What is the optimal laptop for someone who works in finance?

Hi! I'm thinking of purchasing a new laptop because my new job requires me to have a proper one.

What is the most common laptop used by those on Wall Street? I might be over thinking here, but I think it says something about a person, what kind of a computer he has. What would be the optimal choice in that sense? Is MacBook too unprofessional? Also of course which computer do you think is the best to use in that environment/ work.

Currently I'm contemplating between HP EliteBook and MacBook Pro, both costing around 1300 USD. If you had to choose one just based on the image it gives about you on Wall Street, which one would you choose?

Which brand's laptops are the most common at Wall Street (and in finance overall)?

I know this kind of an useless question (since it doesn't matter THAT) much. However I have plenty of time (for now) in my hands, so I have time to contemplate questions such as this.

If you don't have anything helpful to comment, then please be quiet.

Thank you!

 
Best Response
MJS9:

Why not a mac? I'm just curious... Is it considered too gauche?

Because for the same level of productivity as a PC you have to spend more money for a Mac. That's it. You have to bootcamp it, buy a separate keyboard, etc. not to mention it costs a premium to begin with.

You said before...

MJS9:
I might be over thinking here, but I think it says something about a person, what kind of a computer he has.

...and you certainly are. The Mac user/PC user stereotype is some nonsense from the 90's and the only people who still care about that shit are dumbasses with nothing better to do. Having a Mac isn't "gauche" and it hardly defines you as a person - it's simply inefficient and not cost effective for finance.

Like I said, I love my Mac, wouldn't trade it for the world, and would never buy a PC for personal use. But I also paid out the ass for the privilege and am perfectly fine with my work PC.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

I'm a Mac guy and have been for almost a decade. I have a 16GB MBP that I run both Mac and Windows based office through and I love it. It is in no way deficient.

That said, the answer to your question is almost certainly a PC. I'm not running some $1300 base model MBP at home and at work I use a Lenovo anyhow. You get more for your money with a PC and business is about P&L. Speaking of that, why are you buying your own work laptop anyhow? It will almost certainly be provided by any reputable firm. If so, you can buy whatever you want for your personal computer.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

I love my Mac, but it sucks for working. Excel on the Mac is so much clunkier because all the shortcuts are different. Personally, I'd wait to see what your computer situation is at work. If they give you a laptop, just bring that home with you when you need to, and buy whatever personal computer you want for non-work uses.

"There's nothing you can do if you're too scared to try." - Nickel Creek
 

Currently typing this from my Surface Pro 3. I've been a bit disappointed with mine. The software has extremely annoying quirks, and the mechanical limitations of the screen not holding itself up without back support (there's gotta be a better way of phrasing that...the screen doesn't stand on its own) is surprisingly invasive.

Excel for Windows is a plus, but I'd just get a sleek MacBook and relegate the spreadsheet work to desktops running Windows.

"A modest man, with much to be modest about"
 
MJS9:
Also of course which computer do you think is the best to use in that environment/ work.

The laptop you're given by your bank.

Which is likely a Dell or some other corporate lease job.

That's the laptop you'll be lugging to/from home and client visits.

Compliance and IT won't let you use your preftigious laptop for work, other than to log in remotely through a Citrix or similar web-based interface. Which is inefficient and shit.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, post threads about how to do it on WSO.
 
SSits:
MJS9:

Also of course which computer do you think is the best to use in that environment/ work.

The laptop you're given by your bank.

Which is likely a Dell or some other corporate lease job.

That's the laptop you'll be lugging to/from home and client visits.

Compliance and IT won't let you use your preftigious laptop for work, other than to log in remotely through a Citrix or similar web-based interface. Which is inefficient and shit.

This.

And even if they did, nobody gives a flying crap what brand laptop you have as long as it doesn't look weird. If you want to impress people with accessories you're much better off doing it with a nice leather bag.

 

Who cares what the most popular on Wall Street is? Just get one with a good setup and one you like and be done with it. Dell, Alienware etc

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

You'll get a more reliable connection and greater access to work applications taking your work laptop home (which it's very much designed for) rather than relying on Shitrix or similar remote access through a non-work laptop.

Those who can, do. Those who can't, post threads about how to do it on WSO.
 
aliasgoldman:

I don't think that you can actually work from home because of the confidential nature of the job, so you basically only work at the office. If you just want to use your new laptop for work I don't see the point.

Not necessarily true. My finance jobs have typically had VMware or Citrix where you could remote in using a secured token from your personal computer at home and have access to corporate email and files on the drive. Every place is different but this has been my experience.

Also, to OP, all three of my finance jobs (1 banking and two PE shops) issued me a work laptop and docking station with two full monitors for in office, but again, every place is a little different. It's crucial to have a windows based PC at home (assuming you don't get a work laptop and have remote access). You can ask HR about the specifics on the firm you are about to join now to see what the deal is with your firm and if you should by a personal PC. melokid

 

Basically what he said. It's rare in any role, public or private, where you are handling confidential information that you will be allowed to work on a personal laptop.

That said I would highly recommend having a mid-range PC because you usually have a moderate to heavy need for MS-Office tools on your own time....emails, documents, etc. Plus some firms allow you to use a remote desktop or a VPN when you're on the road or people can't make it into work for whatever crazy reason(Blizzards, weekends at more laid back companies). You're taking your chances with any remote apps working on a laptop, so a PC is a solid bet. Unless you have a need to be doing multimedia work, play video games, or will be doing some kind of crazy quant/statistics analysis I'd try to spend at least 300 to make sure you have enough processing power for mid-level excel work but wouldn't put down more than $500 on it. Just make sure you get at least 3 USB ports (headset + mouse + charging cable), a minimum 1920 x 1080 screen, and an HDMI out port.

 

Hey, maybe he's at a teeny 2-person shop with BYOD policies.

Though really, you should stick to company devices if they are issued to you for the sake of CYA (legal issues, data corruption, insider trading claims, blahblah).

Currently: future neurologist, current psychotherapist Previously: investor relations (top consulting firm), M&A consulting (Big 4), M&A banking (MM)
 

What type of firm is this? All well-known banks will not allow you to use your personal laptop for work purposes, so in that sense, what you have at home does not matter. I work at a MM and have a Macbook Pro at home.

If you are doing work on your personal laptop for whatever reason, I would get a Windows one. Macbooks have different keyboards (e.g. the ALT key is in a different spot), which will slow you down if you ever move to Windows. Plus, Excel for OSX is atrocious.

Just because you can bring your laptop to work doesn't mean you can connect it to the company network or use it for work purposes. That said, I'd get a lightweight Windows 10 machine and install Office 365. The Lenovo X1 Carbon (what I use) is a great machine for this. Dell XPS 13 also highly rated, but I'd go 14-15" screen for this type of work/training,.

 
srj62:

I figured that teaching myself on a Mac would be annoying with the difference in shortcuts.

Think you're right on this point. Just start practicing on a PC over the summer.

 

It could be worthwhile to have an external monitor, keyboard, mouse etc so if you're doing intensive work you can set up and really be productive. I have a windows laptop from work and if I'm doing any legit excel work I usually plug it into everything, makes a huge difference for me.

 
ibanalyst:
depends on the bank, also some banks make you use your laptop as your computer at work to

Not only does it depend on the bank, it depends on your department as well. Friend of mine (same bank)is in Sales and didn't get one, whereas I will (IBD).

You won't get laptop as an intern, but once you start your internship you'll get a clear idea whether your co-workers have their laptops provided by the bank or not.

 
holymonkey:
Just suck it up and buy one. Geez, you make $150k a year.
I have one desktop, one heavy duty laptop and then i need one more for mobility. Now in London, space is really a constraint, if you want to stay in areas where someone is not stabbed every other week. Does it sound so far fetched not to have 5 computers at home. (My gf has her own laptop.) As for 200k..i don't blow up money uselessly. 14 USD buys education for one child for an year in India, and i would rather pay for 100 kids than keep another piece of junk at home.
 

Spend $1K, buy a laptop. Remember anything the company gives you is the company's property. And most banks now have some pretty gnarly big brother software on their equipment. I wouldn't want to be working on resumes, or responding to raunchy emails from friend and headhunter emails or anything of a personal nature on my employer issued laptop .

 

I got one at work, but naturally I have to give it back if I no longer work here.

We get them because we travel a lot, I can't imagine why an IBD analyst would need one because you likely don't leave the office very often.

I don't really even like using it in the office, I hate the keyboard, I'd rather have a desktop.

 

If you can work with manufacturer refurbished there are some good options. I've gone with refurbished for my last 2-3 and it's worked great thus far.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lenovo-Flex-Convert-14-Touch-Ultrabook-Haswell-…

http://www.ebay.com/itm/HP-14-3210nr-Spectre-Ultrabook-14-Laptop-i5-1-7…

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-Latitude-E7440-Intel-i5-4200U-8GB-128GB-SS…

"I know you think you understand what you thought I said but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant."
 

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