Imagine yourself being in the midst of a claim investigation put up by a claimant with regard to the damages made to his property.
After meeting and investigating the claimant and witnesses (if any), all you have at hand is a notebook to jot down your post-meeting minutes.
Then you need to go through a complex set of price lists and repair items to estimate which part needs what type of repairs and how much cost needs to be incurred on them.
Then compare them with other quotations to estimate the lowest possible settlement claim for you, as an insurance company.
“Stop! This is where you need the Best Laptops for Xactimate. Automated software that does all of the above for you, efficiently and in the most accurate manner possible”
If you are an Insurance Claims Adjuster (as mentioned above), then you are at the right place as I suppose you are the one probably facing the dilemma of which laptop would run Xactimate the best for you.
Who is an Insurance Claims Adjuster?
An Insurance Claims Adjuster is either a self-employed individual or employed by Insurance companies to investigate their customers’ insurance claims.
The claim could be regarding any property damages or any liabilities regarding personal injuries.
The Insurance Claims Adjuster then goes through a process of investigation in which he:
- Interviews the claimant
- Interviews any available witnesses
- Inspects the damages
- Coordinates with the police and reviews their reports.
After going through these different levels of investigation, the Claims Adjuster now arrives in a position to be able to gauge the potential liability of the insurance company. This is where the adjuster uses “Xactimate.”
What is Xactimate?
Xactimate is a computerized software that Insurance Adjusters use to estimate construction costs that may eventually turn out to be the amount that the insurance company is liable to pay to the claimant.
The algorithm behind the software uses basic assumptions of property prices that are either too low or too generic in some cases. Xactimate then uses these prices to guesstimate damages to a particular property and claim settlement offers.
However, the Claim Adjusters usually try to reduce the amount of the claim by negotiating with the claimant himself.
Things To Look Out For?
Now that we have attained sufficient background knowledge of Xactimate and how Insurance Claim Adjusters use this software, let’s look at the best possible machines one should consider to use this software.
One can consider many aspects before he or she decides on what type or brand of laptop to purchase.
However, I will break down the 3 most common features that I feel are essential for you as an Insurance Claims adjuster and should help you run Xactimate on it as efficiently as possible.
Display
There are various devices out there in the market with different options available when it comes to displaying. With options of 4k screen and/or Full HD IPS panels, I think both would be equally sufficient in terms of display, with peak brightness (nits) playing an important factor here.
Since most of your work would be outdoors and on the go, a quality screen that can light up under the sun is what you should be looking for.
Furthermore, the screen size is the following attribute you should ponder. If weight is an issue, then a 13 or a 15-inch machine should suffice your portability needs, and the 17-inch versions shall be avoided.
Another factor to look out for is the touchscreen option available on the device. Consequently, opting out for the 2-in-1 convertible options is also a must with portability on your mind.
Convenience matters when you are working in the field, and having the option of folding up your laptop or unfolding it to make notes just makes it a worthwhile selection to contemplate.
Performance
Apparently, the most important factor when it comes to choosing your new machine for any type of usage is performance.
Since your primary concern is to run Xactimate on it efficiently, a Core i3 (Intel-based) or an AMD Ryzen 3 processor would suffice. However, to ensure you get a seamless working experience, Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 is what I feel is a better option for you.
Talking about Random Access Memory on your device, in simple terms, RAM. You, as an insurance claims adjuster, would often be multi-tasking during your investigation and survey.
Therefore, to make things less complicated, let’s just say “8GB is the least you should aim for”.
For effectual storage and a faster booting device, an SSD-storage-based laptop is what you should be opting for. What size of the hard drive? Come on, decide for yourself!
Battery life
The two main characteristics of your job that we have discussed this far are, working on the go and efficient performance.
To complement both these characteristics, you will definitely have to look out for a device that has the balance of both.
Don’t worry! Carry on with the list below. You will find devices with a reasonable balance between performance and battery timing.
List of 7 Best Laptops for Xactimate
I have listed below the top 7 devices, as per my research and knowledge, which are the perfect blend of the above section’s features. Pros and Cons are mentioned for each to help you decide “efficiently.”
#1. Dell XPS 15 – Best Laptop for Xactimate
Dell is one of the pioneers when it comes to delivering durable and long-lasting machines. However, with the XPS series, DELL announced itself to the market where design and performance come together.
The Dell XPS series is one of the finest devices out there when it comes to displaying properties. With its revolutionary Redefined Infinity-Edge display, you get to enjoy a seamless 16:10 FHD+ screen with up to 400 nits of peak brightness on HDR content.
You are bound to get a stunning outdoors display partially because of the 0.65% anti-reflective coating on the screen to avoid glares while working outside and maintaining that glossy screen for you.
The more, the merrier concept applies to the optional UHD+ screens that one can opt for with the XPS 15.
If your budget permits you to, then submerge yourself into Dolby Vision-based content with 40 times brighter highlights and 10 times darker blacks. Dell likes to call this “Color the pops.”
All of these stunning visuals, along with the Eyesafe® display that Dell uses to reduce the emission of harmful blue light, are the best possible display option out there in the market.
In terms of performance, DELL XPS 15 comes packed with 10th gen intel core processors with all variants available, i.e., i3, i5, and i7.
I personally would recommend anything above i3 would be perfect for your computing needs regarding Xactimate. Coupled with 16GB of RAM, high-end performance on this device is guaranteed.
Portability on this device is an A-plus when we talk about the Dell XPS 15. The 15.6-inch screen is packed with a thickness of just 4 inches and weighs just under 9 pounds.
Hence, taking this device and using it out on the go will never be a problem for you while using Xactimate on-site.
You may be working day and night on a particular claim, and therefore, your device’s continuous usage may worry you about it heating up. DELL has sorted out this problem by introducing Advanced thermal technology on its XPS devices.
The dual fans separate the air, spread the heat over a larger area, and then vent the heat out with dual heating pipes. Thus, ensuring maximum performance and minimum footprint.
#2. Acer Aspire 5 (A515)
Acer has established itself in the affordable category of laptops. Acer not only produces lightweight and portable devices but also ensures that its machines’ durability is not compromised.
This is evident from the sandblasted aluminum chassis that is a tough companion for you in your endeavors.
Also, the fact that it weighs just below 4 pounds with 0.71 inches of thickness is another indication that Acer has excelled in targeting this segment of the market share.
Let’s start off with the stunning 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display that the Acer Aspire 5 possesses. It has a reasonable performance in terms of brightness for usage out in the daylight.
Also, if you are working and making your estimations in an indoor environment, then Aspire has got your eyes protected with the “Acer Color Intelligence” and “Acer Blue-Light Shield” technologies.
This way, any harmful blue light emitted from the screens is intelligently managed and omitted from your viewing space.
Next up, we take a dive into its performance. Driven by 10th Gen Intel Core i5 processors, the Acer Aspire 5 is more than capable enough of handling our Xactimate needs. Multi-tasking along with heavy calculations will not be a problem for you on this device.
Another plus point this device has is the 8 hours of battery backup that it provides. As we discussed earlier, this attribute is vital for you as an Insurance Claims Adjuster if and when you’re out on the road for more than one assignment.
Connectivity-wise, the Dual Band Wi-Fi 6 technology in the Aspire 5 provides 3 times faster average speed and 75% reduced latency. Therefore, working on the move, especially on outdoor Wi-Fi connections, turns into a seamless experience.
Other than Wi-Fi connectivity, this machine also has 1 USB Type-C port and 2 type-A ports for external connections needed to be made on this device.
To conclude, I am very confident that the Acer Aspire 5 is a worthy inclusion in the list of laptops that can handle your Xactimate and claim adjustment needs in 2023.
#3. ASUS ZenBook Duo
ASUS is well known for the wide variety of laptops that it has been introducing in the market for quite some time now.
When talking about the ASUS ZenBook Duo, let me tell you first and foremost that this machine’s innovation and design resulted in ASUS winning the Best Laptop Brand of the year 2020.
The innovation in the ZenBook is primarily the 12.6-inch secondary matte touchscreen that has taken multi-tasking to a whole another level.
Yes, along with the 14-inch Full HD Nano Edge display, ASUS ZenBook brings you the dual-display experience to seamlessly integrate your multi-tasking operations on the device.
The 14-inch main screen comes under the frameless Nano-Edge display proclaimed by ASUS. The screen covers almost 90% of the display body and produces very stunning images during content viewing.
The ZenBook is power-driven by 10th gen intel core processors up to i10. Coupled with up to 16GBs of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, this is a powerhouse at your disposal.
Multi-tasking is seamless on this device due to the power processed by the intel-based chipset and the high-performing SSD drives and RAMs.
In terms of durability, the ASUS ZenBook scores high flying numbers. This is mainly due to the MIL-STD 810-G military standard testing performed on this machine.
After passing through the tests of operating under harsh environments, mainly extreme temperature and humidity, the ZenBook Duo brings you the relief of not fearing damaging your laptop anytime, anywhere.
ASUS’s further enhancement in the ZenBook Duo is the ErgoLift design that tilts the keyboard, based on durable hinge technology, to give you a more comfortable typing experience.
Maybe, most of your work has to be noted down, and hence this ErgoLoft may prove to be a relaxed option for you.
#4. HP 15 – Best Laptop for Insurance Adjuster
HP has established itself with the words Elegant and stylish in the laptop industry. In all of its devices, HP ensures that the design is impressive and the laptops portray sophistication and style. The same is with the following machine in our list of best laptops to run Xactimite.
The feature quality of this device is the portability and convenience it offers. Weighing in at just 3.75 pounds and 0.7 inches of thickness lets you use the machine whenever and wherever you feel to.
Furthermore, powered by 11th gen intel processors along with 8 or 16GB of RAM (based on your budget), this laptop is capable of handling all your Xactimate needs.
To enhance this device’s multi-tasking capacity, you can also opt for SSD hard drives that ultimately boot the systems and drives very smoothly and in no time.
The 15.6-inch Full HD IPS Panel used on the HP 15 works wonders, especially with the 6.5mm micro-edge display covering up to 82% of the screen-to-body ratio. The display is anti-glare and shall not reflect the light onto the user’s eyes while working under the sun.
Finally, the HP 15 laptop provides a battery backup of up to 7-8 hours and can be ported away anywhere without the hassle of charging every now and then.
However, if you’re in a hurry, HPs’ Fast Charge can charge your laptop from 0-50% in 30 minutes. This way, you won’t have to wait long hours to get the laptop charged.
With other attributes, such as faster WIFI connectivity and Iris Xe Graphics technology, the HP 15 is a deserved candidate in this list.
#5. Acer Nitro 5
The Acer Nitro 5 is the only high-budget gaming laptop on our list today of the best laptops for Xactimate.
It is quite possible that you are one of the Highly skilled Insurance claims adjusters in your company and are looking to buy yourself a laptop for multi-purposes.
Not only can it handle the power required by the entire algorithm-based Xactimate software but also be able to stand whatever you throw at it during your leisure time at home.
Hence, this laptop is for gamers out there!
Using the throttle provided by 9th, 10th, or 11th Gen Intel Core processing systems and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 Series GPUs, be ready to indulge in the world of high-quality gaming on your laptop.
Furthermore, to enhance the device’s gaming speed and capacity, make sure you utilize the 2 SATA SSD slots and the DDR4 RAM slot for up to 32Gigz of randomly accessible memory.
Be it the 17.3-inch version or the 15.6-inch slightly compact model, both boast a Full High Definition IPS LCD Display. With a 144Hz refresh rate, both screens provide a smooth, blur-free, and lag-free gaming experience on the device.
To narrow down the bezels, 80% of the screen has been utilized with an NTSC panel that peaks up to 300 units of brightness under daylight. Hence, you have the freedom to enjoy your games outdoors too.
Too much pressure put upon the device results in the heating of its processing system.
Acer has got you covered in this department, too, with the Acer CoolBoost technology and the quad exhaust port design. With this built-in technology, your Acer Nitro 5 gets up to 10% faster fan speeds and more than 9% cooling of the CPU and GPU chipsets.
Therefore, you never have to worry about system heat-ups either while working on your Xactimate or while gaming at home.
The specs may sound heavy to one, but the device itself isn’t as much as others with these sorts of attributes and features.
Minimalistic design means that the whole package in a single Acer Nitro 5 weighs just around 5 lbs with just 0.96 inches of thickness on the sides.
For those willing to dive a bit deep into their pockets, Acer Nitro 5 is one of the perfect choices to opt from.
It is a perfect combination of a gaming-friendly monster that can easily handle all your daily tasks along with any complicated calculations your try out on Xactimate. This is conclusive enough to justify why this laptop makes its way on our list.
#6. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
Introducing another budget laptop on our list is the Lenovo IdeaPad 3. It is the only device on our list for today that is run on AMD Ryzen mobile processor units.
Yes, the IdeaPad 3 is powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 3500U chipset. With a decent performance score, the AMD mobile processing unit and Radeon graphics outperform many other brands that fall in this category.
A 14-inch FHD display that can be extended up to 180 degrees delivers fine details on the narrow bezel screen.
With the top-placed 720p camera that provides excellent image quality, you can now enjoy high-quality video conferencing with your clients, and many witnesses can also be reached out over the internet through video calls.
However, to ensure your privacy is not compromised, Lenovo uses its built-in privacy shutter to keep your camera to yourself.
All these basic packages are wrapped around a solid aluminum chassis that weighs below 3.5 pounds. With just 0.6 inches of thickness, Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has outperformed most of laptops when it comes to the portability factor.
And then, Lenovo claims battery timings of up to 12 hours a day. Hence, this machine is the perfect budget-friendly companion for you on the road.
#7. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3
Ever since Microsoft decided to step up its game in the laptop industry by integrating high performance with elegance and style, the Surface series gets better and better with every new model launched.
Let’s begin with the beautiful 13.5-inch Pixel Sense touchscreen with 2256 x 1504 of screen quality. Wrapped around a visually stunning sandstone framework, the Surface Laptop 3 is a device where grace meets elegance.
In terms of portability, the Surface Laptop 3 by Microsoft is one of the lightest devices mentioned in our list today. A 2.79-pound weighted machine with just 0.6 inches of thickness makes the Surface an incredibly pocket-friendly companion with you on the go!
It is fueled by the latest 11th Gen intel core processors, and you also have the choice to purchase it with the AMD mobile processors. Combine this with SSD storage of up to 1TB and up to 16GB of DDR4 RAM, and all you can expect is an exceptional performance.
Microsoft uses their Signature Alcantara material on its keyboard palettes to enhance your comfort levels, and the palm rests alongside it. This way, you don’t have to worry about your fingers and/or wrists aching after some vigorous typing and research work.
Being an Insurance Claims Adjuster and working on Xactimate can soon become an overnight stressful job, especially when there is a big claimant that your Insurance company needs to answer.
With the Surface Laptop 3, Microsoft claims it to have a power capacity to last 12-14 hours a day.
This is a key attribute in today’s era, where people want to spend more time on the laptop doing work or research rather than waiting for the devices to charge all day.
Therefore, to sum it up, it is pretty clear that with all these amazing features and specs wrapped up in an elegant appearing yet lightweight and portable exterior, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 is a deserved candidate on our list today.
Conclusion
We discussed in detail at the start of this article the nature of work that an Insurance Claims Adjuster has to go through.
By the time he or she reaches the stage where Xactimate is used for estimating claims, it is essential for him or her to choose her next laptop based on the 3 key attributes:
- Display
- Performance
- Battery
In the above article, I have tried my best to summarize each machine’s details on this list and highlight these 3 key attributes for you to gauge a better understanding of how these laptops will better suit your work environment.
However, some of you may be on a limited budget and not planning to spend much on your next device. All this is covered on our list of Best Laptops for Xactimate.
For the ones that are tight on their pockets, you may go for the ASUS and Lenovo options as they have some affordable devices in the list above.
Similarly, for those who do not care about how much they’re spending and would rather have a more comfortable laptop, then the likes of Surface, HP, and Dell XPS are good choices that they can consider.
The decision lies with you and will be based on your preferences, and I hope I have made things pretty easy and straightforward for you, which will enable you to make an informed decision about your next laptop.
Happy Shopping and best of luck dealing with those claims that you and your employers need to settle.
