An example of what not to buy for your staff.
We’ve been in this business a long time, and one thing we’ve come to learn is that every computer inevitably becomes outdated and obsolete. Purchasing a new computer for yourself can be a daunting task in and of itself, but when you’re in charge of purchasing computers for your entire staff it can be downright frightening.
Nobody wants to go down in office history as the person who bought everyone crummy computers that don’t work – fat chance getting anything decent from your Secret Santa for the next few years!
Avoid being shunned by your fellow co-workers and follow Abenaki’s tips for purchasing new computers for your staff!
Desktop? Laptop? Tablet?
First off, you’ll need to decide which of these you’ll need.
Tablets seem to be all the rage lately, and with good reason. They are light, compact, and processing power is increasing exponentially every few months. Couple this with a huge array of different apps and cloud computing, tablets are certainly becoming a viable option for the computer user on the go. Note I said ‘becoming’, they aren’t quite there yet. It may take a few more years for these devices to become as competent in office environments as their counterparts. More recently, there have been models released that have blurred the lines between these previously clear categories. One warning is that these novelty devices which can transform from a laptop to a tablet are rarely tried and tested in real world work environments, so, buyer beware; you could end up with a lemon.
If you and your staff spend half the year on the road, moving from meeting to meeting, or even working from home occasionally, and you need to be able to run the same applications you do at the office – then a laptop would be your best bet. This seems to be the direction many workplaces are going, and there is no shortage of options available even if you’re on a tight budget, or looking to splurge on a high end model with lots of bells and whistles, but weighing in at just under a few pounds. Just be sure to spread the oomph around, because price tags on higher end models can climb up, fast, and sometimes you could be better off purchasing many moderately equipped laptops rather than one gem and a bunch of duds… remember, Secret Santa needs to use this computer to order your gifts from hammacher schlemmer!
Desktops have come a long way in the past 10 years. From behemoths that weighed in at 25lbs and made more noise than a hair dryer, to silent, small, and efficient little workhorses that can pack real processing punch! And let’s not forget the core of any office network – the server.
Purchase from a Reputable Source
Don’t buy used computers from Kijiji or Craigslist and definitely don’t buy ones made in someone’s garage. When purchasing multiple computers, don’t get suckered into purchasing from a local going-out-of-business sale or school closure either, unless (and be 150% sure of this) they are less than a few months old and are still under warranty with the manufacturer.
When purchasing computers for your staff you want to make sure that the supplier you’re working with will stand behind their product. Be sure to comb through the fine print of any warranty or guarantee; you want to be sure that if there are any faulty components that they will cover manufacturing defects. Extended warranty, though sometimes frowned upon for some purchases, can be a lifesaver with computers, especially if it includes perks like free pick up and repair, or even in house service from a specialist.
RAM it Full of Memory
Multitasking is the name of the game now days no matter the work environment and this requires lots of RAM. We recommend a minimum of 4 – 6GB for laptops, and really, the sky is the limit with desktops. However, when purchasing tablets and laptops, bear in mind that these are built with limited capacity for upgrading things like RAM should you need it down the road.
Don’t Skimp on Video
Does your staff use high end graphics applications? If so, then splurging on a good video processor is a worthwhile investment. Do you make presentations a lot? Then also take time to consider what outputs are available in the computers you’re purchasing. HDMI is a popular video format that is quickly becoming a standard option for display devices at all price points.
Storage & Media
Solid state drives are beginning to appear in both higher end laptops and smaller netbooks and tablets. While these are pricey, they are certainly a viable alternative to traditional HD’s with moving parts which are prone to failure. Another thing to consider is whether you will require an optical drive (CD, DVD, BlueRay). With the price on external storage devices such as thumb drives and terabyte hard drives which connect via usb, it’s beginning to look like the optical drive may be on its way out. This is, of course, still a long way away, but something to be mindful of.
So, that’s our very abbreviated collection of tips for purchasing computers for your staff. If, after you purchase said computers, you’re in need of some powerful First Nations Community Management software, or a world class Sage Software financial management application… contact us. We’ve got you covered!