Imagine an employee is having problems with a several-year-old computer. Whenever the employee starts their apps, they wait minutes for the program to load. Also, the computer shuts down while they are working on critical projects. The employee is frustrated with the computer and is asking for a new device.
What features should you consider when buying a computer?
- Portability: If the employee works outside the office, we advise using a laptop. Otherwise, a desktop is the best choice, since it will be more affordable to buy and manage the device.
- Operating system: Most businesses use either Microsoft Windows OS or Apple Mac OS. The employee should use the same operating system as the rest of the company. But you may have to make an exception for an employee using apps incompatible with the preferred OS.
- Storage: The hard drive stores your applications, documents, images, and video files. A business-use computer needs at least 500GB of storage space. Also, consider whether to use an HDD (Hard Drive Disk), SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination of both. SSDs are more expensive but improve the speed of device boot-up, file opening, and application run times. HDDs are cheaper and allow for higher volume storage but have slower boot-up and application run times.
- Memory: RAM (Random Access Memory) provides short-term memory apps need while they run on the device. We recommend at least 8GB of RAM so they can multi-task between applications, view graphic-intensive websites, and play videos. If some employees use demanding application suites such as Adobe and need a substantial number of programs open, we suggest at least 16GB of memory.
- Processor: The CPU (central processing unit) is a part that processes instructions within the device. For standard users working with productivity apps, email, and streaming videos, the Intel Core i5 (or similar) will work. For workers using graphic-intensive applications, the Intel Core i7 (or similar) is an excellent choice.
- Graphics Card: If any employees work in Marketing, Graphic Design, or Engineering, they will need a graphics card. This card helps the device render high-resolution photos, videos, and designs. Choose either NVIDIA or AMD graphics cards.
Why should you avoid buying a cheap consumer-grade computer?
However, the price of getting a new device can result in sticker shock. Some businesses figure they can order something cheap on Amazon. If your business focuses more on price and less on specs, you risk getting poor consumer-grade gear that might include:
- Home, rather than professional, versions of software suites
- Lower-end parts with limited storage, memory, and processing power
- Little to no manufacturer support because the warranty expired, or the device is at the end of its service life
- Repairs completed with poor aftermarket products
What are the hidden costs of buying a cheap consumer-grade computer?
Besides, cheap equipment creates excessive costs and headaches for your business:
- IT support needs to charge time and materials preparing the computer for company use. For example, if the device uses a home edition of Windows, the technician will need to upgrade to the pro version. Otherwise, the device will not be able to connect to IT system administration tools.
- The computer running slowly or breaking down.
- The technician needs to log billable hours on the device for maintenance and support.
- The technician needs to charge billable hours for the time spent contacting the seller and arranging for a return.
- Your business might eat the equipment costs if the seller does not accept returns.
- Your business may pay the manufacturer extra for extended support if the equipment reached the end of life.
- If the manufacturer is no longer supporting the device and/or operating system, we may have to leave it off the network because it presents a security risk.
How can we provide assistance with purchasing a new computer?
SwiftTech Solutions can prevent headaches by assisting with company hardware purchases. Our technicians can coordinate these tasks for our Managed IT Services clients:
- Discussing the device needs with the employee
- Searching for equipment that meets performance, network compatibility, and job function needs
- Asking a vendor or distributor for a quote
- Reviewing the quote with your business
- Placing an order for the equipment
- Managing shipment status and handling the delivery
- Preparing the equipment by moving data, installing applications, and adding network printers
- Contacting manufacturer support if there are any issues
- Contacting the seller to return the device if it is defective
SwiftTech Solutions can ensure your device purchases meet your needs and budget. If you have any questions, please contact 877-794-3811 or info@swifttechsolutions.com.