Why Everyone Needs Their Own Laptop

Combining Work and Life on the Same Laptop is a No-Go

Hey guys, it's Monica Chin here, I've been around the tech block, checking out laptops and gadgets for The Verge since 2020, after sharing my two cents on Tom's Guide and Business Insider.

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Okay, so picture this. You've landed this sweet new gig, and voila, they hand you a shiny ThinkPad. You're thinking, "Adios old MacBook Air; it's been real." I get it, truly.

Look, I've been in those shoes. We've got stats showing a whopping fifty percent plus of folks use their company-issued tech for personal stuff. We're talking everything from chats with pals, online shopping sprees, checking out the latest on social media, to reading up on the news. Using your work laptop for personal life – for your binge-watching sessions, group chats, fanfic reading, bill payments, and sending those family recipes – might seem super convenient, particularly for the home office crowd. It feels like simplifying your life, right? Could clear up some desk space, too. And, let's be real, it seems like a smart move for your wallet.

But, let me be the one to drop the truth bomb: Just don't go there. Seriously, I'm begging you.

Here's the deal: If you're on your work laptop, you gotta think that IT has eyes on your screen. Companies are decked out with all the spy gear they need – we're talking keyloggers, biometrics, location tracking, and software that's got tabs on all your internet and social media shenanigans. More than half of businesses are using some kind of surveillance stuff, and it's even more of a thing since COVID-19 hit the scene.

And don't forget, in those company apps like Slack and G-Suite Enterprise, it's like an open book. That novel you've been scribbling down in the wee hours? Those venting sessions about your boss via Slack? IT's all over it. Even with separate personal accounts, there's a fat chance you'll mix 'em up when you're logged into both on the same machine.

“If you're on a work laptop, you should assume your IT can see everything,” pipes in Ryan Toohil, this IT veteran with 20 years under his belt, and the current CTO of Aura, the digital security pros. He pointed out that IT departments aren't always snooping through your web history, but... you never know when they might start.

It's not just about them seeing your screen time - they can snag any download you make. Tossing some personal pics or messages onto your work laptop seems harmless – you’ll just scrub them off later, right? But companies like Apple won’t even let you clear out your device before you hand it over, no matter how personal that stuff is. And if you get the boot or your company tanks without warning, you might not get the chance to transfer those files off your laptop.

In those sticky situations, you might be locked out before you can say "backup." “In most companies, the moment you're axed, that's pretty much triggering an auto-lockdown on your access,” Toohil adds.

Even if you're leaving on good terms, hustling files off your work laptop last minute can make IT raise an eyebrow – and remember, they see all. “Imagine you're jumping ship to a rival,” Toohil notes. “They’re gonna audit and catch that data migration just before you left. And boom, you're in hot water. Best case scenario, you're in for an awkward convo. Worst case, you're busted for swiping company secrets.”

And if things hit the fan, you might just end up like this poor soul, who got a text about bathroom mishaps while screen sharing with the bigwigs, or the one who blasted NSFW content in a company chat, or that guy who accidentally looped his current boss into a job interview call. If your work and fun times are happening on the same device, it only takes one wrong attachment or paste to dive into a world of cringe that could wreck coworker relations or even your career.

I know, using your work laptop as a personal one might seem like a smart way to save some dough, especially if you're among the 51 percent of the US workforce doing their thing from home at least part of the time. But here's the bright side: a personal laptop doesn't have to break the bank, especially if you're just after the basics like emails, Netflix, and tweeting. Some top-notch laptops are out there for less than $1,000 – and if you're cool with Chrome OS, you can snag a Chromebook for under $400. I've personally put these babies to the test, like the $299 Lenovo Chromebook Duet and the $389.99 Asus Chromebook Detachable, and they'd do the trick as my go-to personal devices. Even a $329.99 iPad gets the job done for most laptop needs, especially with a keyboard case. Affordable laptops have stepped up their game, and these gadgets are snappy and solidly built.

What you want in a personal laptop depends on your budget and the bells and whistles you're after. One of the sweet things about your own device is customizing it to your taste – something an IT department might not get. Eyeing the specs like processor (Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 for daily browsing and chill Netflix sessions), screen quality (1080p should do unless you're fussy), storage, memory, and weight (there are light ones out there for two pounds) – you find what fits your life.

You can also score extras on a personal device that you'd never see on a standard office laptop. Wanna game? Look for a GPU. Artistic? Find one with a stylus. Need a tablet for sheet music while playing piano? Go for a detachable screen. Into flashy keyboards? Grab one with RGB lights. Deck out your laptop with skins, stickers, and whatever else you fancy. You want to rock a laptop that's out there? Do it. It's your tech, your rules!

There's this small sigh of relief when you're not on edge for Slack notifications

And just to keep it real, a lot of folks working remotely find it hard to shut off. The line between personal and work life blurs when both happen in the same space without that commute buffer. It's tough to shake off the feeling that I should be on the job, even when the clock's punched out.

From my own journey, having a personal laptop makes a difference. I'm not as likely to sneak a peek at work emails if I'm not signed in on my machine. And there's this small sigh of relief when you're not on edge for Slack notifications to pop up mid-Succession because Slack's not even on my Succession-watching gadget. Investing in a personal laptop's not just about security – it's a step towards better mental health. Trust me, it's worth it.