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How to Choose a Laptop for Running an Etsy or POD Shop

What actually matters in a laptop for listings, mockups and light design work.

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What actually matters in a laptop for listings, mockups and light design work. This guide covers what to compare so you can check current options and reviews yourself.

What the work needs

Listing products, answering messages and making mockups in browser tools runs on most modern laptops. Design apps and large files benefit from more memory and a better screen.

Illustration for How to Choose a Laptop for Running an Etsy or POD Shop

Specs to look for

  • Memory: 16 GB is a comfortable target for design tools and many browser tabs.
  • Storage: an SSD makes the whole system feel faster. Cloud storage can cover big file libraries.
  • Screen: a sharp, color accurate display helps when you check designs before ordering samples.
  • Battery and weight: matter more if you work away from a desk.

A monitor is a cheap upgrade

An external monitor can make design and listing work much easier, even with a modest laptop.

Before you buy

Check the system requirements of the design tools you plan to use, and compare current prices, since laptop pricing changes often.

Products and services in this guide

Amazon

Laptops on Amazon

Compare current models and prices.

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Amazon

External monitors

More screen space for design and listing work.

Check price on Amazon →
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Maple POD Guide Editors

We run a print on demand shop on Etsy and write the guides we wish we had. When a guide is based on our own orders, we say so.