As of 13 August 2026, AI can choose a laptop for your small business.

What to actually do

1. Hand it to a person

   The route this page recommends

   A person who owns the outcome does this end to end, worth it when the failure is dear.

2. Use a tool built for this

   Second choice

3. Do it yourself

   The distant third

   A chat interface, chat-fluent skill, and roughly 30 minutes until you can act on the result.

   How to actually do it

   1. 1. Write down the business tasks, applications, number of users, budget including whether VAT matters, portability needs and required support.
   2. 2. Open the manufacturer and UK retailer pages for the laptops you are considering, then copy the exact model names, configurations, specifications, prices, warranty terms and URLs.
   3. 3. Paste your requirements and the copied listings into a chatbot with the prompt above.
   4. 4. Ask the chatbot to rank only the exact configurations in your pasted listings and to mark every missing or uncertain fact as needing checking.
   5. 5. Compare the recommended model and every important specification against the manufacturer page and retailer page, including the processor, memory, storage, operating system, ports, warranty, VAT treatment and return terms.
   6. 6. Test the preferred laptop against your actual applications, security policy, docking equipment and user needs, then save the comparison and buy only the verified configuration.

   Prompt

   Act as a careful UK small-business IT buyer. Help me choose a laptop, but do not invent specifications, prices, availability, warranties or compatibility claims. Use only the requirements and product listings I provide; if a fact is missing, mark it as "needs checking". Treat prices as including VAT only when the listing says so.
   
   My requirements:
   - Business type and main work: [describe the work]
   - Applications and browser-based services: [list them]
   - Number of users and laptops: [state them]
   - Budget per laptop and whether VAT must be included: [state it]
   - Preferred screen size, weight and battery needs: [state them]
   - Required ports, docking, monitor or accessories: [state them]
   - Storage and memory needs: [state them]
   - Security, device management, warranty and support requirements: [state them]
   - Preferred operating system: [state it]
   - Buying deadline or location within the UK: [state it]
   
   Product listings and links:
   [paste the full listings and URLs here]
   
   Produce:
   1. A table comparing each exact model and configuration against every requirement.
   2. A ranked shortlist with a clear reason for each position.
   3. The best choice, the best lower-cost choice if supported by the evidence, and any option to reject.
   4. The key trade-offs, missing facts and checks I must complete before buying.
   5. A short buying checklist covering the exact model, processor, memory, storage, operating system, warranty, VAT treatment, return terms and security features.
   
   Do not recommend a product solely because of a brand. Do not assume that a newer processor, larger number or business label guarantees better performance. Separate facts from judgement, cite the supplied URL beside each important fact, and say when the information is insufficient to choose safely.

   Open it prefilled in ChatGPT or Claude, or copy it into Gemini, which takes no prefill link.