Business laptops and Chromebooks are often more expensive than their consumer-level peers.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 and Acer Chromebook Plus Enterprise 515 are a perfect example, as the consumer Chromebook is $399 compared to the $719 starting price of the Enterprise edition.
For large companies that order fleets of laptops by the hundreds, the individual prices of enterprise laptops often do not reflect what a business actually pays. This is partly because corporations commit to multi-year agreements to use a single manufacturer for all their IT devices, thus getting a bulk discount.
Enterprise-level corporations are companies with 1,000 employees or more, but enterprise devices are a significant expense for smaller businesses still wanting enterprise-level security and IT management features.
See also: Acer Chromebook Plus Enterprise 515 (2024) review: Is Chrome Enterprise worth the cost?
There are ways to get some enterprise-level security and IT management features without extra fees.
Google's Chrome Enterprise browser is a free download with enhanced Chrome Enterprise features available on the free Enterprise Core tier. So you can turn any budget Chromebook or laptop into a business device.
What is Chrome Enterprise?
Chrome Enterprise is a version of Google's browser that offers enhanced IT deployment and security features over the standard version of Chrome.
Chrome Enterprise allows IT departments to streamline software rollout, simplify operations, and drop-ship devices to teams across different operating systems, regions, and time zones. It also has increased security to limit exposure to attacks and data breaches.
IT departments can manage employee Chrome Enterprise profiles and access various management and insight features at the free Enterprise Core level. Chrome Enterprise features many of the same AI features, like "help me read" and "help me write," as the consumer version of Chrome.
Enhanced security features like data loss prevention, malware deep scanning, and context-aware access control are locked behind the Chrome Enterprise Premium paid tier. Chrome Enterprise Premium costs $6 per user, per month.
Is a consumer Chromebook better than an Enterprise Chromebook?
You can get consumer-level Chromebooks and laptops with increased security features like a fingerprint scanner or an IR webcam that can be used for secure sign-in.
Hardware-based security solutions, such as a trusted platform module (TPM) or an Enterprise chipset like the Ryzen Pro or Intel vPro lines, usually distinguish enterprise laptops or Chromebooks from consumer devices.
However, if those devices are out of your budget range, software solutions like Google's Chrome Enterprise suite can help fill some security gaps.
If your small business has only a handful of employees who can work entirely in the Google suite or with ChromeOS applications, opting for a powerful consumer option like the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus with Chrome Enterprise Core may be a more budget-friendly solution.
If your company has a bring-your-own-device policy, you might be able to use the Galaxy Chromebook Plus as your business laptop at a larger corporation.
Bottom line
Enterprise devices are often priced out of the range of small businesses or individual buyers. There are, of course, some exceptions like MSI's Prestige 13 AI+ Evo and HP's Elitebook Ultra G1q, which are priced more competitively with similarly specced consumer laptops.
But most enterprise devices see a massive upcharge compared to consumer-level versions. The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 and Acer Chromebook Plus Enterprise 515 are perfect examples of this. The Chromebook Plus 515 starts at $399, while the Chromebook Plus Enterprise 515 starts at $719. Granted, the consumer version is running on older Intel hardware, but upgrading from a 12th Gen i3 to an Intel Core 3 (14th gen) chipset doesn't justify the $300 difference.
Notably, the Chromebook Plus Enterprise does not have a TPM or Intel vPro edition processor with increased hardware security.
So, if you have the option to save a bit of money, it's well worth it to go for the consumer version and just install Chrome Enterprise. Or opt for the slightly less economical but significantly more powerful Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus.
