack.
Price-wise, the Surface Pro's can be quite expensive, so I would recommend shopping around.
Weight and portability is everything when you're blogging on the go. The Asus Zenbook model UX331FA is a super-lightweight and feature-packed laptop for bloggers that spend most of their time on the move.
The laptop is beautifully designed, with an ultra-thin aluminum body. You can slip it into your backpack, and at 2.5LB, you won't even notice you're carrying it around.
The battery life is pretty impressive too. Asus claims it can last up to 15-hours on a single charge.
When it comes to ports and connectivity, you get HDMI, USB Type-C, USB 3.0, WiFi 5, Bluetooth, and MicroSD card reader.
The ZenBook features an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor with 8GB of RAM, Intel HD Graphics 620, and blazing fast 512GB SSD storage. That's also pretty impressive.
So, if you're looking for a powerful blogging laptop with great technology built-in, incredible portability, do check this on out.
Last but not least on our list is the Del Inspiron 15 inch laptop with 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage.
This is one of the best laptops for blogging, seriously. Plus, if you like to create videos as well as write blog posts, this laptop has plenty of storage and resources available.
With this model, there's a choice of 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. Or, if you need something with a little more kick, there's the 16GB RAM and 512GB storage (5570 model).
Weight-wise, this is one of the heaviest laptops on our list at over 6LB. You do get a large 15-inch screen, backlit keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth, and fast SSD hard disk.
Battery life is not the best on this model, you get up to 4 hours on a single charge. Pretty poor.
When it comes to ports, the Dell offers SD card reader, HDMI, USB 3.0, 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB-C*.
When it comes to cost, this laptop is a little bit on the expensive side, so you'll have to shop around for a good deal.
OK, so there you have it. If you're shopping around for a great laptop for blogging in 2020, hopefully, this list will help you pick the right one for your needs. Take your time before picking the right one. It's an exciting venture buying a new blogging laptop, so enjoy it.
